The extremely underwhelming secrets to affiliate marketing are, spend a ton of money, lose a ton a of money, try and figure out why you lost a ton of money, split test like crazy, lose a little less money.
Basically it all comes down to split testing, folks. In order to make (serious) money from affiliate marketing, you have to identify the winning pages that will transform even the most skeptical browser into an optimistic customer. There is no simple, quick, easy, or cheap way to be successful as an affiliate marketer. The âsecretâ is hard work, and constant optimization through split testing data.
Since split testing is so important, you want to optimize your landing and registration pages the best you can. Obviously how they look, and how fast your load times are will have a huge impact in conversion rates, but the copy can make a big difference too. In many instances, people write their ad copy almost as an afterthought, with all their energy going towards design and development. The copy just kind of gets filled in at the last minute, usually very begrudgingly by a web designer who is kind of over it at that point.
If this sounds familiar folks, you should really show your copy some more love. Despite what people may think, it DOES make a difference in your conversion rates. Iâm a copywriter for Instant Checkmate, an online background check company and we do A LOT of split testing. Here are the ad copy tips Iâve learned after writing copy for TONS of our landing and reg pages.
1) All your copy should be written at a 7th grade reading level
So, this was really hard for me to accept. Before I started doing corporate blogging and writing ad copy, I was a (eh ahem) creative writer. But, here youâre trying to appeal to the masses, so anything that sounds creative, smart, or witty might make you feel like a genius, but it will have a horrible conversion rate.
A tool that I always use to make sure my copy is readable is a Readability Calculator.
Look at my editing process. Here is an example of copy that I wrote for a pre-sale page, explaining what a background check is.
Draft 1:
âA background check gathers records from all kinds of public sources to create a complete picture of an individual’s history. A background check is made by comparing the personâs first and last name against information contained in public databases and registries. It includes basic information about someone that was found in public records.â
Draft 2:
âA background check compiles records. These records come from public sources. A background check will show basic information about someone, and give a complete picture of that person’s history. These checks compare a person’s first and last name against legal paperwork. Background checks get information about people that is available in public databases and registries. These documents are called public records.â
Still too long and complicated. So finally we have . . .
Draft 3:
âA background check will show some basic information about someone and give a complete picture of that person’s history.â
The winning copy isnât the most educated, or sophisticated, or even accurate. Itâs simply the shortest, and easiest to understand.
2) Throw everything you learned about grammar out the window
Basically fragments=good, and complete sentences=too long and boring. You want short, sound bite like sentences that will be easy to remember, and effectively communicate one idea. If you donât already, start tweeting consistently. Composing a tweet is very similar to how you would approach writing copy. Itâs good practice!
Also, when writing your reg pages, always write in second person âyouâ and âyourâ. Nobody cares about you or your company, so talk to the consumers directly, and keep your copy entirely relevant to what benefits them.
3) Sometimes it doesnât even have to make sense. It only has to be seductive.
This applies more to PPC marketing, but itâs still an interesting tip nevertheless. For a long time, one of our media buyers had a winning headline that he couldnât beat, and none of us could figure out why, because it made no sense. Our âwinnerâ was âArrest records: 2 Secretsâ What? It makes no sense, but it sounds somewhat intriguing. People sure do love to click on it.
4) Give some technical details
Even though most people wonât always no know what it means, giving a little taste of technical details creates trust, and establishes you as an authority. On the reg page, show off some techie flair that will get them intrigued enough to let themselves be funneled into your reg page. Before they know it, theyâve gone and signed up. Score!
Technical details enhance your overall description, make you more credible, and
5) In the end, the headline is most important
If you do a lot of content marketing, you already know how important it is to have a winning headline. Creating âhigh energyâ emotions in people is a great way to get them to take action. High energy emotions include anger, anxiety, awe, and of course, humor.
For a criminal background check service, a great headline for us would be âDid You Know There Could Be Sex Offenders in Your Neighborhood?â Avoid headlines that induce âlow energyâ emotions like sadness. You certainly donât want to simply make people depressed. Get them fired up and passionate about your product.
About the author
Jessica Ruane is a copywriter for Instant Checkmate. Check them out on Google+ or Twitter to read more of her articles.