When producing marketing copy, an intelligent and culturally-sensitive understanding of the buyer’s emotional state is critical. Good content can make a huge difference to the conversion rate of websites and marketing material, so have a real effect on the bottom line of a e-commerce business.
Drawing form my own experience, here I summarise my top 7 tips for content teams writing copy for European audiences:
Increase relevancy
Keep in mind holidays, seasons, sporting events, and anything else your reader could possibly be thinking about in their real (offline) lives.
Add urgency
Here are a few blog titles that show what I mean:
Before It Closes: The loophole that means you can get X
“Stop making these buying mistakes now”
Give advice, not sales pitches
If your entire content stream is promotional, no one will trust what you say. But if 90 percent of your content stream is educational, informative, and related to solving the problems of your readers or leads, those readers or leads are far more likely to believe you when you say, “our product meets this need”. You can still generate vital inbound links with your content, and promote outside the articles
Use emotional triggers
Self-improvement: People want to be the best at what they do. Try framing content in terms of, “10 Things you Don’t Know About…“, “Things you Missed About…” or “Ways to Make You great at …“.
Fear of missing out: Fear is advertising and marketing’s great motivator — particularly the fear of missing out on an opportunity. Fear elicits a desire for insight, secrets, or loopholes. Consider the success of articles like, “How I saved hundreds of pounds and a got a stylish product my friends envied’
Peer pressure: In this increasingly socially-conscious online world, knowing that people are engaging in things you aren’t, or are “liking” things you should be aware of is very powerful.
Reduce buyer anxiety
Great content reduces the anxiety of the reader – convincing them that the words they’re reading come from a credible, experienced source who understands their needs and wants – preferably a person just like them. This kind of trust seems to grow stronger every day (according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, trust in people like me has grown by 15% over the last 5 years)
Here are keys to creating blog content that communicates trust
Empathize, Describe how you overcame the issues buyers are facing. Perhaps talk (subtlely) about how your company’s tools, product, or business helped you (or a current customer) address similar problems.
Tell a story: Use anecdotes, fun metaphors, and analogies when creating content. Share personal experiences your audience can relate to.
Show yourself: Ask for feedback, and be open to questions.
Add other voices, endorsements, or testimonials
Work with name brands while your own is not famous.
-Bloggers / experts / fashion leads -Push for a podcast, interview, or webinar with a well-known influencer (after you woo them for a while). -Give a well-known influencer access to your tool or product for free in return for an honest testimonial or endorsement (or, better yet, a how-to guide).
Finish with the right call to action
Not every CTA should be a link to the product page. But the “right” CTA makes the difference between someone being inspired to return or trial, or to move on.
“For more on X, check out my Pinterest page”
“Start receiving weekly insights from dedicated experts. Sign up for our RSS feed today!”
“Check out our guide to Y”
Keeping an eye on these principles will I hope help you to improve your marketing KPIs. Let me know what you think and of course share any other thoughts you have. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in improving the effectiveness of your marketing activity in European markets, do get in touch and we’ll talk about your particular needs.
