In the world of performance marketing, every piece of content is an opportunity to drive a specific action. Unlike traditional content marketing focused purely on brand awareness, performance-driven content aims to convert readers into leads, customers, or engaged users. But how do you craft blog posts that not only attract traffic but also compel readers to take the next step? Drawing from the principles that guide successful ad campaigns, here are six crucial tips from performance marketing experts to help you write content that truly converts.
6 Tips to Write Copy That Will Convert Your Readers
1. Title Your Copy According to What You Promise in Your Ad Creative
Just as a misleading ad can lead to frustrated clicks and wasted budget, a blog post title that doesn’t align with the promise made in your promotional material will result in immediate bounces. Think of your title as the headline of your landing page. If a user clicks on an ad promising “5 Superfoods to Take Your Health to the Next Level,” their expectation is to find exactly that.
Bad Titles (for the above ad creative):
- 5 Recipes With Affordable Ingredients
- How to Cook After a Long Day, Easily and Healthily
- Fitness Tricks to Complement Healthy Meals
- These Belly Busting Foods Can Trim Down Your Waist
While these titles might be engaging on their own, they fail to deliver on the specific promise of “superfoods” for enhanced health. This disconnect leads to a poor user experience and a lost conversion opportunity.
Good Titles (for the above ad creative):
- 5 Superfoods to Take Your Health to the Next Level
- How These Ingredients Boost Health and Fitness
- These Secret Ingredients Boost Health and Strength All in One
These titles directly address the user’s expectation set by the ad, increasing the likelihood of them engaging with the content.
2. Write a Hook That Fulfills the Promise Made in Your Title, in An Enticing Way
Your hook is the crucial first sentence or two that either confirms the reader is in the right place and intrigues them to continue, or makes them realize the title was misleading. It needs to immediately reinforce the value proposition presented in your title while sparking their curiosity. This is where you begin to weave a compelling narrative, drawing the reader into your conversion storytelling.
Bad Hooks (for the title: “Incredibly Healthy People Eat These Foods in Daily Meals”):
- “The best foods to eat to boost your health are nutritionally dense, and include a high volume of vitamins, fiber, and protein.” (Answers the promise but isn’t enticing)
- “Jenny lost 10 pounds and increased her max bench by 15 pounds in just one month when she started this new program.” (Enticing but doesn’t fulfill the title’s promise)
Good Hooks (for the title: “Incredibly Healthy People Eat These Foods in Daily Meals”):
- “Jenny has a sweet tooth, which she satisfies every day while still making progress on her weight loss and strength goals. She incorporates naturally sweet superfoods like sweet potatoes and blueberries into her daily meals.” (Enticing and highlights specific foods healthy people eat)
- “You probably already have these superfoods in your pantry — you simply need the tools to incorporate them into your diet more regularly.” (Enticing and assures the reader the promised content is relevant and accessible)
3. Nut Paragraphs That Get to the Point, and Don’t Drag the Reader On
In performance marketing, time is of the essence. Readers who have clicked through are looking for immediate value. The “nut graph” – a concise paragraph (1-3 sentences) that summarizes the core value and content of your article – serves this purpose. It tells the reader exactly what they will gain by continuing to read.
Bad Nut Graph (following the hook: “You probably already have these superfoods in your pantry — you simply need the tools to incorporate them into your diet more regularly.”):
- “Your current meal plans aren’t working hard enough on your behalf. You need new ingredients to truly reach your goals. We’ll show you the foods that work hard for your body.” (Vague and doesn’t provide specific value)
Good Nut Graph (following the hook: “You probably already have these superfoods in your pantry — you simply need the tools to incorporate them into your diet more regularly.”):
- “With just a few added ingredients, or tweaks to your current meal plan, you can improve your overall health and strength. Including ingredients like avocados, sweet potatoes, blueberries, kale, salmon, and others in your regular diet will not only help you hit your weight loss and strength goals, but also leave you feeling more energized and healthy overall.” (Clearly outlines the benefits and hints at the specific content to come)
4. Use CTAs That Convert
Every piece of performance content should have a clear call to action (CTA). Your first CTA should appear relatively early in the content (around one-third of the way down) and be presented as in-line text. This placement allows engaged readers to take action without disrupting those who wish to continue reading. At this stage, softer, more informative CTAs tend to perform better.
Bad In-Line CTAs (following the good nut graph example):
- Sign Up For Our Program
- Get the Meal Plan
- Sign Up For 50% Off Our Program
These CTAs are too abrupt for a reader who is still early in the content consumption process. They haven’t been fully convinced yet.
Good In-Line CTAs (following the good nut graph example):
- Let Us Incorporate These Superfoods for You, Sign Up for Our Program
- Sign Up for Our Meal Plan Programs That Incorporate Superfoods
- Download Our Recipe Plan When You Sign Up for Our Program
These CTAs provide more context and value, making the offer more appealing to a reader who is learning about the benefits of these superfoods.
5. Use Subtitles That Discourage Readers From Bouncing
Before committing to reading an entire blog post, users often scan the subheadings to get a sense of the content’s structure and relevance. Your subtitles should act as mini-promises, clearly outlining the information contained in each section and enticing readers to delve deeper.
Bad Headers (following the in-line CTAs):
- Vegetables That Energize
- Healthy Fats to Fill You Up
- Proteins That Keep Disease at Bay
These subtitles are too generic and don’t provide enough specific information to keep a scanning reader engaged.
Good Headers (following the in-line CTAs):
- Vegetables That Energize: Kale, Sweet Potatoes, and More
- Healthy Fats to Fill You Up: Beans, Nuts, and More
- Proteins That Keep Disease at Bay: Salmon, Sardines, and More
These subtitles are more specific, telling the reader exactly which examples will be discussed in each section, thus reducing the likelihood of them bouncing.
6. Final CTAs That Convert Consumers Post-Storytelling
After a reader has consumed your entire blog post, they are significantly more likely to convert. This is your opportunity to use more direct and action-oriented CTAs. Unlike the in-line CTA, your final CTA can be shorter and more aggressive.
Bad Final CTAs (after reading through the sections):
- Make Incorporating These Foods Easy
- Register for Our Program to See Recipes
- Use These Foods to Boost Fitness Progress With Our Program
While related, these CTAs are still somewhat passive.
Good Final CTAs (after reading through the sections):
- Sign Up for Our 6-Week Program
- See Real Results: Sign Up for Our Program
- Sign Up for Our Program Today
These CTAs are direct, confident, and clearly tell the reader what action to take.
Key Take Aways
By applying these six performance marketing principles to your blog content strategy, you can move beyond simply attracting readers and start converting them into valuable leads and customers. Remember, every piece of content is an opportunity to drive a specific action – make sure yours is optimized for conversion.
