So your business is doing great things. Question is, how do you leverage the power of great copywriting to convince potential customers they're onto something great? To help you craft conversion-focused copywriting in your overall strategy (and help you chase those business wins!), we've gathered a guide on: — The difference between content marketing and copywriting — The principles of great copywriting — The essentials to a solid approach that'll have you creating quality and targeted content. Every. Single. Time. — The anatomy of a conversion-ready landing page Ready to convince and convert more customers? Dive into the slideshow and start soaking up must-know insights and examples of great copywriting. // About You & Co // You & Co is a digital marketing agency in Sydney that loves to roll up its sleeves and help clients build wicked content marketing strategies. This slideshow is adapted from a stand up presentation our curious teammates created, to share key learnings the whole team can enjoy!

1. COPYWRITING
Lucas Mondora
Bernadette Mung
CONVERSION

2. COPY OR CONTENT?
What’s the difference between content
marketing and copywriting?

3. Content marketing means creating and sharing
valuable free content to attract and convert
prospects into customers — and customers into
repeat buyers.
Copywriting gets a reader to take a specific
action. Sometimes that’s making a purchase, but
it can also be subscribing to your email list,
signing up for your content library, or calling you
for more information.
— Copyblogger

4. what happens when they collide?
Your content needs to work alongside copy.
Content marketing using copywriting principles is better
able to: build trust, leverage social proof and make
your readers perform a specific action — whether
that’s sharing a post, clicking a link, or downloading an
offer.
Conversion copywriting is when great copywriting
principles and a human-first content marketing
approach collide.

5. So how do you use conversion copywriting to help your
business bring in those customers (and dollar bills)?

6. 7 important principles for better copy
GOOD COPY IS…

7. Less Hemingway.
Less J. K. Rowling.
More Dr. Seuss.
Simple, clear and engaging is always a win.
Simple

8. Encourages readers to take action now by using an
active tone.
Active

9. Persuasive copy weaves words together to paint a
picture.
Visual

10. Writing like you speak will help your message stick.
Conversational

11. Plays on your customers needs/wants and emotions.
Leaving without taking an offer should feel like they’re
choosing to stay poisoned when the antidote is there in
your hand, for an entirely reasonable price.
Persuasive

12. One reader
One big idea
One promise
One offer
One goal

13. Salesy, not sleazy.
Salesy copy works – but only if you back it up

14. BEFORE YOU
BEGIN

15. • What makes it special?
• What value does it bring?
• What specific features appeal to different
personas?
• What benefits does your customer get when using
this product?
• What story does it tell? What persona goals and
challenges is it answering?
Understand your product

16. • What do they want? (to do something good for the
environment)
• What challenges them? (doing something good seems
really hard)
• What language do they use? (not pretentious, very
realistic, casual, direct)
• What are their pain points?
• What objections do they have with your product?
Understand your customers

17. • What pain points do they address in their copy?
• What messages capture your attention?
• What benefits do they write about?
• What objections do they overcome?
Tip: Create a spreadsheet and copy any memorable
phrases, pain points and wants that your competitors
use in their copy and marketing
Understand your competitors

18. • What are you driving towards?
• How does this influence your copy?
• Make sure you only have 1 goal per page (nothing
else):
• Example: Get them to click the call-to-action
• ONLY write to that goal
Understand your goals

19. • Match your headline and copy with how much the
customer already knows
• IE. If they know everything about Hubspot, all they need
is a little incentive to buy:
• A sale, limited offer, bonus etc..
Know your customers’ awareness levels
Eugene Schwartz’ Awareness Levels:
• Most aware: the customer knows your product, and
knows he wants it
• Product Aware: the customer knows of the product but
doesn't yet want it
• Solution aware: Knows about potential solutions – but
not yours
• Problem Aware: knows of a problem but doesn’t know
how to solve it
• Unaware: completely oblivious to a problem and
potential solutions

20. Landing Pages – Feature Pages – Sales Pages
WRITING COPY

21. • Value Propositions
• Headline
• Benefits
• Body Copy
• Proof
• Calls to action
Important areas of copy

22. Value Propositions need to:
• Clearly explain exactly what you do and the customer’s
end result
• No wishy-washy “creative” taglines or headlines
• Some conversion tests find that long value props
convert better than short — though it’s not always the
case
Most value propositions have a subheading and sometimes
extra bullet points to expand on the headline
Value propositions
How to rate your value proposition:
Write multiple variations and score them /10 for the following
characteristics (source):
• Unique / 10
• Memorable /10
• Succinct / 10
• Specific / 10
• Desirable / 10
Start your first copy variation with one of the higher scoring
versions you come up with (higher score doesn’t always
mean better).

23. Headlines:
That really big sentence at the top of the page
• Matches your customers awareness levels
• Know which desire/want/need they want to satisfy the
most
• Talks about results
• Gives a reason to continue reading the page
Subheads:
The headline beneath the headline
• Expands on the headline
• Can be used to overcome an objection
Headlines, subheads & crossheads
Crossheads:
The mini headlines you find down a webpage
• Explains what the page section is about
• Directs the customer down the page
• Allows you to skim down the page and understand what
it’s about
Every product appeals to 2, 3 or even 4 mass desires - but only 1
can predominate - only 1 can reach out through your headline -
only 1 is key to unlocking the maximum economic power at that
particular time.
— Eugene Schwartz, Breakthrough Advertising

24. Sales/Landing Page Headline formulas:
• I want to:
• I never thought it would happen, but:
• Customer quote: “...”
• Get...
• The best way to….
Writing subheads:
• Make them visualise using the product
• Use “even if” to overcome an objection
Writing crossheads:
• Instead of asking questions, you could answer them:
• IE. instead of writing “who is xyz” - write: “xyz is a
…”
I want to: Quickly build landing pages
I want to: Get more conversions
Headlines, subheads & crossheads

25. Body copy is:
• Any copy that isn’t a headline, subhead, crosshead, or
call to action
• Use the “So what? Prove it!” formula
Body copy should only be as long as it needs to be.
• This means being as succinct as possible
• It means not talking about stuff the customer doesn’t
care about
Body copy

26. Features are:
• Components of your product or service
• What you use to justify charging money for the product
or service
Benefits are:
• Results from using your product (what happens?)
• How they feel after using their product
• When talking about a feature, ask your self “so what?” 5
times and you’ll get to a really specific benefit
• Now you have to choose how specific of a benefit will
work best for your customer
Benefits vs. features
Features Benefits
5.5” screen Makes life easier – ease of
looking at web pages,
reading ebooks and
satisfaction of playing
games on a bigger screen
Waterproof casing Peace of mind – not
worrying about rain or water,
and convenience of not
worrying about finding a
place to store your phone
when playing with water or
your phone getting
damaged
4GB ram Peace of mind – the phone
won’t slow down when a lot
of apps are open
A10 processor Be able to handle apps with
better graphics and newer
technology

27. Social Proof:
• How many people use your product
• Case studies
• Testimonials
• Social Reviews
• Testimonials should tell a story
Backing up claims:
• If you make a claim, then prove you’re not lying.
• Use a video, reference a study, reference case study
• Back it up with whatever valid proof you can find
Proof

28. Calls to action
• Asks (orders) the reader to take action through direct
language
Calls to value
• Emphasises a benefit to get the reader to take action
Call to action
Calls to value vs Call to action

29. • Simple Ideas
• Use concrete language (specific)
• Unexpected words & phrases
• Make them feel (use emotions)
• Uses specific numbers instead of words - 7 instead
of seven. Or 521 instead of over 500+
• Use action verbs
• Back up your claims
• Make your visitors visualise their life (before and
after product purchase and during use)
• Use sensory words (touch, smell, hear, taste, see)
Making your messages stick