ClickInsights: Mistakes to avoid in copy used for lead generation

Posted by Ambal Balakrishnan January 7th 10

One of the purposes of writing copy is to generate leads. What are the challenges in writing good copy that not only educates prospects and customers but also draws them in as leads for your business?

We have invited White Paper Experts to shed light on the following question: "What mistakes must a copywriter avoid in copy used for lead generation?". Read on to get their insights.

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Michael Stelzner

Blog WritingWhitePapers Twitter Mike_Stelzner

"Don't lead with the product pitch"

Michael Stelzner's Bio

Michael Stelzner is one of the leading authorities on the topic of writing and marketing white papers. Michael is also the author of the bestselling book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged.

Michael Stelzner's Tip

If your objective is to help businesses capture a lead, close a sale or establish themselves as kings in a crowded market, here's some tips to avoid:

Don't lead with the product pitch: In today's economy nobody likes to be sold to. Rather they prefer engagement. That typically means start by building affinity with readers. You can do this by talking about things they care about, such as problems and trends. This draws people into your work and allows you to eventually make the pitch.
Avoid verbose writing: Pacify the skimmer. Use short sentences rather than long prose. Try bolding key items and make sure your work is like butter melting on warm toast. This takes time but ensures that skimmer is engaged.
Don't assume they're just like you: Too often writers assume that readers understand the terms and inside the beltway talk that goes around. However, there's no bigger turn off to readers than terms and phrases that are foreign. Always ask yourself, "is this phrase something the reader will understand?" If not, kill it.

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Stephanie Tilton

Blog Savvy B2B Marketing Twitter StephanieTilton

“Write a headline or subject line in the form of a question requiring a YES or NO answer”

Stephanie Tilton's Bio

Stephanie Tilton is an expert case study and white paper writer who helps B2B companies advance the sales cycle by engaging prospects and customers. Harnessing her unique blend of technical knowledge, marketing savvy, and writing skills, Stephanie has crafted nearly 100 case studies and white papers for leading brands such as Akamai Technologies, EMC, Macromedia, Novell, SAP, and Symantec. Her website is Ten Ton Marketing.

Stephanie Tilton's Tip

To effectively engage prospects – and propel them to take action – avoid the following mistakes when crafting lead-generation copy:

Write a headline or subject line in the form of a question requiring a “Yes” or “No” answer. If readers don’t respond with the anticipated answer, you’ve lost them from the start. Instead, write a benefit-focused headline or subject line that the reader can’t resist.
Fail to incent the prospect to read on. We’re all deluged with offers via email, direct mail, and the Web. Within seconds, you need to grab your readers’ attention and explain what’s in it for them.
Focus on your product or service instead of the offer. A lead-generation piece isn’t the place to sell your product or service. Your sole objective is to encourage a response to your offer.
Present dense copy that’s daunting to read. Prospects shouldn't have to slog their way through your copy. Write short, engaging copy – and format it for readability using subheads and bullets.
Omit a clear and compelling call to action. Vague calls to action don’t get the desired result. Instead, present a benefit-oriented offer sure to spur a response.

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Cindy King

Blog CindyKing Twitter CindyKing

“Not Targeting the Right Stage in the Sales Process”

Cindy King's Bio

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Specialist based in France. She uses her dual background in sales & marketing, in international business development, to help businesses improve their international sales conversion. She is also adept at content marketing, international web marketing and social media marketing.

Cindy King's Tip

Here are two of the biggest mistakes I notice in lead generation copywriting.

Not Targeting the Right Stage in the Sales Process
Sales cycles can be different depending on the industry you are in. You must spend the time to clearly identify what your primary goal is and how this fits into the overall sales process.

Is your reader simply in the awareness phase? Is he still exploring the subject? Does he need motivation to make a decision? Is he comfortable with his decision? Is he happy to have purchased your product or service? Where is he in the sales process?

In lead generation copywriting if you don’t have an intimate understanding of the sales process, and target your copywriting for one specific task within this sales process, your copywriting will not work.

Forgetting Your Global Audience
When writing lead generation pieces keep your global audience in mind. This is particularly relevant for anything published online.

Before taking the step of adapting your lead generation materials to different cultural markets, you can often make a few small additions or minor changes to your current copy to improve your global communication.

With a little attention to the details of your copywriting in English you can also include a wider multicultural and international audience. And if you don’t pay attention to these details, you can turn off potential multicultural or international clients without realizing it.

Cindy King Recommends

Janice King's book Copywriting That Sells High Tech
Casey Hibbard's book Stories That Sell: Turn Satisfied Customers into Your Most Powerful Sales & Marketing Asset
Jill Konrath's book Selling To Big Companies
Joe Pulizzi's and Newt Barrett's book Get Content. Get Customers.

Michele Linn

Blog Savvy B2B Marketing Twitter MicheleLinn

"Not including a clear call to action"

Michele Linn's Bio

Michele Linn is a B2B marketing consultant specializing creating and promoting buyer-focused content, such as white papers, research reports, feature articles and case studies. Her business is devoted to making the job of B2B marketers easier by producing effective content and providing insights on how they can market it. Her website is Linn Communications.

Michele Linn's Tip

When I am writing copy for lead generation, I think about two things: the landing page (the web page where the reader downloads the offer, such as the white paper or eBook) and the content that drives the person to the landing page (such as an email or a pay-per-click ad). Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:

Promoting the product or service, not the offer: The goal of the copy is to get the reader to download your offer, not make a purchase.
Not answering the question, “What’s in it for me?” You don’t have much time to get a reader’s attention, so you need to clearly and quickly let them know how they will benefit from your offer.
Creating only one version of the landing page: The landing page for your lead generation activities needs to tie directly to your promotion. For instance, if you have multiple pay-per-click ads that use different keywords, you should have multiple landing pages that reference each of these keywords so your reader quickly understands the connection.
Using buzzwords: You have a very limited time to catch a reader’s attention, so you need to be exceptionally clear with what it is you are saying and asking.
Not including a clear call to action: You may know what you want the reader to do, but it needs to be very explicit.
Asking for too much registration info: The more fields you ask readers to complete to register for your offer (if you are asking for registration), the fewer downloads you’ll receive. Ask only for what is necessary.

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Jonathan Kranz

Blog Kranzcom Twitter jonkranz

"No offer, No focus, No clear call to action"

Jonathan Kranz's Bio

Jonathan Kranz is the author of The eBook eBook: How to Turn Your Expertise Into Magnetic Marketing Material and coauthor, with Joe Pulizzi, of The Content Marketing Playbook. He’s all about writing helpful content and making screwy videos. Join the party!

Jonathan Kranz's Tip

Mistakes? I’ve seen plenty (and committed more than I’d like to admit). But here are the top three that really matter:

No offer: You can survive just about any other mistake, but this one is lethal — you just gotta’ have an offer, a concrete, urgent reason for readers to respond. No, “for more information” is NOT an offer. “To learn more....” is NOT an offer. A discount, a demo, a free trial, an ebook, free shipping — these are offers. Be sure you have one.
No focus: Everyone has an agenda, that’s only natural. But when competing departments insist on loading their competing messages into your lead generation piece, the result is an unnatural, hybrid, communications piece that should never see the light of day. A lead generation piece has ONE goal: to get readers to accept your offer. It is NOT the place to expand your brand, share your mission, articulate your values, explore your history, etc. Focus relentlessly on your offer: what is is, why it’s valuable, how readers can get it.
No clear call to action: See number one above. The corollary to “no offer” is no visible means for accepting it. Don’t make readers work (they won’t); like an elementary school teacher instructing a room of seven-year-olds, spell out EXACTLY what readers have to do, step by obvious step, to accept your offer.

Good luck! May your 2010 bring enviable response rates!