Do you know what “the glance” is? It’s the .7 seconds that we have to win readers. In that tiny time period, we have to get the audience to take action. They have to want to go beyond a glance based on what they see and how it makes them feel in what amounts to the blink of an eye. How can you create the kind of irresistible content that wins clicks, reads, and shares? That’s what we’re about to consider.
The Challenges of Creating Content
One of the harsh facts of today’s business world is that everything runs on a budget—usually a series of tight ones. An even harsher fact is that today’s businesses are running on few staff and more workflow out of pure necessity. Who has time to write content?
According to PR Daily, a recent business study concluded that approximately 75 percent of buyers are likely to use social media during the purchase process. Roughly, 55 percent of B2B survey respondents confessed to using social websites to search for information.
So, how do you tie in a great headline, opener, even a tweet about your blog piece so people READ your blog…and want to go beyond the glance? Do you educate your staff or outsource? How about a little of both?
The Fundamentals of Irresistible Content
If we break it down to the basics, there are three fundamentals of content that cannot be ignored:
The Intuitive Title: The title has to pique curiosity. It’s one of the most important aspects of any piece of content. In as few as 5 to 10 words, a title conveys the entire point of the content. It hints at the tone of the piece, and—if crafted properly—it creates an instant emotional spark that draws the audience in, compelling them to click into the content.
Descriptive Headings: The skeleton of content is in the headlines. Each headline conveys an essential part of the content structure. Once a reader clicks into your content, the glance becomes a quick review of the headlines. It is vital to craft headings that pique curiosity, convey the meat of the content in short bursts, and make the reader say, “That sounds interesting. I should read that.”
The Story: If you do the job right, the title and headings will hook the reader in that .7 second window. But the hook doesn’t end there. Once they’re on your page, staring down your content and starting to read, you have to tell the story. Business2Community recommends writing “like you are talking.” The best way to connect and deliver a story that will keep the reader engaged is to write like you’re speaking directly to them. Tell them the story. Show them why they should care. Give them something of value to take away. The art of weaving classic storytelling into your copy is one of the most effective means of creating delectable and completely irresistible content.
Now, don’t think that these fundamentals are only applicable to your written content. These fundamentals are highly applicable across ALL of your content. It doesn’t matter if you’re broadcasting a podcast series, marketing an eBook, sharing a SlideShare, producing a video seminar, or crafting the meat of your landing page. A hooking title, classy and interesting breakdowns, and the unique story the audience can’t get anywhere else are the foundation of every piece of every type of tantalizing content. But the foundation doesn’t stop there.
Know Your Audience: We hear it all of the time, but it’s one of the most overlooked cornerstones of creating irresistible content. Copyblogger recommends using an empathy map to put yourself in the shoes of your audience,
Create An Experience: Storytelling isn’t the only way to create an experience. Everything contributes to your readers’ experience, from the look and functionality of your website to the copy they’re skimming and hopefully reading.
Show Your Personality: If you ask a big business why they invest so much in creating their own personal branding, they’ll likely say it’s because people like and trust brands. The more people like and trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you. According to Business2Community, one of the keys to creating irresistible content is to show your personality in your content.
Be Extreme: Business2Community goes on to point out that attempting to keep neutral ground is a recipe for frustration. Instead, be irresistible by offering something spectacular! Offer an opinion. State your outlook. Take a stand! “Only then” says Business2 Community, “will you attract…like-minded subscribers.”
Try Something New: The number of tools at your disposal to create irresistible content is truly amazing. For example, have you ever thought about using content curation as a means of filling that downtime in between your new content pieces? What about using crowdsourcing as a means of collecting knowledge from different sources? Don’t be shy of trying something new. Sometimes it’s that fresh infusion of a new way of doing things that suddenly boosts your content to irresistible.
Repurposing Is Okay: Copyblogger says that after you exert the effort into writing your content, you should be open to repurposing it. In truth, every piece of content starts out as copy. Podcasts and videos have scripts. SlideShares need to be outlined before the text and graphics can be pulled together. Once you’ve crafted your content, think about how to repurpose it and get the most mileage. Different types of content appeal to different members of your audience. The busy would be buyer who didn’t have time to read that blog post just might watch the related video because it works for their on-the-go lifestyle.
A Little Content TLC Goes a Long Way
With a little content TLC, you can be a brand hero and successfully create and publish irresistible content every day. Learn by example by checking out the 5 irresistible copywriting examples we covered in April. And remember, there’s no shame and everything to gain in educating your staff and outsourcing your content needs to an expert copywriter.
Some marketers out there manage to sell land on the moon, while others have a hard time trying to commercialize toilet paper, one of the most common, essential products that you could ever find on the supermarkets’ shelves? In this case, the not-so-secret recipe for success involves a very important element: irresistible copywriting that can turn the dullest product into a hot must-have as fast as you can say “buy me, you need me.”
How Smart Copywriting Can Make a Difference in Your Life
You need to rely on excellent copywriting to take your products or services to the next level, regardless of your goals, the size of your business or your field of activity. Whether you’re selling cosmetics or trying to promote your small-scale plumbing company, first-class copywriting can get you where you want to be on time and on a budget, by helping you create a long-lasting connection with your audience. To bring whatever it is that you are selling into the spotlight you have to be witty, bravely honest, intriguing or straightforward. Either way, you have to be shockingly different than the rest.
Good web copy will help you differentiate your business from the rest, make a name for yourself and stay in the game with minimal effort. You cannot become the master of words overnight, but you can certainly improve your own writing skills and boost your power of persuasion by learning from the best. Let’s face it: some old players just nail copywriting and sell better and faster than anyone else. Others create legends. Here are 5 awe-inspiring copywriting strategies incorporated in calls to action, modal boxes, different website sections and various other structures that have rocked our world, making us believe that we have to buy products that we may or may not need in our lives at this point.
1. Cracked Show Us How to Reinforce Our Social Sharing Widget. Let’s face it: it’s not really easy to convince people to share or like your page. To simplify your mission, you have to get up close and personal with your audience and unleash the creative beast that is still dormant inside you. Be bold, daring and fun. Cracked embraced this approach and reached the outstanding 3 million mark while counting their Likes. The message promoted by Cracked is pretty straightforward: “Choosing to “Like” Cracked has no side effects, so what’s the worst that could happen?” Indeed, a little impulse given to your readers to Like your page doesn’t pose any unwanted side effects and has never sounded better.
2. Apple Is No Stranger to Seductive Copy. According to KISSmetrics, Apple has always played its cards right, at least when goal-oriented copywriting is involved. Apple copywriters give you the chance to justify your purchase and convince the breadwinner in your family that you were unable to live the rest of your life without an iPhone 5s in your pocket. So far, Apple has taught us a few basic things that show us how to perfect our own web copy, make our voice heard and sell big while making the most of cleverly selected words.
Apple has given us 3 valuable lessons for this point:
We should always use short, concise sentences with a powerful impact to promote readability (example: It’s our thinnest display ever. And it’s the first of its kind)
We should boost our credibility by adding essential technical details (example: The back of iPhone 5 is made of anodized 6000 series aluminum — the same material used in Apple notebooks )
We should boost client engagement by telling a fascinating, compelling story. For example, Apple tells the whole world how the Apple EarPods were created and tested. During the testing phase, the subjects had to run on a treadmill and perform different kinds of cardio workouts, while being exposed to extreme temperatures. As a result, the AppleEarPods ensure the hghest level of protection against water and sweat, so they represent a smart investment. Doesn’t this cute little story make you want to get your hands on the AppleEarPods that were tested by 600 people who had to withstand extreme cold and excessive heat?
3. Mozilla Proves That You Can Sell Big with Fewer Words. You don’t have to write an entire book to convince your targeted audience that you are the best player in your sector. You just have to learn how to resonate with your public and come up with a compelling message. Mozilla knows that in terms of copywriting, less is sometimes more. The creative minds behind its web copy are able to say a lot without actually using tons of words. “We are Mozilla. Doing good is part of our code.” Do tell us, how do you ignore this powerful brand that succeeds in delivering its value proposition in less than 50 words?
4. Groupon Gets Bonus Points for Its Funny Email Copy. We will let you inon a little secret: buyers love brands that do not take themselves too seriously. So why not make your prospects laugh a little, by making the most of your funny, reader-oriented email copy? This is the clever strategy embraced by Groupon, the creator of a subject line will definitely put a smile on your face: “Beat the Heat Deals: Half Off Being Less Sweaty”. This subject line responds to the pressing needs of the recipients and stimulates their curiosity and their lust for great deals and discounts.
5. Petco Knows How to Keep Its Prices on a Leash (and brag about it). Ok, let’s face it: clever words that offer the promise of a substantial discount are almost impossible to ignore. Petco is fully aware of this fact. This is probably the main reason why it has created the pet-friendly slogan that we all know and love: Down, Prices, Down!” for their pet stores. It is short, concise, funny and compelling. It definitely helps the brand create a solid connection with pet owners who are constantly looking for quality, decently priced pet supplies.
All in all, these 5 examples show us that passion, killer writing skills, in-depth research and a flawless understanding of your buyers’ shopping behavior represent the key to crafting stellar web content that actually sells.
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