Is Copy All About Conversion? How Persuasive Writing Works

How does persuasive writing work?

For some, copywriting might seem like some irreverent witchcraft that makes an algorithm do its bidding. While there’s a touch of truth to that statement, it’s much more calculated that magical hocus-pocus.

The purpose of creating effective content is to provide your readers with the information they need to be informed or make an informed decision. Copy that leaves a reader with questions or more confused than when they arrived at your site isn’t great copy.

But is copy all about conversions?

If you look at the impact of copy by the numbers, it might seem pretty cut and dry. A particular page on a website gets a certain amount of views which leads to a certain amount of clickthroughs for a certain CTA placed in a certain spot on said page. Very black-and-white. But sometimes there are other outcomes to effective copy that can produce amazing results.

Persuasive writing can have many effects on readers, whether it is in sharing a helpful blog article, driving a reader to an action (like a donation or a signup) or simply becoming a new topic passed around by word of mouth. While avoiding the dark side of persuasive writing (think modern day clickbait), there are plenty of ways to provide value with your content to those who need it.

• Creating Compelling Content: Making content that resonates with your readership is all about understanding what they need to know. This takes research and trial-and-error. Having a thorough understanding of the industry you’re working in goes a long way in creating impactful content. Also, knowing what has worked in the past (and what hasn’t worked) can help to avoid pitfalls others have run into.

• Making Topical Content: Sometimes it’s simply about being in the right place at the right time with your content. It’s akin to breaking news, readers want to know as soon as there is something worthwhile to know about. Staying up to date on the goings ons in a particular industry can help create content no one would turn away from.

• Effective Evergreen Content: On the other side, an article that lasts forever can be invaluable. Evergreen content is content that will ring true no matter how old it is. Current events can grow old in a matter of moments (news cycles last for about a week until a story is replaced in the general zeitgeist), but facts, consistent occurrences, and objective instances can continue to inform long after their publication date.

The more intricate aspects of persuasive writing become more technical the deeper you dive in. Making proper use of keywords, knowing how rankings work on SERPs, and SEO in general. It’s enough information to make your head spin! Fortunately, copywriters are there to make sure you don’t have to bog yourself down with such work.

Feel like you’re ready to take your brand to the next level? Reach out!