Stop Leaving Cash on The Table: The Power of your CTA

Let’s dive straight into a crucial topic for businesses of all shapes and sizes: the importance of including a call to action (CTA) in everything you publish.

Think about it: you pour your heart and soul into creating content that’s engaging, informative, and on-brand. But what good is it if it doesn’t drive action from your audience?

It’s like getting dressed and dolled up for a blind date, walking into a bar and just standing there – never asking for a drink.

Your CTA is you asking for something from the reader.

That’s where the power of a CTA comes in.

A CTA is a clear and concise command that tells your audience what you want them to do next. It’s a simple yet effective way to steer your visitors in the direction you want them to go.

  • Email sign ups
  • Downloads
  • Booking a call
  • Adding something to a shopping basket

Your CTA gives your audience the nudge they need to take that next step.

But here’s the thing: not all CTAs are created equal. To really make an impact, you need to craft a CTA that’s both compelling and relevant.

Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

  • Keep it simple and straightforward. Your CTA should be easy to understand and do. Avoid overcomplicating it and give the reader ONE thing to do.
  • Make it actionable. Use strong verbs that inspire action, like “Download now” or “Sign up today.”
  • Make it relevant. Your CTA should be directly related to the content it’s attached to. For example, if you’re writing a blog post about a new product, your CTA could be “Learn more about [product name].”
  • Make it visible. Your CTA should be placed prominently on the page so that it’s easily seen and acted on. Don’t make this HARD.
  • Test and optimise. Don’t be afraid to try different CTAs and see what resonates with your audience. Use A/B testing to determine which CTAs drive the best results and adjust as needed.

A CTA is a crucial component of any content you publish. Essentially, you’ll be leaving CASH on the table if you don’t do this.

So, what are you waiting for? Start adding those CTAs to your content, and watch your results soar!

6 Ways to Show Your Direct Mail Some Love

Tired of sending out direct mail campaigns that just aren’t getting results? Or perhaps you’re about to start a new campaign and want to ensure you get the most bang for your buck?

Well, it’s time to shake things up and give your direct mail strategy a boost! Take two minutes to tick these off your list:

First and foremost, make sure you’re targeting the right audience. This might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many businesses send out direct mail to those who will never want to buy from you. Take the time to research your target audience and create a list of contacts that could…potentially…buy from you.

Next, focus on the way it looks. Your mailer should be visually appealing and grab the attention of the recipient. Use high-quality images and graphics, and make sure the design is consistent with your branding. Also, consider using a unique shape or size for your mailer to make it stand out from the rest of the mail on their doormat.

Another tip is to personalise your direct mail campaigns. This can go a long way in making your recipients feel valued and special. Include their name on the mailer, address them in the greeting or even tailor the message to their previous interactions with your business, e.g. ‘we connected on LinkedIn, so I thought I’d reach out’.

Ensure you include a clear call to action in your direct mail piece. This could be something as simple as “Visit our website for more information” or “Give us a call by XYZ date to unlock our exclusive discount.” Make it DEAD easy for your readers to take the next step.

Another great way to improve your direct mail strategy is by using a multi-channel approach. This means that you’re not just relying on direct mail to reach your audience. Instead, you’re using a combination of direct mail, email, social media, and other channels to reach your target audience.

I will be surprised if a multi-channel approach like this fails to create any sort of impact, again if you are reaching the right audience, that is.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to test and experiment with your direct mail campaigns. Try different designs, messages, and offers to see what works best. And don’t forget to track your results so you can see which campaigns are performing the best and make adjustments accordingly.

Direct mail can be a powerful marketing tool for small businesses, but it’s important to ensure you’re doing it right. By following these tips, you can give your direct mail strategy a boost and see better results.

If you’re looking for some help, whether to write your copy or to throw a glancing eye over what you’ve produced, drop me an email, and I’ll do my best to help you squeeze as much sales potential from your next mailout: [email protected]

SEO: Keeping it Fresh for Google

Fresh haircuts, fresh bed sheets, fresh fruit. We LOVE it when things are fresh.

Well, the same goes for our good old friend Google; it loves fresh content.

Are you aware of the importance of fresh content when it comes to your website’s search engine rankings? The fresher the content, the better your SEO chances.

When it comes to your website, Google wants to see that you’re regularly updating it with new and relevant information. Showing that your website is active and that you’re providing valuable information to your audience. And the more valuable information you provide, the more likely it is that people will want to visit your website.

“But I don’t have the time or resources to constantly update my website with new content!”

…and that’s totally fine! (This blog will go MONTHS without updates while I’m busy on client projects).

You don’t need to constantly update your website with new blog posts or articles, but you should aim to add new content on a regular basis. This could be in the form of a new product or service page, updated FAQs, or even a simple news update.

Ultimately, when you publish new content, it gives Google more pages to index, increasing the chances of your website showing up in the search results. Like winning a raffle – the more ‘pages/tickets’, the more chance of winning/being found.

You’re also giving your audience a reason to return to your website. This helps to build brand loyalty and can ultimately increase your customer base.

Long-form content

Another great way to increase your website’s visibility is by creating long-form content. This type of content is usually over 1,000 words, and it goes into great detail on a particular topic. Long-form content is great for SEO because it allows you to target multiple keywords and phrases, and it also gives you a chance to establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

Summing it all up

Fresh content keeps your website active, relevant, and visible on the search engine results pages. It doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task, but it’s essential for your website’s success. So, ensure you’re regularly updating your website with new and relevant information, and you’ll be well on your way to being found by more customers looking for exactly what you do.

Can a copywriter help?

If you want to boost your SEO but don’t have the time to write your own content, work with an SEO copywriter like me. I can help you create high-quality, keyword-rich content. We can help you with blog posts, articles, product descriptions, and more. Don’t let a lack of time hold you back from reaping the benefits of SEO.

Drop me an email [email protected]

Three Sales Lessons from The Wolf of Wall Street

If you haven’t seen “The Wolf of Wall Street,” drop everything and watch it right now, it’s this copywriter’s favourite film of all time (just make sure your boss or any children aren’t around first).

Not only is it an incredible film, but it’s also a masterclass in sales. Jordan Belfort, the real-life Wolf of Wall Street, may have been a criminal, but the guy knew how to sell. Here are three lessons you can learn from the film to boost your own sales game:

Be passionate about what you’re selling.
Belfort was convinced that the penny stocks he was pushing would make his clients rich (well, he wasn’t. He knew it was a scam, but bare with me), and he believed it so strongly that he could convince others to believe it too. When you’re passionate about what you’re selling, it’s contagious, and people are more likely to buy in. If you’re not excited about what you’re selling, why should anyone else be?

Use storytelling to make your product relatable.
Belfort was a master at using storytelling to make his clients feel like they were missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He’d tell them stories of people who had made millions with his penny stocks, and he’d paint a picture of what their lives could be like if they invested – the dream we all hear about.

Be confident and persistent.
Belfort was always confident, even when things weren’t going well. He knew that if he could just get in front of enough people, he’d be able to make some sales. He was also persistent and never took no for an answer. He’d call and call and call until someone said yes. Confidence and persistence are key in sales, and Belfort had both.

The lessons he teaches in the film are invaluable for anyone looking to boost their sales game – of course, remember to take it all with a pinch of salt and a tongue in your cheek. Remember, be passionate about what you’re selling, use storytelling to make it relatable, and always be confident and persistent.

Five Overlooked Landing Page Hacks

Are you tired of seeing low conversion rates on your landing pages? You’re not alone. It’s a common problem for businesses of all sizes. But don’t worry; there are plenty of simple hacks you can implement to improve those numbers.

Here are five overlooked landing page hacks that every business can use to boost conversions:

  1. Use social proof.
    Social proof is a powerful tool that can be used to build trust and credibility with your audience. By including customer testimonials, case studies, or reviews on your landing page, you can show potential customers that others have succeeded with your product or service.
  2. Make your call-to-action (CTA) stand out.
    Your CTA is the most important element on your landing page. It’s the button or link that encourages visitors to take the next step and convert. Make sure your CTA actually stands out by using contrasting colours, making it larger than other elements on the page, or using a strong action verb.
  3. Use a clear and simple headline.
    Your headline is the first thing visitors will see when they land on your page. Make sure it’s clear and simple and that it communicates the main benefit of your product or service. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience might not understand.
  4. Add a sense of urgency.
    Adding a sense of urgency to your landing page can encourage visitors to convert now rather than later. You can do this by adding a countdown timer, offering a limited-time discount, or highlighting that your product or service is in high demand.
  5. Optimise for mobile.
    It’s important to make sure your landing page is optimised for mobile. This means using a responsive design that automatically adjusts to the size of the screen and making sure all elements of the page are easily clickable with a finger. There’s nothing that will turn your visitors more than making them work by zooming and pinching in and out.

There you have it, five landing page hacks that can help boost your conversion rates. Give them a try and see how they work for your business. And remember, testing is key. Try different variations of these hacks and see which one works best for your business.

Copywriting Trick: Overcoming Your Blank Page

So you think you can dance?

So you’ve decided to invest some time and cash into your next marketing campaign.

You know what you want to do, and you know you need some fancy words to tell your story and pull in new business.

So you open up Microsoft Word, pick your favourite font and…stare…

…at the haunting white page before you.

It’s every marketer’s worse nightmare. The white-hot light of the blank page burning into your retinas as you struggle to get ‘pen to paper’.

So try this trick to help you get started.

Now, be warned, this isn’t for the faint-hearted.

This trick asks some really probing questions. Questions which have made me, as a humble copywriter in East Sussex, stop business leaders and senior execs in their tracks.

For the first time, forcing them to really think, ‘WHY US?’.

My trick to getting over that white page is simple.

Get your journalist’s pad out, and do some digging. Step back and become an investigative journalist.

Pretend you’re researching your product for the first time from all angles… your advantages, who you are, who you serve, the problems, and the pitfalls.

  1. Why is this product made the way it is?
  2. What consumer problems, desires, and needs is it designed for?
  3. What’s special about it—why does it fulfil a consumer’s needs better than the competition?
  4. Who says so besides you?
  5. What are your strongest proof elements to make your case believable?
  6.  What are all the product’s best features and how does each translate into a consumer benefit?
  7. If you had unlimited funds, how would you improve this product?
  8. Who are its heavy users—the 20% who generate 80% of sales?
  9. What irresistible offers might trigger an explosion in sales?
  10. What premiums can be tossed into the mix to press your prospects’ hot buttons?

Cover as many of these points as possible in your research. Take time. Look at your competitors; really dig deep.

You’ll uncover much more than you ever thought possible, and after typing up your findings, you’ll gradually see your new piece of copy come together.

Sound like too much hard work?

I get it; it is. Farm it out to me instead ‘scoop –  [email protected]

Copywriting Tricks: Two Words to Rule Them All

The two most powerful words in the advertising world.

Ask any copywriter, marketer or business owner in the land what they believe the most powerful words in the ad world are and you’ll come back with a handful of very similar answers.

#1 FREE – I guarantee that will be up there
#2 YOU – literally writing the word YOU a lot
#3 NEW – goes without saying
#4 SALE – again, go figure
#5 NOW – act NOW etc

They all have their place, but, especially over this side of the pond, these words make your advertising ‘feel’ very ad-like.

And no one wants to admit to opening their wallets to yet another flashy ad.

“So what are these two Oh so Powerful words?” I hear you ask.

They’re dead simple.

And dead persuasive.

Because, unlike the flashy ad words above, they present LOGIC.

*Drum roll*

REASON WHY

You must explain the REASON WHY your product is the best in the land.

And while you‘re at it, don‘t forget that your audience won‘t believe you unless you give the REASON WHY what you claim is true and why they should act today.

So here’s this copywriter’s trick to using reason-why copy in your next ad:

#1 Why YOU
#2 Why TRUE
#3 Why NOW

Which should be really easy…

You’re the best at what you do and have the results to prove it, they should believe you because you have tonnes of social proof, and they need to act now because your diary is half full for the next quarter already.

While you’re here…

#WHY ME: As a copywriter with a focus on lead generation, I have 5+ years of experience helping B2B firms fill their pipeline with fresh leads.

#WHY TRUE: I have tonnes of testimonials to attest to this.

#WHY NOW:
But, I only work with a handful of new clients every month so if you’d like to book some work in, I suggest clicking here to schedule a quick call.

Writing Your First Cold Email – What do You Want?

Cold emails are the fastest way to reach your ideal decision-makers without a pre-existing relationship.

So we get it, this could be your first foray into the world of cold email marketing, and you want to say it all.

This might be your only chance to tell these decision-makers just how fantastic you are, so you’re bound to want to say it all. Why they should buy from you, why you’re different, why now…

BUT STOP.

Before you dive into the meat and potatoes behind your first message, you need to think long and hard about what you want from this email.

What do you want to achieve, the end goal?

From experience writing literally thousands of cold intro emails, take our advice.

Your emails should be short and have one goal in mind…or two, really.

  1. To arrange a really short call.
  2. Be referred to the right person.

Secondly, who is receiving this message?

You need to have a clearly defined customer profile, the more specific, the better. Allowing you to tailor your message copy so you can:

  • Address their specific pain points and problems; CEOs have different issues from hiring managers.
  • Ensure your tone and the language you write with ‘match’ your audience; Lawyers speak differently to Marketers.

Niching down like this, hitting them where it hurts, in their language, can drastically improve your lead rates.

If you’d like some help writing these cold emails, we can help.

10 Copywriting Questions for Your Next Landing Page

Landing pages are everywhere for a reason.

They’re one of the most effective tools businesses can use to drive conversions and nurture leads.

If your site visitors aren’t taking action as soon as they hit your page, if they’re not clicking or subscribing, it’s because they need more convincing, or your content isn’t meeting their expectations (e.g. the thing they clicked on in the first place) – or it could be a mix of both.

A well-designed landing page, both from an aesthetic and copy perspective, should grab your visitor by the throat and drag them kicking and screaming into your inbox.

Or, at least, it should do enough to give them a shove in the right direction by addressing their primary concerns and offering a call to action that won’t leave them wondering what comes next.

After all, visitors to your website won’t convert unless you give them a compelling reason to do so. The best way to do that is with a strategically-executed landing page that speaks directly to the visitor and addresses their biggest concerns right between the eyes.

As a landing page copywriter of over six years, I thought I’d share the top ten questions even I run my clients’ copy through before I hit send.

Copywriting questions for your landing pages

Take a look and see if you could apply them to your landing pages:

  1. How does this product or service differ from anything their audience has seen before?
  2. What’s *really* in it for their readers?
  3. How do they know this is legit, the real deal?
  4. What’s holding them back or causing them pain right now?
  5. Who or what is to blame for this?
  6. Why should they do anything about this problem now?
  7. Why should they trust my client vs the next guy?
  8. How does their offer work in practice, and how will it solve the issues?
  9. Do they know how to get started?
  10. And finally, what do they have to lose?

If you need help, drop us a message about landing page copywriting