When Does Your Audience’s Customer Experience Begin?

Do you consider each department within your business to be part of the customer experience?

In 2007, Harvard Business Review said, “Customer experience is the internal and subjective response customers have to any direct or indirect contact with a company. Direct contact generally occurs in the course of purchase, use, and service and is usually initiated by the customer. Indirect contact most often involves unplanned encounters with representations of a company’s products, services, or brands and takes the form of word-of-mouth recommendations or criticisms, advertising, news reports, reviews, and so forth.”

Since 2007, businesses have seen a shift in marketing trends, like content marketing, that would require an update to this definition.

What is customer experience in 2020?

Customer Experience is the sum of all contact points a person has with a brand, both disruptive and engaging. With marketing trends shifting towards content marketing, what was considered “Indirect” would now be called “Disruptive,” and “Direct” is now “Engaging.”

Content marketing offers brands the ability to turn marketing campaigns from being considered indirect, or disruptive, to engaging content that potential buyers seek and follow on platforms like Instagram and Youtube.

Understanding your audience’s customer experience

1. Awareness
2. Consideration
3. Purchase
4. The Follow-up
5. Advocacy
6. Emotional Value

Awareness

Very rarely does a person purchase your product immediately after learning about your brand on their own, with a few exceptions like trade shows, food truck festivals, shopping malls, and when on vacation.

Your brand discovery presentation, regardless of the medium, will determine if your audience forms a positive enough opinion of your brand to move into the Consideration Stage of the Buyer’s Journey.

Sarah’s Customer Journey

Sarah’s looking for a new face wash, and decides to search online for the “Top face washes for women.” Google’s top result is a blog article titled “Top 7 women’s face washes of 2020.” Sarah looks through that list and clicks on the brand at the top of the list. Their website takes too long to load, so she backs out and clicks on another brand from the list.

Unlike the top-rated brand, this website instantly loads, catching her attention and engaging her with relatable content. Sarah visits the products page and sees 5-star reviews for a face wash. After clicking on the product for the face wash, she decides to find the brand on Instagram to look at their content.

Sarah enjoyed the content they put out and decided to give them a follow, but shortly after, she was distracted by other content on social media and failed to complete the purchase.

The Website

A properly built website acts as the foundation for your digital marketing presence. Your potential audience should be able to quickly understand who you are, what you offer, and why your brand matters, and when I say quickly, I mean in 3-5 seconds. In Sarah’s case, a slow load time created too much friction between her and a brand.

Image Source: Business2community

Reviews/Testimonials

“93% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.” (Podium)

Testimonials are more valuable than gold for businesses. If your brand works to create a unique experience for customers at each point of contact along the journey, you will receive the benefit of impactful testimonials. Sarah saw a high number of 5-star reviews and immediately trusted the quality of the face wash, and she isn’t the only one to do this. Think about the last time you searched for a product on Amazon, did you purchase after looking at reviews?

Social media

Providing content of value on social media will show that your brand is an authority in the industry, and you care about connecting with your audience. Sarah was able to find enough value in this brand’s content to want regular updates from them.

Answer these questions before continuing:

• What first impression does your website leave? Can visitors get to the desired location in under three clicks?
• What value are you giving customers to share with their friends?
• What value does your brand currently provide on Social Media?

Consideration

Your brand isn’t just facing the obstacle of positioning above the competition; you’re working to stay “top of mind” in a society inundated with devices and distractions. While a buyer may be interested in your product, understand that they need your product, and spend time thinking about the problem they are working to solve with your product, it is up to you to continue the customer experience by sending them valuable content consistently.

“In 2018, 74.58 percent of online shopping orders were abandoned, i.e., not converted into a purchase.” (Statista)

Sarah’s Customer Journey

A week later, Sarah was an avid follower of the videos this brand published to Youtube. With a combination of their Youtube and Instagram account, Sarah was building familiarity with the brand and learned to anticipate the content they released. She even began sharing the brand’s videos with her friends to get their opinions.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is an opportunity to shift your brand from creating unwanted, disruptive ads, to a brand that builds authority and awareness through educational and informational content.

Youtube Channel

Youtube is an inbound marketing platform that is known to create raving fans. Content built around the viewer, not your business, will guide your team to create content that relates to the viewer’s needs and drives sales.

Email Campaign

Automated email campaigns designed to drive conversions will provide the value and social proof needed to break down any objections. Below is an example of an automated email campaign designed to induce conversion for a service-based business.

Answer these questions before continuing:

• Are you marketing based on your customer’s needs or your brand’s needs for sales.
• Does your brand have automated processes in place to communicate with potential customers?
• Do you have clear KPIs defined to measure your audience’s engagement on these platforms?

Purchase

A combination of high media output, shrinking attention spans, and declining brand loyalty has created an economic environment placing priority on reducing friction between your buyers and the conversion process. Not only does the product and offer need to provide value, but the delivery should also make converting seamless.

Sarah’s Customer Journey

While scrolling through Instagram, Sarah’s shown a paid ad from the skincare brand she followed. The advertisement shared a limited time offer for the exact face wash she’d looked at on their website. She clicked on the ad, which directed her to the product page.

After adding the product to her cart, she received a pop-up offer to combine a moisturizer to the order at an additional discounted rate. Trusting in the brand’s authority, she added the item and completed her purchase.

Reducing Friction

With eCommerce, things like low brand trust, poor website design, and unsecured payment systems are three of numerous friction points that will stop a customer from completing a purchase. A/B testing is something eCommerce brands should run year-round to address bottlenecks and optimize their user’s shopping experience.

Quality Product/Service

You can have the lowest price, but if your product or service doesn’t meet expectations, people will avoid your brand. How will they know of the poor quality? Reviews, reviews, reviews. While this article is to share the viewpoint that the customer experience also exists outside of the product or service, lacking quality here will drive your business in the ground.

Value-Based Upselling

You can’t assume people know your brand as well as you do. Proactive marketing plans with cross-promotions or upsells are a great way to provide your buyers with a value that they were not aware of.

Answer these questions before continuing:

• Does your company have a proactive plan for monthly sales or cross-promotional upselling?
• Are you actively collecting data on your conversion rate, using Google Analytics on your website, or through Facebook Pixel to understand where drop-offs are occurring. In your marketing process?

Follow-up

Can you think of a time you spent hours on hold with customer service waiting to speak with an actual person? Did you think about leaving a raving review or complaint after this?

A customer’s value doesn’t end when they complete a purchase, and the quality of their experience during the follow-up can impact the opinion of your brand they share with others.

A proactive company can use the follow-up, days, and weeks after a purchase, to turn a happy customer into a raving fan. On the contrary, poor customer service and a lack of automated communication can drive a customer to do business with competitors.

Sarah’s Customer Journey

Sarah was raving about the face wash but noticed a break-out with the moisturizer. At this point, she was still happy with the brand but wanted to exchange that product. Sarah spent thirty minutes online looking for a customer support number. Frustration began to set in.

She decided to send them an email instead of continuing to waste time looking for the phone number. Saran sent a detailed email with her order number and waited. A week later, she received a vague response asking for more details. At this point, she’d given up on the exchange, and just wanted her money back to purchase from a competitor.

Customer Support

“Americans tell an average of 15 people about a poor customer service experience, versus the 11 people they tell about a good experience.” (Helpscout)

Companies that provide poor customer service like home utilities can get away with lower quality customer service because you have little ability to leave for another provider. For any other company, you should take pride in the service and support you provide to your customers.

Loyalty Rewards

Loyalty rewards programs and monthly special offers are two ways to engage with your existing client base and raise their lifetime value.

“Did you know it costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one?” (Invespcro)

Answer these questions before continuing:

• Does your company have expectations and procedures in place for customer service requests?
• Do you have automated email campaigns implemented to engage existing customers and raise lifetime value?

Advocacy

“72% of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business.” (BigCommerce)

As discussed in the Awareness Stage of the journey, testimonials and reviews are equivalent to gold for businesses. Having your customers share their reviews online and with their friends is when the customer experience becomes a marketing tool.

Sarah’s Customer Journey

Sarah went from a raving fan in the making to buying from a competitor all in one step of the Buyer Experience. The poor customer service took away all value provided in the other levels, and she made sure to leave a review sharing her experience.

Answer these questions before continuing:

• Is your brand actively requesting reviews through automated follow-ups with discount offers?
• Are you leveraging your testimonials by incorporating them on your website and within your social media content

Emotional Value

Your brand story, or brand purpose, can be the critical value that sets your business apart and catalyzes the Customer Experience from discovery to transaction, and ultimately raving fans.

I use the phrase “can be,” and saved this part for last because not all brands have a clear cause or purpose that they share, yet. The ones that already do include it in every step of the customer experience, adding a sentimental value that creates a personal connection between the buyer and the brand, raising brand trust and loyalty.

“86% of consumers believe that companies should take a stand for social issues and 64% of those who said it’s ‘extremely important’ for a company to take a stand on a social issue said they were ‘very likely’ to purchase a product based on that commitment.” (Engage for good)

Not every brand can be Toms Shoes, but every brand can find a cause that aligns with their core values and incorporate mutually beneficial Cause Marketing into their business model.

Answer these questions before continuing:

• Does your company support a cause that aligns with your core values?
• Are you actively sharing your cause initiative and incorporating it into your offer?

Wrapping up

A company using a proactive approach in creating a customer experience at every stage of their business can nurture potential customers into raving fans that draw in new business through word-of-mouth.

You now have a better understanding of what the customer experience is, when it begins, and how your brand can add value at each stage of the buyer’s journey. Time to crush it!

Guest author: Colby Flood is the owner of Brighter Click, a digital marketing agency based out of Burlington, NC. Through his tested marketing methods and client-friendly tools, he works to make digital marketing transparent and effective for local business owners. 

The post When Does Your Audience’s Customer Experience Begin? appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/customer-experience-begin/

7 Things to Consider Before Scheduling Instagram Posts

It’s been a while now since Instagram updated its API to allow for third party tools to be used to help schedule Instagram posts.

Depending on how you use social media for business, you may or may not have explored this option.

If you have, great! Share your experience in the comments below.

If you haven’t, the big question for today is… why not?

Every month, 1 billion people use Instagram. Companies that aren’t on social media, or those that rarely post, are missing out on a free or pay-as-you-go marketing opportunity.

And in this world, companies with a purpose and the ability to connect to consumers as people are the ones in business for the long haul.

Image Source

So what do you stand to gain by boosting your Instagram strategy? What does Instagram scheduling offer that manual posting is lacking? Is there room for advanced social media content automation?

Here are 7 things to ask yourself before you get down to business scheduling Instagram posts.

1. How much time are you wasting every day manually posting Instagram updates?

When you add up the time it takes to stop, think about a post, capture the image, make your image Insta-worthy, consider and craft the copy, and post to Instagram, you’re looking at a couple of decent chunks of time taken out of your day. Not to mention the time wasted getting back into your workflow once that’s been interrupted.

Advance scheduling of Instagram posts allows you to set aside a block of time at your convenience to do all this at once. No interrupting other work and no time spent refocusing, which means you’re actively increasing your productivity to get more done in a shorter amount of time. You can set it all up and then move on to the next thing, knowing posting for the day/week/month is taken care of. 

2. What could you be doing with the time you get back in efficiency gains?

Do you have other social media sites that could use some attention? How about engaging with your audience? Or even exploring new business opportunities?

Consider what you “never” have time for and have always wanted to do. If this list is compelling enough, then the hours saved by scheduling Instagram posts in advance may be worth more than you originally considered.

3. Do your updates often contain copy or fact mistakes?

Rushing to manually post in real-time can lead to oversights when it comes to proper spelling or fact-checking. If you’re catching yourself making mistakes on a regular basis, it may be because of a lack of focus or the pressure to hurry and get a post out between meetings or before lunch.

When you take time to build out a calendar of posts and schedule content in advance, you can double-check copy for spelling and grammar mistakes and identify pieces of information you need to research further… before posting. All without the pressure of daily responsibilities calling on you every step of the way.

4. Do you forget to post some days? Then overdo it on others?

Inconsistency in posting not only confuses your audience, but also erodes their trust. When will they get new information? Can they expect to see images of that new product you’re offering on sale today?

If they get something different every time, are constantly waiting for an update, or feel like your posts are so frequent it’s overwhelming, they’re going to stop following and engaging.

There are countless social media marketing tools that allow you to build out a schedule that’s balanced and that delivers when you say you will. Scheduling posts allows you to do that, no matter what your day brings because it’s all taken care of in advance.

5. Do you have a strategy when it comes to hashtag use?

Some businesses have abandoned any hashtag strategy altogether in favor of flooding updates with them. This strategy seems to be the go-to for businesses with a lack of time and forethought. They’re essentially throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

When you plan what you’re going to post and schedule everything out in advance, you can more readily identify common themes and research the most popular hashtags related to your topic, product, industry, customer base, etc.

Posting with a handful of smart, well-researched hashtags can ensure your updates end up in the right feeds, in front of your target audience.

6. Would highlighting relevant events or holidays on social media benefit your business?

It seems like there’s some kind of holiday trending every day on social media. Days celebrating pancakes, dogs, boyfriends, movies… depending on your industry, leveraging these “holidays”, as well as national holidays, for use in a social media marketing campaign could be a smart way to reach current and potential customers.

But in the frenzy of other priorities, we tend to lose track of dates or miss out on proper lead time to execute on a formerly brainstormed campaign idea. Building out calendars in advance and scheduling posts helps with awareness of planning windows and makes it more likely that there will be ample execution time.

7. Have you considered automation?

If you’re looking to grow your business with Instagram and take advanced scheduling to the next level, automation may be right for you.

Automation only maximizes the litany of benefits mentioned above, in that you can let go of regularly coming up with new content to schedule and having to update your queued content lists as they run dry.

With automation, the posts keep posting – all you need to do is add one-off updates (breaking news, product promotions, etc.) into the mix as they arise.

Of course, you’ll need to first identify enough evergreen content to share so that your updates will remain relevant, and so you’ll have enough content to populate your queues so followers aren’t seeing the same posts all the time.

Tools like Bulk.ly can be synced directly to Buffer and often feature product blogs full of helpful articles to help you learn how to use automation to advance your business and social media goals.

Instant doesn’t translate well from personal to business

The “insta” nature of Instagram suggests that this platform is made for instant posting, instant engagement – capturing an instant and getting it out to your followers in real-time.

That makes sense for personal accounts and social media celebrities. But for businesses, such a strategy is less effective and wrought with risks, from missed opportunities to reputation-damaging mistakes.

Scheduling Instagram posts merges both worlds, with automation taking it to the next level.

One last thing to consider: Can you really afford NOT to schedule your Instagram updates?

Guest author: Since 2003, Chris Makara has developed a broad digital marketing background with a focus on SEO, Social Media, Automation and Analytics. He is the founder of Bulkly, a social media automation tool for individuals and small businesses.

The post 7 Things to Consider Before Scheduling Instagram Posts appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/scheduling-instagram-posts/

6 Ways to Incorporate User-Generated Content in Email Campaigns

User-generated content (UGC) has become a reliable method for brands to build relationships with their customers.

Sourced from consumers and followers, UGC adds an extra dimension to marketing efforts by diversifying the type of content that brands share on their accounts.

By curating UGC, marketers also decrease the amount of content they need to create in-house – while also showcasing their real customers online.

While UGC has been a go-to for developing social media campaigns, this content generating method can also improve email marketing conversions.

Brands can dedicate one section of their newsletters for user-generated content to ensure that subscribers know that they can submit their content.

One important note for marketers to consider when soliciting UGC – before publishing any content, they must ask permission to use it or, at the very least, credit it.

And this goes for any platform where you source content from or post on—social media, emails, or websites.

Once that is sorted, you can follow any of the six ways to incorporate user-generated content in email campaigns.

1. Email contests

Image Source

Contests are the best way to source content from users – they give consumers an incentive to share their images and videos.

And people love competitions – they are a fun way to engage with friends and family, and with brands.

Companies don’t have to offer huge or expensive prizes to make their competitions attractive – a simple prize works just as well.

Marketers often run UGC contests on social media to collect content—social platforms have a wide organic reach to a variety of audiences.

Additionally, both Instagram and Facebook make it easy to create contests that could potentially become viral.

But newsletters are also useful for sharing web-based competitions—emails are an excellent tool for promoting a contest and building more awareness around it.

For a contest being conducted via social media hashtags, marketers should include a post in their newsletter about the platforms for engagement, hashtags, and rules of the competition.

Don’t make the competition too complicated to enter – a simple form online should suffice.

It is important to remember that contests tend to receive a lot of attention and a large number of entries – while that gives marketers more options, not all entries can be used in newsletters.

Choose the images or videos that fit the brand’s visual appeal so that all content aligns with the company’s online presence.

2. Personalization

Over the past year, personalization has gained more importance in marketing circles, particularly within email marketing.

Newsletters and email correspondence are expected to be individualized to improve brand-customer relationships.

User-generated content can be a handy tool for improving the personalization of email campaigns.

Brands will already have created ideal customer profiles – a representation of the target audiences that would be most favorable towards the company.

With these profiles in hand, marketers can sift through the content sourced from users to choose the ones most relevant to target segments.

It is best to look at available analytics before embarking on this strategy – using data to power your content decisions will make campaigns more effective.

Marketers can parse through social media posts to find which are most popular. A similar method can be used for email campaigns to find the subject lines and content that works best.

Guided by this data, marketers can look to include UGC content that has already been sourced from contests in newsletters to have the desired effect.

Alternately, data can propel ideas for new campaigns to source more user-generated content that will appeal to audiences.

Exhibiting UGC that is targeted for subscribers will improve email open rates because recipients will be responsive to the messaging contained within.

3. Thematic content

Image Source

We have mentioned how all the content received from a user-generated content campaign may not be brand-appropriate.

This requires a great deal of sifting on the part of marketers but the effort will be worth it if the content of the email feels relevant to subscribers.

Brands should not be posting content that is low-quality – such as poorly-taken images and videos, or reviews that require excessive editing – as it damages brand integrity.

But these pieces of content can easily be sorted through – to choose the ideal UGC that works for the brand, marketers will need to look at the high-quality content more closely.

A visual can look excellent but if it doesn’t add value to the brand’s image, then it can’t be used.

Curated UGC needs to align with the needs of email subscribers – while everyone loves looking at beautiful images, if it doesn’t share a coherent message, the image is worthless.

UGC also needs to match the brand’s tone and voice so that there is uniformity in the content shared – not only on social media but on websites and newsletters, as well.

Color palettes are particularly important in this regard – brand colors help with recognition which is why consistency in content color needs to be standardized.

To accurately curate user-generated content that can then be used across platforms, it would help if marketers shared some design and visual inspiration to their users.

Sharing past UGC campaigns with followers or posting similarly-themed images as a visual clue will increase the chances of getting quality entries that can add value to the brand.

4. User testimonials

Image Source

Visuals have been a cornerstone of user-generated content but they aren’t the only type of UGC marketers can source.

User testimonials and reviews – though largely text-based – can have just as much impact on brand followings as images.

Since emails can also be text-only and still reach the intended audience, why limit UGC campaigns exclusively to visuals?

Though images and videos are attractive and can garner more attention, a strong text review or testimonial from a customer can be just as powerful.

The world we are currently living in has changed – to make a bigger impact on users, it helps to showcase how existing customers feel about the brand or product.

People are looking for ways to improve their lives and feel more comfortable in the current circumstances – those feelings can be assuaged with customer testimonials.

And by pairing these reviews with images of the customers, you create more impact on the recipient – these aren’t just pretty words about your product but the feelings of a real person.

It’s important to focus on how the brand’s products are adding value to a person’s life – images can convey that but it can still feel removed.

Adding a caption of a review from a client will give that image context, essentially telling the recipient that they can improve their circumstances just as this customer already has.

Of course, user testimonials need not only be text-based.

An infographic of testimonials with accompanying customer profile photos would be a powerful newsletter to send as part of a brand awareness campaign.

Video testimonials or brand explainer videos can be a great way to showcase real customer relationships with the company.

Dedicating one section to reviews in newsletters would be a great way to showcase the brand’s relationship with customers – it will also boost open and click rates.

5. Retargeting customers

Customer acquisition is an important part of marketing, but the majority of regular sales are channeled through repeat customers.

This makes retargeting consumers a priority for marketers, not only on social media and landing pages but also via email marketing campaigns.

Email marketing consistently delivers high ROI which makes it the ideal tool for retargeting customers.

Data gleaned from site visitors to landing pages or product pages will help marketers understand which customers are buying from the brand consistently.

Newsletters can be designed with user-generated content featuring products that these select customers will find most appealing.

UGC images and videos of users applying the product to their real lives – alongside a testimonial – will encourage email recipients to buy again.

Marketers can also learn which customers are abandoning their carts before completing purchases so they can be sent an abandoned cart email encouraging them to fulfill the order. 

Giving the products – and the brand as a whole – a human face and personality will help to improve sales from email marketing.

6. Content communities

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Jumping off from retargeting shoppers, another way that user-generated content can benefit brands and the bottom line is by building content communities.

It is no longer enough to sell products and services to customers. Brands don’t exist in a vacuum – they belong to a larger community of followers, fans, employees, and customers.

Building a community online will make sourcing UGC a more streamlined process—your subscribers will know the kind of content you are looking for and create it accordingly.

This makes creating UGC-powered newsletters easier while also welcoming sales prospects.

By sourcing community content, you share with your clients the products that are already in demand—this allows you to tap into the feeling of FOMO or fear of missing out.

With community content, marketers essentially tell customers that certain products are selling fast – they do this by showcasing customers using those products.

Instead of looking at what customers have yet to buy to get them to purchase items, you list out what is already being bought and tell people why they should buy it.

This can only be possible if brands have a community to tap into that will help them capitalize on the feeling of FOMO.

Conclusion

User-generated content is a great way to beef up email campaigns and to encourage more sales from customers.

By adding materials created by existing customers, brands help showcase their products in real settings while also building an atmosphere of trust that will translate into more clicks and sales.

The six ways of incorporating UGC in email marketing listed above will make brand newsletters more impactful, leading to higher revenues and long-lasting customer relationships.

Guest author: Ronita Mohan is a content marketer at Venngage, the online infographic maker and design platform. Ronita enjoys writing about content marketing, email marketing, and design.

The post 6 Ways to Incorporate User-Generated Content in Email Campaigns appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.

source https://www.jeffbullas.com/user-generated-content-email-marketing/

15 Persuasive Copywriting Techniques That’ll Boost Conversions

Have you ever seen an object glow in the dark?

If you have, you’ll notice that even amongst darkness, that glowing object still captures your focus with its beauty.

Similarly, in a world where everyone is clamoring for your prospects’ attention, you need your content to stand out. 

According to HubSpot, 49% of marketers report that increasing customer acquisition is their top priority.

Therefore, you need a competitive advantage. 

In this article, we’re going to explore 15 persuasive copywriting techniques that engage leads and convert them. 

So, let’s jump right in.

1. Write conversationally – one friend to another

Everyone wants to feel valued.

No one wants to feel like a faceless entity.

When you write conversationally, you’re talking to your prospect, making them feel valued. 

You use words like “I” and “you” to make your prospect feel like a friend.

But do keep in mind the magnetic power of the word “you” as you write your copy.

“As long as you use words like I, you, and me, you create the feel of a personal form of communication.” – Joseph Sugarman

Furthermore, use simple words and simple sentences to create a light atmosphere.

The objective?

To present copy that’s easy to read.

It’s not about “talking down” to your reader. It’s about clarity.

Without clarity, there’s no conversation. No persuasion.

Want to see an example of conversational copy?

Check out this snippet from Levi’s website:

Image Source: Levi’s

Notice the following:

• They say “grab” instead of “get.”
• They say “your.”
• They say “head to” instead of “go to.”
• They say “how to style them” instead of “how to wear them.”

Doesn’t it feel like Levi’s is having a conversation with you?

2. Tell engaging stories

Want to transport your reader to your world?

Tell a story.

Research shows that engaging stories absorb those who listen to them.

When told strategically, a story can transport your prospect to, what Joseph Sugarman calls, a buying environment.

The objective?

To have your prospect imagine what it’s like to use your product or service.

Why?

Because when we touch an object or imagine doing so, we establish perceived ownership.

It’s the reason why Apple stores display their devices. And why car salesmen allow test-drives.

“In all my ads I try to make the prospects imagine they are holding or using my product.” – Joseph Sugarman

3. Highlight a unique value proposition

Your unique value proposition (UVP) is what you have to offer that few competitors can. It’s your edge, your distinguishable trait that others can’t replicate.

Here’s a definition of unique value proposition from Unbounce:

“Your UVP is a clear statement that describes the benefit of your offer, how to solve your customer’s needs, and what distinguishes you from the competition.”

If your offer is too common, then it’s a carbon copy of the competition. But if your offer is unique, it stands out.

That’s why you must highlight your unique value proposition. Promote it so you can boost conversion.

Check out this example of a unique value proposition from Mantis Research:

Image Source: Mantis Research

Mantis Research’s unique value proposition is that they combine data and story for their content marketing research.

4. Speak in your prospect’s language

Have you ever read copy from a website or an advertisement and said to yourself, “Wow, it’s like they read my mind.”?

Well, it’s because the copywriter did read your mind. She used your words to communicate with you. She spoke your language.

And research shows how effective this can be.

So, how can you get the inside scoop on your prospect’s dialect?

Here are some ways:

• Read Amazon reviews
• Scour online forums like Reddit
• Interview your current clients

5. Use the power of imagination

There’s a thin line between imagination and reality.

Hold on, let me rephrase that.

If there is a line, it’s blurred.

According to research, when you imagine something, your mind and body interpret it as reality.

Sounds crazy?

Well, we know this is true, firsthand.

Let me explain.

Have you ever watched a scary film and felt your heart pounding faster than a techno beat?

Although you were watching an imaginary world, your body was going through the same reactions as if you were one of the characters in the film.

As a copywriter, use words like “imagine” and “picture this” to invite your prospect to your imaginary world – a world where their life has improved after using your product or service.

And if done effectively, your product or service will become part of their reality.

6. Use power verbs to strengthen your copy

Verbs initiate action. They direct your readers, taking them on a journey with you as their guide.

But some verbs are more potent than others.

Instead of saying: Tom meticulously researched the financial statement.

You can say: Tom dissected the financial statement.

Instead of saying: I vehemently emphasized my point.

You can say: I hammered my point.

“The secret of persuasion lies in our skillful use of action words. The magic of advertising is in the verbs.” – Roy Williams

Check out this copy from Oreo:

Image Source: Snack Works

Notice how Oreo uses power verbs like “twist,” “dunk,” “please,” and “delight.”

7. Use repetition

Ever hear a song on the radio you thought was awful? But then, you kept hearing it repeatedly, and suddenly, you found yourself liking it?

That’s the power of repetition.

Or have you seen a pizza commercial frequently? Then, next thing you know, you’re salivating, calling up your local pizza shop?

That’s the power of repetition.

Well, you can harness the power of repetition using your words.

Research shows that moderate repetition within a message can make it more persuasive.

Here’s an example of copy that uses repetition:

Image Source: Häagen-Dazs

Häagen-Dazs repeatedly uses the word “soft.”

“Soft” is a sensory word that connotes comfort. Perfect, right? Especially since Häagen-Dazs appeals to people who like comfort food. (By the way, I’m one of those people.)

Stay tuned for more details on sensory words.

8. Offer a money-back guarantee

Your offer sounds appealing, but your prospects don’t know if they can trust you. They’ve been burned before, and now they need armor.

The solution?

A money-back guarantee.

With a money-back guarantee, the seller assumes the risk. And the buyers feel comfortable knowing they have an exit strategy.

Also, keep in mind that many of your customers won’t even consider your offer without a money-back guarantee.

The money-back guarantee conveys that the seller is confident in their offer. In turn, this makes the buyer confident. 

“You must convey the idea that you are shouldering most of the risk. If you can transfer the risk from the buyer to yourself, that removes the barrier, it removes the fear and they’re free to do what they most want to do—buy your product.” – Ray Edwards

In his book How to Write Copy That Sells, Ray Edwards states that “in almost every case, the longer the guarantee the lower the refund rate.”

Here is an example of a money-back guarantee from AWAI:

Image Source: AWAI

Notice how AWAI uses words like “No-Risk” and “satisfaction,” along with phrases like “promptly refunded” and “no questions asked.”

9. Insert sensory words

Sensory words trigger your prospect’s imagination. It helps them experience your words.

Brain imaging research shows that when we hear sensory words like “rough,” the part of our brain (the parietal operculum) that senses texture through touch is activated.

So, when you read copy that mentions a “rough morning,” you’ll feel it on a deeper level than if it had said “bad morning.”

But what if you want your copy to convey a wholesome feeling?

Let’s check out this snippet from Minute Maid’s website:

Image Source: Minute Maid

Notice how Minute Maid used the word “smooth” to convey a pulp-free drinking experience.

10. Plant seeds of curiosity

It’s not enough to attract your prospects, you must also keep them engaged.

To do so, you can use a technique introduced by Joseph Sugarman called seeds of curiosity.

“These seeds of curiosity cause you to subconsciously continue reading even though you might be at a point in the copy where the copy slows down.” – Joseph Sugarman

Some copywriters call this technique “bucket brigades.”

Here are some examples:

“And that’s not all.”

“Let me explain.”

“But there’s more.”

By planting seeds of curiosity, you help establish what Joseph Sugarman calls a slippery slide. When you create a slippery slide, you make it hard for your reader to pull away from your copy. Their curiosity has them spellbound.

Why is curiosity so potent?

George Loewenstein theorized that curiosity stems from information gaps. When we lack information, we develop a strong desire to fill our gap with knowledge.

So, when you plant seeds of curiosity, you open information gaps.

But as Joseph Sugarman states in The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, use the seeds of curiosity technique sparingly. If you use this technique too often within your copy, it won’t be as effective.

11. Showcase testimonials to establish social proof

As children, we were all told not to trust strangers. And as adults, we still have that mentality.

To gain your prospect’s trust, you must earn it.

No one wants to have their hard-earned money snatched from them.

Prospects like to double-check they’re making the right decision. That your offer is legit. So, they look for social proof to guide them.

And this is where testimonials come in.

Testimonials prove that someone has benefited from your offer; that others vouch for your product or service.

If a majority of people believe something, the minority fall in line. Solomon Asch’s experiment proved that.

Indeed, we value the opinions of our peers.

But what’s the most effective way to use testimonials?

In the book Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, Noah J. Goldstein states that testimonials are more useful when they come from someone similar to your prospect.

Want to see an example of testimonials as social proof?

Check out this snippet from Basecamp’s homepage:

Image Source: Basecamp

Basecamp’s website displays testimonials that address the needs of their prospects.

12. Use scarcity to create urgency

The last technique we discussed was social proof, one of Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion from his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Let’s discuss another principle of persuasion: scarcity.

Research shows that scarcity works, whether you’re using it for time or supply.

Here are a few scarcity terms:

• “In short supply”  
• “For a limited time only”

Why is scarcity so effective?

Because it creates a sense of urgency. It motivates your prospect to purchase. Immediately.

Scarcity capitalizes on your prospect’s fear of missing out.

Check out this example of scarcity from Tom Ford:

Image Source: Tom Ford

Tom Ford’s website uses the “limited time” scarcity tactic. But if you’re a Tom Ford shopper, you’re wondering how long the sale lasts.

13. Employ words that trigger emotions

Customers ignore stales words.

So, to avoid dull copy, use words that trigger emotions. In turn, you’ll galvanize your prospects, making them excited about your offer.

Why must you appeal to emotions? Research shows that it’s impossible to make decisions without them.

“We buy on emotion and justify with logic.” – Joseph Sugarman

Let’s explore the emotional pull of the word “thorn.”

When you hear that word, you may immediately think “sharp,” “prickly,” “pain.” Terms associated with discomfort.

Thus, the phrase “a thorn in my side” triggers emotions you’d want to avoid.

Now, let’s flip the script.

Let’s discuss “love.”

When you hear the word “love,” you experience warm feelings.

You may think of your spouse, your parents, your children, your best friends.

Or the first time you fell in love.

Either way, the word “love” is a strong emotional word.

Now, check out this copy from Apple’s website:

Image Source: Apple

Apple connects an emotional word with its iPhone 11. Also, potent use of personification.

14. Use the contrast principle

In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini mentions an experiment where students take turns sitting in front of three buckets of water: one cold, one at room temperature, one hot.

Each student received the same instructions:

Place one hand in cold water, and the other in hot water.

Then, place both hands in the room-temperature water.

Surprisingly, each hand had a different reaction to the room-temperature bucket. The hand that previously was in cold water felt hot, and the hand that was in hot water felt cold.

The moral of this story?

How you view something is affected by how you contrast it with something else.

This is known as the contrast principle.

Want to see how it’s used in copywriting?

Check out this example from Ted Nicholas:

Image Source: Ted Nicholas

Notice how Ted lists the regular price ($777.00) and the special price ($297).

The special price is $480 less than the regular price. So, the people who bought this product feel it’s worth more than they paid.

By listing the regular price, Ted placed his prospect’s hands in hot water, then cooled them with his special price.

Also, Ted offers a money-back guarantee.

So, he used two persuasive copywriting techniques discussed in this article.

15. Raise objections, then resolve them

A salesperson has a direct conversation with their prospect. If their prospect has questions, the salesperson can address them.

As copywriters, we must raise the concerns and questions that our prospects may have, then resolve them.

If we don’t, it’s the equivalent of dodging a prospect’s questions about your offer.

“If you sense that there might be an objection and you ignore it, it’s like ignoring that consumer. You won’t get away with it. The consumer is too sharp and will not buy.” – Joseph Sugarman

Check out this example from BMW’s website:

Image Source: BMW

BMW understands that when most people think of BMW, they think expensive.

Check out where BMW takes you after you click the “Learn More” button:

Image Source: BMW

Notice how BMW says its pricing is “more competitive with local repair shops than ever.” And they mention “transparent, up-front pricing.” They even refer to their repair service as “value service.” All efforts designed to resolve objections prospects may have about the price.  

Your words must glow

You know why we’re so fascinated by fireflies?

Because they glow in the dark without the aid of electricity.

They capture your attention – while other insects blend with the background, trapped in obscurity.  

As a copywriter, your job is to transform words into fireflies.

Why?

Because you’re not aided by the power of talking to your customers.

You must sell with the written word.

So, are you ready to make your copy glow?

Guest author: Darek Black is a copywriter, certified content marketer, and the co-founder of Content Stride, a copywriting and graphic design services company. For clients, he writes engaging content designed to attract customers. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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