Otherwise, your blog posts are not going to get read. You need to make sure your writing is good. These formulas should be your go-to starting point every time. Building this trust and providing this proof further cements the fact that I can help with the problem they are facing. Start using power words now to increase the length of time people stay on your site and how often they come back to check out your new content. Being concise within the content is key when writing long-form pieces. But don’t take my word for it. There’s no point in using the word “advance” because the meaning of the word “planning” already signifies that. Good copywriting takes time to get right. Make sure to use editing tools to perfect your content and pay close attention to creating and crafting your unique style and tone.
55% of all page views only get a few seconds of attention.
What does that mean for you?
Your hook had better be good and quick. Otherwise, your blog posts are not going to get read.
Start off with bland and unengaging content, and you can kiss valuable blog traffic goodbye.
Not enough of an incentive for you?
Visitors who read more of the post are more likely to return.
Users who read a blog post for three minutes were 2x more likely to return to that site than those who only read for one minute.
That’s all you get.
People skim. They don’t read as much as they used to.
And it makes sense when you consider what you’re up against. There’s too much daily content out there to get through it all.
It takes too long to digest everything.
But if you want your readers to convert, you have to keep their attention.
Enter long-form content. It works because it converts.
But you can’t just throw up 3,000 random words and expect it to engage your website visitors. You need to make sure your writing is good. Really good.
Get your readers to continue to scroll down the page and come back for more by amping up your copywriting skills.
Here are six copywriting tips to step up your content game and keep readers on your page.
1. Proven methods net proven results
Why do people use clichés so much?
Because many times they turn out to be true!
Like, “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.”
That cliché is definitely true when it comes to copywriting. The stuff that worked decades ago can still work today if you do it right.
I’m here to tell you that the notion that people are “either born with the copywriting gene or not” is a total myth.
In fact, let me tell you an even greater secret.
If copywriting doesn’t come naturally for you, there are plenty of tricks at your disposal to make your content better.
You can use these to take all the guesswork out of writing good content. These formulas should be your go-to starting point every time.
One of my favorites is the PAPA formula.
Problem, advantages (of solving the problem), proof (that you can solve it), and action.
First, you present the problem. This is the need or pain point that your customers are facing.
In this example, that’s the “struggle to find your dream job.”
Then, you move in with the advantages or reasons why this person needs to fix the problem.
In this case, that looks like saving “years of wasted effort” or avoiding the “resume black hole.”
Next, you provide proof of your product solving the problem:
“Thousands of students have already used it to get ___ results.”
Then you close and seal the deal with an action-oriented task, like watching a video, signing up for a lead magnet, or clicking a CTA.
Problem, promise, proof, and proposal.
Here’s an example from my site. On my consulting page, I start with problem and promise:
I put my audience’s problem, the lack of traffic, front-and-center.
Then, I make the promise to help find them the traffic they need.
As readers continue to scroll, I provide the proof, through positive business reviews, of delivering on the promise.
These reviews from top corporations show that you can trust my work and methods.
If it worked for these big brands, it can work for you, too.
Building this trust and providing this proof further cements the fact that I can help with the problem they are facing.
When I have them hooked and convinced, I offer a proposal to help them:
Copywriting formulas are simple and effective.
You don’t need the copywriting gene or countless hours of studying to figure out “how to write better.”
You just need to stick to the basics and use proven methods.
Instead of starting from scratch, start with a copywriting formula and build out from there.
2. Use powerful language
Have you ever started to read a blog post casually, and then 15 minutes later found yourself knee-deep in the content, unable to stop reading?
Have you come across a blog post in which the writer plays perfectly on your emotions and taps into your deepest desires?
Not only do these types of posts keep you engaged and reading, but they are also hard to forget.
Creating this type of content isn’t easy. But it can be done.
And it has to be done when you’re going up against the millions of blog posts published every day.
Thankfully for us busy marketers, there’s a quick solution:
Power words.
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was the master of power words. Here’s an example from a speech he made before the House of Commons in 1940.
He filled the speech with inspiring words. The words drove emotion, provoking excitement and action.
These aren’t just your everyday, run-of-the-mill words. They are power words because they make you feel something.
Not writing a speech to rally your countrymen? You can still use power words for your own benefit, like on your product site:
These triggering words spark emotions and get people to sit up and take notice.
Words not only have the power of persuasion and inspiration, but they can drive conversions, too.
Thankfully, Smart Blogger’s Power Words article contains 317 words that you can use immediately.
Start using power words now to increase the length of time people stay on your site and how often they come back to check out your new content.
3. Say more with less
Long-form content converts. But long-form doesn’t mean never-ending content.
Being concise within the content is key when writing long-form pieces.
We’ve already established that people don’t have long attention spans. And they certainly don’t want to sift through your blog post to find the information they need.
Adding filler copy…
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