Engaging Content Is Persuasive

Internet marketing is not just about keywords anymore. Sounding convincing and pointing to action items can dramatically increase your conversion rates. Using trigger/action words and mentioning awards, press stories, or books you have written can make your content more believable. Again, you want to position yourself as an authority in your field…someone people should listen to!

What’s Essential for Engaging Content?

Always include:

Catchy titles
Trigger words (words that the user searched with and action phrases like “buy now”)
Thought leader content that brands you as an expert
Social proof that you have the best deal (testimonials, reviews, “likes,” etc.)

Remember, a good web writer is only as good as the conversions he or she creates. So if you don’t test to see what is working by tracking goals in analytics and testing variations of advertisements, you will never know how well your favorite copy is working. Check out Google’s Content Experiments tool in Google Analytics, which helps in optimizing variations of content such as headings and graphics.

Create a Sense of Urgency

Use phrases like “sale ends January 14” and “register today for 15% off.” When you include real offers in your content, you give people a reason to act now.

Clearly Express Your Value Proposition

Don’t make customers think. Some of the best marketers realize that people online actually like to and very much need to be told what to do. Make it obvious what you’re good at and why they should buy from you versus someone else. It’s your job to show potential customers why you’re the best, and your website should be a natural extension of that.

Make It Scan- and Skim-Friendly

Copy on the web is different from off-line copy. Readers are generally moving from site to site, instead of reading just one book or piece of content. So you need users to see the point, and fast, or you’re going to lose them when they navigate away from your website. Internet readers tend to scan copy for keywords and important points, and your content needs to cater to this reading style. To make your writing scan-and-skim-friendly, try the following: