Understanding Double Conversions: What They Are and Why They Matter
Double conversions, clever little devils that they are, beckon the copywriter to go beyond the basics. The way I see it, this is conversion copy that persuades a reader to take not one but two actions. I Believe say, for example, you entice your reader to subscribe to your newsletter - and then get them to enrol in your online course too. It’s essentially another layer of self-confidence.
Persuasive content (with a winning hook, carefully-structured content, and a solid case for your offering) inspires your readers. And this creates two outcomes. On one hand, they’re now ready to act on your ‘single’ call-to-action (your CTA).
But on the other hand, if you’re really persuasive - your reader is almost never also ‘primed’ to act on any related offers that might pop up in future. With double conversions - you’re essentially making sure that any future actions (outside of the website or channel where they discovered you) - still feel like the natural next step. So what do double conversions look like in practice. Well, say you share a copywriting e-guide with an opt-in form asking users for their email address.
You ask them to also sign up for a ‘first 7 days free’ subscription for your software on that same form. If they sign up for both - you’ve made a double conversion. Sometimes it feels like double conversions are more about mixing and matching CTAs (to suit your needs). But honestly it’s more about clearly sharing what you’d like from your reader - because when they know precisely what’s expected of them, they know how to proceed.
Technique 1: Crafting Compelling Headlines
The internet is a wild place and people aren’t as loyal as you think they are. They have places to go and Instagram rabbit holes to enter. And if your headline doesn’t stop them in their tracks, well, you know what happens. Nothing, really.
And that’s not because your product is bad. Sort of. Or because your writing isn’t good enough. It’s most often because you’re using headlines from the 2000s in today’s world.
People are smarter and more tired at the same time. They know when something is clickbait, sales-y or just boring. And they also understand what’s relevant to them.
What works best, however, are headlines that pack a punch and elicit curiosity at the same time. Like being clickbait without being, well, clickbait. If you’re short of ideas for new headlines, it’s probably time to go back to basics and study your customer again.
You can never go wrong with studying your customer in detail, no matter how well you know them already. It seems like especially if your audience is gen z or millennials because they love a good pop culture reference or meme. Headlines make or break a sale for digital businesses today - even ones that sell copywriting - because there is just so much competition online today. And not just generic competition but other excellent products (even if you don’t like to admit it).
So if you think about it, it pays off to be the clever one in a sea full of people all vying for the attention of the same customers - yours included. More or less.
Technique 2: Utilizing Emotional Triggers
Ever noticed how you barely recall what you did yesterday but vividly remember that time a spider crawled into your slippers last summer. It's likely because humans are rather emotion-driven creatures. Some of the most effective copywriting in the world takes advantage of our emotional need to survive. The survival drive is very effective, albeit a little primitive.
Emotions like fear, greed and trust can sometimes drive us to act faster than our reasoning abilities can. It is not unusual for copywriters to tap into this part of our subconscious mind to elicit immediate action. Especially in the case of impulse purchases and sales, this is an incredibly effective conversion strategy. Uncovering your audience's deepest desires, fears and insecurities through research can help you use this technique responsibly.
Making people feel like they're missing out, or that they're running out of time on a sale are common tactics as well. The way I see it, in both cases, the effect is probably to create a sense of urgency and importance around a product or service. Giving people reassurance at the end with statistics, testimonials and studies can also be useful in getting them to trust your brand.
So as long as you're not promising miracles, I do think there is a responsible way to do this. It all comes down to intention really - using emotional triggers comes naturally to us. Sort of. They have become how we survive as species.
Technique 3: Creating Urgency and Scarcity
Tapping into urgency and scarcity works a treat because it grabs people’s lizard brains. The old survival imperative. That unconscious fear of missing out, or being left without resources - it's what makes people buy toilet paper during disasters.
Copywriters are manipulative and they’re not afraid to do so in order to sell you something. Products, especially limited edition products are often an effective means to drive conversion as the product is likely to appeal to a certain kind of customer. Brands can also get creative with their use of scarcity by offering bonuses, discounts and the like.
These help the consumer feel like this is a special opportunity. Limited time offers, limited stock - that’s all the same strategy. But it works because of good copywriting and brand awareness.
I think the copyworks when you know exactly who your audience is. And writing for that audience creates a sense of brand connection and thereby brand loyalty. Incentivising purchases in this way can likely be a bit tricky. It can reportedly easily go from helping customers make up their mind about something they want, to coercing them into spending money for something they may not want or need.
So awareness of both your customer and your product makes a difference. More or less.
Technique 4: Leveraging Social Proof
Have you ever bought an air fryer because everyone online was raving about it. There’s a certain allure in making decisions based on what people around us are doing. Humans are naturally social creatures, and we like to follow the crowd - unless, of course, you're a rebel at heart.
Now, as copywriters, leveraging this social proof can be a pretty effective persuasive technique. Social proof can allegedly come in different forms, such as user reviews, expert testimonials, influencer endorsements, and even displaying the number of users or followers a brand has. The best part. The more social proof a brand displays, the more others want to get on board with them - even if it's just to see what all the fuss is about.
Incorporating social proof into your copy doesn’t have to mean bombarding your audience with stats and numbers. More or less. You can use storytelling to communicate how your customers or clients have benefited from your services. Or you could talk about how your brand has helped change an industry for the better.
When brands display social proof in their copies - whether it’s reviews or testimonials - they help ease any concerns or doubts their potential customers may have. They also build trust between the consumer and the brand itself. Not only does it make for more compelling copy, but it also increases conversions by bridging that trust gap.
Technique 5: Optimizing Call-to-Action Strategies
Persuading someone to actually take action. That’s the name of the game. And, if we’re being honest, it’s probably the trickiest part to get right. You could have written the most persuasive copy for your landing page, addressed every single pain point, kept everything short and impactful, and even used some clever puns.
All of that effort can still go down the drain if your CTA isn’t compelling enough. When done right, CTAs are seemingly incredibly powerful tools - little road signs on your content that tell readers exactly where to go next. But, more often than not, it can be hard to draw a line between persuading readers to take action and pressuring them too much. People don’t like being told what to do - especially when it comes to the Internet.
So instead of constantly badgering them with pop-up CTAs every few seconds or big neon buttons everywhere, try and experiment with different placements for your CTA so you can figure out which ones work best for your audience. More or less. From there, you’ll want to figure out what CTA copy feels good for you.
Does “Buy Now” work better than “Shop Now”. Is “Click Here” more actionable or is “Discover More” a better fit.
Whatever you decide on will depend on what kind of brand you’re working with and how receptive your audience is to certain words over others. What matters in all of this is figuring out what feels most true to you - and that only happens with experimentation. I do think pushing boundaries is great; it helps us discover more about ourselves and our brand’s voices than ever before.
But also, sometimes the safest options are safe for a reason: people keep coming back for them.