Although the principles of good copywriting remain the same no matter what you’re writing, there are 5 elements that make online copy different – and more powerful – than offline copy. Leverage these elements to write more profitable online copy.
Color is effective because it has eye gravity. That is, it attracts eyeballs.
Even better, color is free online. Whether you want to change the background on your website or the color of your headline, in most cases, it won’t cost you a dime. Your webmaster, even at $50 an hour, can do it in 10 minutes. With a direct mail piece, however, it would cost you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.
Copywriting Element #2: Movement
In guerrilla warfare, if you look at a field and suddenly see movement, your eyeballs are attracted to the movement. You can make this work for you online, too. Using things like flashing arrows, you can attract your visitors’ eyes to the words you want them to read.
You can’t have movement in a letter, postcard or other printed pieces. You can’t have the words moving on a piece of paper. If I send a postcard with a hologram, there is a little movement, which is very powerful and effective. But, the cost is extremely high.
Copywriting Element #3: Interaction
The more engaged your visitors are – that is, the more they click their mouse – the more involved they are with you, and the higher their likelihood is of opting in or buying from you.
That’s why I invite my visitors to interact by pushing audio buttons and links, by taking pop quizzes, and by participating in ASK™ campaigns.
It is harder to get someone to interact with a direct mail letter. The best I’ve seen are those Yes/No stickers, where you reply to the offer with a sticker that says, “Yes, I do want to order” or “No, I don’t want to order.” That’s called an action device, and it does increase pulling power offline. If that works offline, why don’t you do it online?
Copywriting Element #4: Sound
Sound evokes emotions and increases engagement.
In most cases, you want to make sound permission-based. Make your visitors to click a button to listen to your audio— then they are interacting. Plus, the sound will not be a rude awakening to your visitors.
Copywriting Element #5: Measurement
Measurement is probably biggest difference between online and offline copy. If you’ve ever had a tailored suit or clothes, you know the incredible difference that millimeters and inches can make. When online, measurement has the same impact.
I can measure how many people open up my audio postcard, click through, and go to my order page. If I am not happy with the response rates, I can change my copy.
You can’t change your copy with as much speed and as much laser-like accuracy offline as you can online. In fact, the delay is high. You sometimes have to wait days until you get a response. Even then, you can’t be 100 percent sure that the mailman delivered all of the letters.
Online you know right away. You know if no one opened up your email or that it may have been spam filtered. You can send it again and react to the results very quickly.
Using color, movement and interaction in your online copywriting can triple and even quadruple your pulling power. Incorporating sound and measurement boosts results even further.
Of these 5 elements, which has been most powerful in improving your own copy? Comment below! ~ Alex
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