Poor copy conversion? You may have overlooked this.

I guess many copywriters have encountered the above situation before - you worked hard for two nights to write a sales copy with dark circles under your eyes, and your boss is counting on you to sprint sales this month with this copy. Then you take the first draft to ask for advice everywhere, but you are complained that it is "boring" and "I can't even read it on my knees"...

Imagine that a salesman is selling you a product and he is making you feel like dozing off or is making you very irritated. Do you want to jump up and leave immediately? In this case, has the salesperson completely lost you as a customer?

The same goes for copywriters. As a "paper salesman", if your copy can't even attract readers with the first sentence, and you still want them to spend their hard-earned money to buy your products or services, I bet you have never seen other people's fingers swiping on their phones - swipe, swipe, swipe. Not interested? Brushed. can't read? Brushed.

So, today let’s talk about what techniques can help you improve the “completion rate” of your article and reduce the “skipping rate”.

Completion rate and skip rate

I guess some people are not very clear about what the "completion reading rate" and "skip reading rate" of an article are. Let me explain it briefly.

Sometimes you’ll find that the copy has a decent readership, but a terrible conversion rate ! Generally, many people would think that this means that the title opening rate is high, but the copywriting is not good, or the product itself is not good, so the conversion rate is poor.

In fact, it is true. Either the copywriting is bad, or the product is bad, or both the copywriting and the product are bad.

There are many factors that determine whether a copy is good, and one factor that is often overlooked is that your copy has a low completion rate and a high skip rate.

In other words, the user has opened the title and started reading your copy, but after glancing at a few percent, he can't read any more, so he closes the page immediately and skips reading. This results in a high skip rate and a low completion rate of the copy.

The completion rate does not affect the reading volume, but it does affect the conversion rate. After all, I couldn’t even read the copy, let alone buy it.

Next, here’s a new copywriting trick I’m going to give you today – improve your copywriting completion rate.

01. First sentence and beginning

Sugarman, a legendary figure in the copywriting industry, believes that the purpose of all advertising elements is to get readers to start reading the first sentence of the copy. The only purpose of the first sentence is to get the reader to read the second sentence, and the only purpose of the second sentence is to get the reader to read the third sentence, and then the fourth sentence…

This way, readers can read sentence by sentence until the end of the text.

Since the first sentence is so important, how can we make people want to read it? An important tip is: keep it short! Try to make your introduction short, concise and easy to read! Here are a few examples to give you a feel for it:

You may have had the following experiences: xxxx……

(The beginning of a time management course copy)

Let me ask you a question: How can an ordinary person make 1 million in a year?

(One of the favorite opening routines used by our old boss Kunlong)

There was once a story about a Virgo uncle named xxx.

(The beginning of a tweet about a popular shampoo)

There are two iron laws for Asian women’s appearance: xxxx……

(The beginning of a tweet from a certain cosmeceutical brand )

Damn stinker!

Britain is in trouble. It seems that British men don't like to change their underwear frequently.

(The beginning of an advertisement in Forbes magazine)

Have you ever written “proficient in office” on your resume? Sorry, 95% of HRs don’t believe it.

(The beginning of a high-priced Microsoft MOS course copy on a certain platform)

…

Do you feel it? You should start with anything that the readers are interested in, it may be a suspenseful sentence, a story, a news, or a piece of information that is closely related to the readers... But please make it short, concise and powerful.

In addition, let me tell you another statistic. If readers can read 25% of your copy, then they are very likely to read your entire copy. So, before you start writing, try your best to think about how to write your first sentence and the beginning of a quarter.

02. Plant the seeds of curiosity

This is another technique proposed by Mr. Sugarman, which uses the power of curiosity to keep readers interested. It works like this: at the end of a paragraph, a very short suggestive sentence is used to entice the reader to continue reading.

For example, the following sentences (3, 4, 5 I often use in my copywriting):

1. But there is much more I want to say.

So please don't leave.

2. Why don’t I end here?

Please listen to my explanation.

3. Don’t worry, I will explain it in detail below.

4. What happened next was so magical even she herself found it magical.

5. Now comes the really exciting part.

6. One more thing……

Some people may think this trick is cliché, but it works. It will prompt readers to subconsciously continue reading. Let me explain why (ha, I just used this technique).

Think about when you were a kid, you were sitting in front of the TV watching a show. It was about to start commercial break, and the host would say to you, "After the commercial, you will see something you have never seen on TV. Please don't change the channel." Or the disgusting "Don't go away. It's even more exciting after the commercial."

When writing sales copy, the ideal situation is to write copy that is both interesting and attractive so that you don’t need to create suspense. The problem is, this is too damn hard to do, so you have to use these "seeds of curiosity" to enhance the entire copy.

03. Anticipate questions and answer them

▌This is another amazing skill. Let me show you a complete advertising copy first.

Title: The best gift ever

Subtitle: Do you want a pet that won't run away?

Copywriter: Just imagine, you can get a pet that won't run away, won't run around the house, and is very easy to care for.

You might guess it's a rabbit, a bird, a fish, or a turtle. I tell you, you guessed wrong. It is a guinea pig.

You may be wondering how to care for a guinea pig. Where should I keep it? What does it eat?

None of these are difficult. If you don't have a guinea pig crate, find a cardboard box that's tall enough so it can't escape, but large enough so it can roam freely inside.

You can feed it some guinea pig feed or some green vegetables. You'll want to lay plastic sheeting on the bottom of the box, then cover it with newspaper, then sprinkle the shavings at least an inch deep. In addition, use another bowl for food and a bottle for water.

That’s all you need to know. To order, call (phone number) today to place your order.

The first time I read this copy in a book, I found that I wanted to get a guinea pig as a pet immediately. . . But then I collapsed!

Because this copy was written on the spot by an 8-year-old girl! 8 years old, live performance, oh my god, I want to go back to the countryside to feed pigs...

Did you find it? This is a great example of anticipating questions customers will ask and answering them. Although it is very simple - after all, the writer is only 8 years old - it contains the "question and answer" format, and the logic is very good, basically: question-answer-question-answer-question-answer.

▌You may ask again, how do we apply it specifically to our sales copy? Don’t worry, I’ll show you another very good soft article on WeChat , which is an advertisement for Zhiguan Shampoo (limited by space, I’ll just take a quick look at the logic and structure. If you want to read the full text, just search the title on Sogou WeChat)——

Title: Everyone cheered for this Chinese man, but he made a choice that shocked everyone

Copywriting: There was once a story about a Virgo uncle named TT

Part I:

He is a 40-year-old dad who quit his million-dollar job at Procter & Gamble and started his own business , making a natural plant-based shampoo called Zhiguan (hidden question, why did he quit his job to make shampoo?)… Last March, when Li Xiaopeng (Olympic champion) announced that he and An Qi had become partners of Zhiguan, the public who did not know the truth were very surprised (hidden question, why were they surprised?)

Part II:

To be honest, many people have always liked Li Xiaopeng. When he followed the Olympics and the World Championships, he raised the national flag time and time again, which made people excited... He did not become a coach or an official. For the second half of his life, Li Xiaopeng had his firm idea: he wanted to create a brand that he and other Chinese families could use every day. (Answering why Li Xiaopeng joined Zhiguan)

Part III:

Being a parent, there are problems every day (hidden question, what questions?)...Angie often wonders why there can't be a brand in China that has a series of household cleaning products with natural ingredients, few additives and preservatives, and is not expensive, so that busy and tedious mothers like her can use them with confidence. (Asked through Anqi) ...How did Zhiguan do it and successfully attract the attention of the world champion? (Question)

Part 4:

“At that time, it seemed more like a wish than a business. It was not until the end of spring 2015 that our team found a top research institute and our wish came true.” It is a 102-year-old giant in the cosmetics industry. Many high-end product formulas come from here... (Answering how to attract the attention of Olympic champions)... And Li Xiaopeng said that they have been considering and observing these issues: How can Zhiguan ensure that it adheres to the most environmentally friendly production methods? How to ensure that products are effective, safe and full of design sense? ...(continue asking questions)...Omitted.

This case can be said to be a typical example of the use of the "question-answer" technique. I have summarized three key points from this, which you can copy directly:

1. Ask questions, create gaps, and make them eager for answers;

2. Answer the question and ask the next question at the same time, and repeat this process until the end;

3. Start by talking about the "starting point" and then the "result". The article about Zhiguan Shampoo follows this opening logic: “Quitting with an annual salary of one million” is the starting point, and “making shampoo” is the end point. The first sentence of the article points out both the starting point and the end point, which will arouse others’ doubts about the answer—why did he do this?

04. Refine your language

This is easy to understand, but not easy to do. I’m pretty sure this is the worst mistake most copywriters make – being too wordy!

When writing copy, keep asking yourself: "Is there a simpler way to express it clearly?", "Can I get to the point with fewer words?", "Am I talking nonsense?" Usually, you can reduce your copy by 30%+ or even 50%+ while maintaining the same meaning and emotion.

The more concise and clear the copy is, the easier it is to read, and the copy as a whole will also be shorter, which will make the user feel less oppressive and more likely to keep reading your copy.

How to refine the language will test your Chinese language proficiency and the mentality of an experienced editor. For example: avoid complex words; delete unnecessary words; never use six words to express something that can be expressed in five words; avoid clichés; rearrange ideas to make expression smoother, etc.

Take a course copy that I revised as an example. This paragraph in the first draft of the copy contained a total of 169 words, while the final draft had 137 words. If we read and compare carefully, we will feel it. The following is the first draft.

So you see, in the Internet age, copywriting is so valuable! Many people's understanding of copywriting is still limited to "writing style", but those who are foresighted have already taken action and turned it into a tool to make money. China is a big manufacturing country, and relatives and friends can all supply you with goods. The key is to have excellent copywriting. When you send out a copy, it can immediately reach thousands or tens of thousands of people in your circle of friends , public accounts , and WeChat groups . If you know how to write, the copy can bring you a lot of orders. To put it bluntly, it can help you make a lot of money!

Now let's simplify this paragraph and reduce the number of words, but keep the same meaning.

So you see how valuable copywriting is in the Internet age! When it comes to copywriting, many people understand it as just “writing style”. Smart people, however, see copywriting as a tool to make money - China is a major manufacturing country, and your relatives and friends can supply you with goods. As long as your copywriting is brilliant, you can leverage the thousands of people in your circle of friends, public accounts, and WeChat groups to increase your orders by 5 times, 10 times, or even 100 times... In a word, copywriting can help you make a lot of money!

Comparing the two versions, do you prefer the revised version? 23% fewer words, but the meaning and appeal are the same as the first version, or even better.

To sum up, here are 4 tips to improve the completion rate of your copywriting:

1. Write the first sentence and beginning of the copy well;

2. Plant the seeds of curiosity;

3. Anticipate questions and answer them;

4. Refine your language .

Why not give it a try in your next copywriting?

The author of this article @Anton compiled and published by (Qinggua Media). Please indicate the author information and source when reprinting!

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