ABC’s of Action-Oriented Copy (that Gets More Conversions)

“Action-Oriented Copy” is THE copy that you need for your business.

There is a big difference between “content” and “copy”. Simply put - content informs and copy is meant to lead your audience to perform a desired action.

In this article we will discuss how you can leverage action-oriented copy in your business.

What is action-oriented copy?

Action-oriented copy is basically copy that is designed to move readers toward performing a specific action (in the article or copy). One that is favourable for your business.

“Content” should position you as an authority or thought-leader in your niche. On the other hand, the idea with “copy” is to advertise your services. Finally the idea with action-oriented copy is similar to copy, however, with an emphasis on ACTION and ROI.

Copy should lead your target audience to either join your community with their email address (or social media account/s) or go ahead and buy from you.

Action-oriented copy is fantastic for lead-gen and conversions.

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9 Ways to Leverage Action-Oriented Copy

1.      Begin by defining the action you want your reader to take

Starting with the end-goal in mind is going to set you up for success. Every business is different; some will want to nurture their customers with a relationship-building email sequence. Another will be focused on getting on a call and discussing the customers’ requirements.

Whatever you would like your reader to do at the end (or middle) of your copy – direct them towards your goal.

2.      Active words grab our attention

Emotion and action are what drive us as humans. It is no wonder then, that verbs – words of action, occurrence or state, at the beginning of sentences capture your audience’s attention. In fact tweets get more shares on Twitter if they begin with a verb.

Instead of “Would you like to begin a new journey?” You could say “Begin your NEW journey TODAY”. Don’t simply state what you are doing – add spice by starting your sentence with a verb and catching your readers attention.

When it comes to your CTA (Call to action) you need to ensure that there is a verb in there – enrol, begin, learn, start or join. Inspire your readers to take action NOW.

3.      Banish obstacles

What obstacles or questions might your reader face when reading your piece? You can overcome these in your copy to banish doubts to encourage your reader to perform a desired action.

Answer any questions that might spring to mind as objections to taking your CTA. Explain how your offering trumps the rest. If you can overcome any obstacles in your readers mind then you will be able to offer them the logic to back up their emotional feeling of choosing you.

4.      The CTA is Key

You must always remember to include a very clear CTA (Call to action). Your call to action should motivate your readers to perform the desired action, this may be to download your informative lead magnet, enquire about your products or services or request a quote.

The call to action can be an email address, link or button that directs your reader to where you would like them to go. This might be a “Start NOW” button or “Apply TODAY” – I always like to add a sense of urgency to the CTA. A simple “Add to Cart” or “email for more information” can also work.

5.      Placement of the CTA

Now you know how important your CTA is – it is critical to put it in the right place. The experts over at Google insist that you should have your CTA “above the fold”. This simply means at the top of your page before people have to scroll. The reason for this is that people might not have time to read your whole article and simply want to cut to the chase.

At the end of your article is also a very prominent place to add your CTA. After they have finished reading your awesome article – they then want to know what to do next. You can provide the answer to this by offering your CTA.

6.      An Action-Oriented article should take your reader on a journey

I always think of those old fashioned books where you would be directed to another section for a different outcome when it comes to action-oriented copy. However, in this case you should only have one desired outcome. The second option is simply that they miss out.

Try to keep your message on point and flowing. Additionally have only one desired outcome, because otherwise your copy could get confusing. You might add your CTA one, two or even three times throughout the page to make sure that when your reader is ready they can take the desired action easily.

7.      Give your customer their desired outcome

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What is it that they really want? Offer that in your article. Make sure that your CTA is a seriously awesome one. Something that flows with the article and is a no-brainer, there should be no way that they say no to your offering (if they are your desired reader).

8.      Speak to the emotions of your reader

Why does your company/ offering stand out against the sea of competitors out there? Let this be known in your article. Also speak to the emotions of your reader. What is the top of mind problem that keeps them up at night and how does your product/ service solve this problem for them.

Think of the pain points that your reader is encountering and how you can provide value to help them to overcome them. List the benefits of your service and how these benefits will enhance the lives of your reader. Steer clear of overly technical information that could confuse your audience. Keep this information for your thought leader pieces. Rather speak to your product/ service providing exactly what they need, when they need it most.

9.      Let your article breathe

People will enjoy your article if it has clearly defined sections and short concise sentences. This is especially true for online content. Make sure to provide a lot of space for your article to breathe. When there is too much copy an article can be overwhelming.

All-in-All

Writing action-oriented copy takes time, but it is well worth the effort. I hope that you found my tips useful. If you would like me to write your copy for you please click the link below:

Amplify your message TODAY - with done-for-you action-oriented copy >>