It’s a marketing buzzword, but people are talking about it for a reason – it works.
Let’s get down to it: what is action-oriented copy and how you can utilize it to strengthen your sales strategy?
Boiled down, action-oriented copy refers to the words on your website that motivate potential clients to take a desired action. Rather than just building awareness, this type of writing drives action.
In other words, action-oriented copy can make sure your sales channels are actually converting.
From my 8+ years as a conversion copywriter, I’m sharing the 7 key secrets I’ve found to writing action-oriented copy that drives sales. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to writing powerful, effective action-oriented copy like a pro.
1. Get Clear On What Action You Want Your Audience To Take
Okay, stay with me...It might seem obvious, but starting with the goal in mind is always a good idea. Knowing what you ultimately want readers to do will make your copywriting process go much more smoothly.
To define your outcome, think about the purpose of your copy in a way that focuses on doing. Do you want your reader to schedule a call, sign up for your newsletter, or purchase a product?
2. Verbs Always Come First
Fun fact: did you know that tweets that begin start with verbs get the most shares on Twitter? People generally focus on the first few words in a sentence – especially – when they are reading online.
This means the first words are what count. By starting with a verb, you immediately prompt your reader to take action. Rather than writing “We’ve launched a new product,” write a much more powerful action-based phrase like “Discover our services” or “Learn about our process” or “Book your free consultation.”
Still a little skeptical? Check this out this advice from HubSpot:
By not including a verb in the CTA [call to action] copy, you aren’t prompting readers to take action, which can hurt the click-through rate of your call-to-action and negatively impact conversions.
3. Make your Call-to-Action Crystal Clear (CTA)
Regardless of its complexity, this is what your sales strategy is leading to – your “call-to-action”, or CTA. It’s where you finally tell your readers exactly what you want them to do in a way that you hope will motivate them to take action.
Your CTA should be clear, concise, and written in language that appeals to your audience. It could be in the form of a hyperlink (“Click to schedule your appointment”) or a button (“Shop Now”) that takes your reader to the next page where they can complete the action.
Some common CTAs include: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter; Refer us to a friend; Start your free trial today; Contact us for a quote.
4. Give Your Visitors Guidance
In addition to an impactful CTA, you should craft the rest of your website and sales copywriting to guide your reader towards the action you want them to take.
We all need a little reminder, so this (often) means having one or two CTAs per page and repeating your message by mentioning your CTA several times on the page. The goal is to avoid people feeling overwhelmed or lost, by always giving them clear direction on what to do next at the end of each page or post.
5. Lead With the Benefits
You have your CTA written, now what do you write around it? Tips: steer away from simply listing what services you offer and focus on what makes you the best pick over your competitors. At this point in the sales process, assume that your reader understands what their problem is and is visiting your website to make a decision between you and your competitor.
Last sales copywriter tip: you can eliminate hesitation by addressing potential concerns head on and explaining why you are a good choice. This will make saying YES to your CTA that much easier.
6. Keep it Short and Simple
Another fun fact: did you know that people read differently on a computer screen than on paper? Since it’s more difficult for us to read on computer screens, we tend to fixate our eyes on the top left corner and scan down the page from there.
The takeaway? If you keep your copy concise – and with lots of white space around it – people will be more likely to read to the bottom!
7. Put Your CTA in the Right Place
If you showcase your CTA too early, your audience won’t be ready to make a decision. If it comes too late, you may miss potential clients who stop reading after the first page. Therefore, placement of your CTA is crucial to maximizing conversions.
Getting it right means positioning it where your audience is mostly likely to see it and making sure you’ve written action-oriented copy to back it up. Including your CTA more than once offers readers multiple opportunities where they can take action.
To Wrap It Up...
It’s really that simple..
Follow these 7 tips and you’ll be writing powerful, action-oriented copy that makes your website conversion rate soar.