So… on June 30, 2020, I posted VeryGoodCopy on Product Hunt:

That morning, a few hours after the launch, I created a LinkedIn ad to drum up support:

And I sent a similar note to my VeryGoodCopy newsletter subscribers:

Then I settled in to watch the results and respond to comments and questions as they came in. 

My goal was to make Product Hunt’s daily newsletter.

And thanks to the support from my incredible readers and subscribers — thank you all — I did. 🙏

Once on Wednesday, July 1:

And again on Monday, July 6:

But the focus here is what happened on VGC in the 72 hours immediately after the launch. Between June 30 - July 2, VeryGoodCopy.com saw 4,311 unique visitors:

And that’s great. But here’s what’s better: 

906 of those visitors subscribed to the newsletter. 

The math: 906 subscribers / 4,311 visitors x 100 = a conversion rate of 21.01 percent. 

In other words, over 1 in 5 visitors to VeryGoodCopy.com subscribed. To put this into context, the average subscriber rate is 2 out of 100 people. And elite websites are converting anywhere from 5 - 11 out of 100 visitors.

And that begs the question:

How?

How did VGC drive such a high conversion rate?

I promised to answer this question with this offer:

And now, here you are. 🙂

Welcome!

Keep reading to learn every persuasion principle and technique I use across VeryGoodCopy to make it convert in the top 1% of all websites.

So that was the Product Hunt launch — the details, the results. Now let’s talk about Eugene Schwartz. 

Schwartz was arguably the most gifted copywriter of the 20th century. His book, Breakthrough Advertising, is a timeless marketing masterpiece... 

And THIS is one of his most important lessons you’ll learn from its author:

~
“If you think you are creating demand for your product, you’ve doomed yourself to a lifetime of hard work and failure. You canNOT create demand for anything because demand is too large for you to create. The demand has to be out there. The demand has to exist before you even walk into the picture.” 
~

In other words, as a copywriter, as a marketer, your work is not to create demand but, rather, to CHANNEL demand. 

OK. Onward.

The offer on VeryGoodCopy.com is simple: 

YOU GIVE: your email. 

YOU GET: a consistent stream of proven, actionable copywriting advice, conveniently packaged and delivered in a free weekly newsletter. 

Now this offer, in theory, really only interests people who are interested in copywriting, in the art and science of written persuasion:

Copywriters.
Marketers.
Founders, entrepreneurs, business people. 

(Other folks too, of course, but I’m speaking theoretically.)

And where do copywriters and marketers and founders hang out? Many are, in fact, consistently on Product Hunt, especially if they’re in tech.  

I know because just one day before I launched VeryGoodCopy, the #1 product on Product Hunt was a copywriting tool called Headlime. 

Headlime’s tag: “Create headlines like copywriting experts.” It got 1,515 upvotes. 

And before that a book called The Copywriting Bible garnered 1,489 upvotes. 

And before that a site called Nishi — “a curated showcase of websites that nail copywriting” — saw 886 upvotes. 

Point being... 

There’s an existing demand for copywriting products on Product Hunt.

(Hint-hint.)
(Wink-wink.)
(Nudge-nudge.)

All I did was 1) identify this demand and 2) provide a compelling, worthwhile offer to meet it. 

Do you have an offer (i.e., your product or service in exchange for someone’s money or attention)?

If so, it will only pull people in if there’s already an existing desire — an existing demand — for your product or service within your target audience. 

Seems obvious and yet so many businesses develop their product or solution first — investing upfront time and effort and money — and only then begin looking for a market to promote to. 

Identify your demand FIRST. 

Identify your market FIRST.

It’s called MARKET-ing for a reason. 😉

Have a known market? Great. Now identify where it lives on the internet: 

Is it on Product Hunt? 
Is it in a specific LinkedIn group?
Is it behind a unique keyword on Google? 

Identify where, if anywhere, this demand is most intense. 

THERE is your opportunity!
THERE is where you advertise!
THERE is your chance to move people!

Do not try to create demand for your offer. 

It’s a bad bet, risky.  

Identify the demand first.

And if it doesn’t exist, move on.

So, you know about:

My offer: your email in exchange for access to the VeryGoodCopy newsletter.

My need: the desire for copywriting tools on ProductHunt.com. 

My advertisement, designed to drive people with the need to the offer: the Product Hunt launch. 

Now... let’s dive into how I maximized the conversion rate across the website, concentrating on 4 key factors: 

♠️ Relevance

♦️ Focus

♣️ Proof

♥️ Ease

If you’ve ever advertised on a platform (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Google), you might be familiar with something called a Relevance Score. 

In theory, the higher your Relevance Score, the better your ad will resonate with the target audience. 

There’s more to it but a key part of your Relevance Score is determined by how familiar/similar your ad’s art and copy is to the art and copy on the landing page the ad links to.

For example, if the image and headline in your ad match the image and headline on your landing page, your Relevance Score will benefit. Because in theory, your prospect will instantly recognize she’s in the right place (and so the trust and enthusiasm earned by your ad will remain intact).

I followed this principle closely during my launch.

Note the elements across VeryGoodCopy’s Product Hunt image gallery:

Note:

1) The logo
2) The artwork
3) The headlines & subheads

They all closely (if not perfectly) match the elements on the website:

Again, seems obvious enough but then so many campaigns break this rule, leading to a high bounce rate.

And you can’t convert someone who isn’t there.

If you’re launching a digital campaign, create your website — your landing page — first. 

I always work this way. I always build out my prospect’s final destination (i.e., where I intend for her to convert) first. 

This way, I have a “pallet” of elements to choose from when I’m ready to create my ad. I have my artwork, my headlines, my subheads — it’s all there, ready to assemble.

Don’t overcomplicate it. 

Try creating your ad (e.g., an email; a banner ad; a social post) using only the elements on your landing page. 

It will help improve your Relevance Score, bridging trust between your website and the platform you’re advertising on. 

There are several hundred call-to-action buttons across VeryGoodCopy.com. 

And about 99 percent of those buttons say the same thing: SUBSCRIBE.

Most of the CTAs look like this:

Point being…

VeryGoodCopy.com has a singular goal:

To compel website visitors to subscribe to the newsletter. 

That’s it. That’s the focus on the vast majority of pages. 

Yes, I have products and services for sale on the site — but my goal is not to convert folks directly on the website. If it happens, great! I’ll take it. But it’s not what I’m going for. 

I’m going for subscribers whom I can continue to nurture and support through my weekly newsletter, where I promote the next tier of CTAs, including: 

1. “Leave a Review” — this takes folks to a Google form, where they can write a testimonial about VeryGoodCopy in exchange for a backlink to their website.

2. “Hire Me” — this takes folks to my CopyConsult page, where they can secure my time for a project by getting on my wait list. 

And if you never, ever convert on these CTAs — if you only subscribe for the freebies — that’s OK, too.

The satisfaction I get from being helpful is it’s own reward.

But I digress.

VGC is a funnel. 

The top of the funnel is the website. It focuses on selling free subscriptions. 

The middle and bottom of the funnel is the newsletter. It focuses on selling reviews, services, and products in exchange for even more free value than the website.

The operative word: focus.

Focus.
Focus.
Focus.

Wherever you are in the funnel, focus on a single goal, a single action at a time.

Identify the goal of your website. 

Is it to get newsletter subscribers? 
Is it to get demo requests? 
Is it to get direct sales? 

Identify a goal and make it the sole focus of your website. 

And if this is impossible across the entire site for whatever reason, then identify a goal and make it the sole focus of a single landing page. 

If your website or landing page is underperforming from a conversion standpoint, it could be you’re just giving folks too many options. 

So fact is, a relevant, focused offer means little without the credibility to back it up.

Your visitors must believe you. They must believe the promise your offer makes. I use a few techniques to achieve this credibility — this trust — on VeryGoodCopy, including:

1) Advertising the number of subscribers:

The visitor might think:
“If all these folks trust VGC, I can too...” 👌

2) Displaying reviews from VGC subscribers:

The visitor might think:
“If VGC helped this person, I’ll give it a shot...” 👌

3) Displaying reviews from VGC clients:

The visitor might think:
“If VGC is good enough for this brand, it’s good enough for me...” 👌

4) Displaying my client work, speaking gigs, and other articles:

The visitor might think:
“I love HubSpot’s content, so I’ll give VGC a shot...” 👌

Social proof. 

I use it a lot. I also use something called Heuristics.

Let me explain:

Not too long ago, I got an email.

It was very short: “Nice fucking reviews, bro.”

Clearly mocking. And I get it: 300+ reviews is a lot of social proof. Probably seems excessive to some people, obnoxious. 

But those folks don’t respect Heuristics!

Heuristics is the process of learning through cues and shortcuts (rather than critical thinking). Our brains developed this ability because, basically, thinking sucks. Thinking deeply is hard — and sometimes it’s literally painful. So we evolved to avoid it whenever possible.

Enter: “L.I.S.H.”

Or the Length-Implies-Strength Heuristic (a favorite of master copywriter, Gary Halbert).

In advertising and marketing, LISH is based on the assumption that longer copy — with more benefits, more testimonials and stories, more writing, more words — is more likely to impress, earn credibility, and persuade.

“Look at all this proof!” your brain screams at you. “There must be something to it!”

So loading your website with endless testimonials is one very old, very proven way to trigger your prospect’s LISH, which, in turn, will garner trust. 

Nice fucking reviews, indeed. 😉

You’ll also see social proof on my dedicated subscription page, which reminds me…

Create a dedicated subscription page.

This is where visitors will actually convert. It’s also where you can clearly and efficiently explain WHY folks should take you up on your offer (i.e., the value they’ll get).

For example, VeryGoodCopy’s subscription page breaks down into 3 sections: 

1. General Value: the summary of the offer.
2. Specific Value: the benefits of the offer.
3. Social Proof: the reasons to trust the offer.

Like this:

I also stress the ultra-low barrier to entry with the “Just your email, please:” line of copy at the bottom. 👍

If you don’t have any social proof to speak of, run an email campaign: 

Step 1: Create a simple Google Form with the following form fills:

• Your name: 

• Your website:

• Your role:

• Your review:

Step 2: Make a list of happy clients and colleagues, past and present. Folks who like you and respect your skills.

Step 3: Send each individual a short, personalized email asking for a review. Something like this might do:

And simply link to the form. 

If the list is sound, you should see a healthy conversion rate. Start adding those reviews to your website as they come in, preferably towards the top of each page.

P.S.

Copywriting master, Gary Bencivenga, always said: “Show your proof first.”

Makes sense if you think about it. Why would you hide your credibility (e.g., testimonials; reviews; credentials) near or at the bottom of the page? 

Most visitors won’t get that far. 

Show proof sooner.
Gain trust sooner. 
Convert more.

So…

I’ve shown the visitor a relevant offer.
I’ve focused her attention on said offer.
I’ve given her proof the offer is credible.

Now I need to make it super simple to convert!

And that means creating an experience where the reader is never more than a click away from VeryGoodCopy’s dedicated subscription page. 

For example, it doesn’t matter where you are on the site…

1) You can be reading an article…

And you’ll see mid-article and post-article CTAs. 👌

2) You can be browsing the homepage…

And you’ll see embedded CTAs between the content. 👌

3) You can be on any page, for that matter…

And you’ll see the ever-present “Announcement Bar” at the top. 👌

And to safeguard against CTA fatigue, I also installed a scroll-trigger pop-up, which appears every time a new, unsubscribed visitor scrolls 25% of the way down a page.

The pop-up is an effective way to: 

1. Capture attention (e.g., “What’s this?”)
2. Communicate value (e.g., “OK but what’s in it for me?”)
3. Compel to take action (e.g., “Where do I sign up?”)

P.S.

The orange “Subscribe” button takes you here.

Golden Rule: visitors should always be a click away from your dedicated subscription page. 

Follow this rule and you’ll quickly see a bump in conversions. 

And the fastest, easiest way to implement this rule is with an “Announcement Bar” at the top of your website.

Some platforms, like Squarespace, have this feature built in. But a good 3rd-party option is HelloBar.com:

Step 1: Make an account for free.
Step 2: Install a snippet of code on your website.
Step 3: Convert more visitors.

💡 Final Thought

So…

That was a lot. But it all boils down to this:

If a market for your product or service — your offer — exists, it means your prospects are out there waiting to buy.

Step 1: Find them. They’re all hanging out somewhere together. (If they’re not, this “market” likely doesn’t exist.)

Step 2: Guide them. Make the path back to a conversion as obvious and pleasant and easy as possible. (Divorcing your ego from this process helps.)

Step 3: Ask them, nicely. Over and over and over. (To be a marketer is to be a professional asker.)

Thanks so much for reading,