Marrying Copy and Content: Why You Need Both to Grow Your Business
Many marketers see content and copy as one and the same. It’s all just words, right? But acknowledging their unique roles your marketing strategy – and how to effectively marry the two – can make a huge difference in your bottom line.
So what’s the difference?
In simplest terms:
Content informs. Copy sells.
Or, as Joanna Wiebe of Copyhackers put it in a Content Coalition podcast:
Copywriting is the words that you use to get to yes. Everything else is content.
Of course, you want both. You want to inform your prospects with relevant content and ultimately sell (get them to say “yes” to) your product or service.
But before the marriage can happen, you first need to understand how each form of communication fits into your overall marketing strategy.
Use content to attract, engage, and delight
If you’re familiar with the inbound methodology, you know that content is used throughout the buyer’s journey to attract leads, engage and nurture those leads, and delight your customers. In the process, you’re building trust for your brand and positioning yourself as the go-to expert in your field.
Attract leads
Most prospects aren’t looking for your product – they’re looking to solve their problem. They want to read about available solutions so they can make a good buying decision.
This is where lead magnets come in. Lead magnets can be an eBook, infographic, webinar, or any piece of content that provides potential buyers with valuable information. They may mention your product as a solution, but they’re not directly selling your product. The direct sell comes later in the buyer’s journey.
By requiring prospects to complete a form before accessing your content, you’ll immediately capture potential leads for follow-up.
Engage and nurture leads
Once you’ve captured your leads, you can send them additional content through email or other channels to build trust over time. Your leads are still in the decision-making phase at this point, so providing relevant content will keep you top-of-mind.
Delight converted customers
Content marketing doesn’t stop after the prospect buys. You want to keep providing valuable content after the sale, like tips to get the most out of your product. This will help ensure loyal customers that will want to buy or subscribe again.
Use copy to persuade and close the deal
Copy works alongside content to persuade prospects to directly engage with you. Copy will position your product as the solution to their problems, with the ultimate goal of making the sale.
Show how your product or service can solve their problems and add value
Just like content, copy can help establish trust and make the prospect feel confident about their buying decision. Effective copy will establish the value of your product and tell the prospect how it will improve their life, business, or bottom line.
Give them FOMO
Copy taps into your prospect’s emotions to establish a Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) about your product. It will make them believe so strongly that their lives wouldn’t be the same without your product in it, so they absolutely can’t wait another day to purchase it.
Copy also gives them an offer they can’t refuse – and a deadline to act on the offer – further creating a sense of urgency.
Easily guide them to the sale
Copy is what ultimately turns prospects into buyers. It’s what finally prompts them to click the “buy now” button or put your product into their cart. It also makes sure everything is explained clearly and all objections are handled so there are no barriers to the sale.
3 examples of happy copy and content marriages
So how does it look when copy and content work together? Here are some examples of happy copy/content marriages to help you get started.
Example 1: Capturing leads via Google
Content: eBook lead magnet.
Copy: Google PPC ad promoting the eBook that clicks through to a landing page, which includes a lead capture form for prospects to complete in order to download it.
Example 2: Turning blog readers into contacts
Content: Blog post.
Copy: Call-to-action at the end of the blog post to sign up for your newsletter, allowing you to capture leads and build your contact database.
Example 3: Building customer loyalty
Content: Email newsletter sent to your current customer list providing company updates.
Copy: A call-to-action in the email that leads to a landing page for your latest product.
How have you used content and copy together in your marketing strategy? Let me know in the comments!
