conversion-copywriting

Conversion Copywriting - Data-Driven Copy That Converts

Write copy that gets a "yes" using Joanna Wiebe's research-first, Voice of Customer methodology

When to Use This Skill

Writing landing pages, emails, or sales pages that need measurable conversion results
Starting a new copy project and need a systematic process to follow
Struggling with what to write and staring at a blank page
Wanting to prove ROI to clients with data-backed decisions
Improving existing copy through validation and testing
Training yourself or your team on professional copywriting methodology

Methodology Foundation

Aspect Details

Source Copyhackers, Copy School

Expert Joanna Wiebe - Creator of the term "conversion copywriting," founder of Copyhackers

Core Principle "Conversion copywriting is data-driven copy that gets prospects to say yes. It's a science-based process that determines what to write and how to write it."

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

Claude Does You Decide

Structures production workflow Final creative direction

Suggests technical approaches Equipment and tool choices

Creates templates and checklists Quality standards

Identifies best practices Brand/voice decisions

Generates script outlines Final script approval

What This Skill Does

This skill transforms copywriting from a guessing game into a systematic, data-driven process. Instead of staring at a blank page and hoping inspiration strikes, you'll:

Research first - Find your messages in customer language, not your imagination
Listen more than write - Let Voice of Customer (VOC) data do the heavy lifting
Validate before launching - Test copy before committing fully
Measure everything - Know what's working and why

The result: Copy that converts because it says what customers actually want to hear, in the words they already use.

How to Use

Prompt Examples

Guide me through the conversion copywriting process for my [landing page/email/sales page]. Start with research questions I should answer before writing.

Help me extract Voice of Customer data from these customer reviews for my [product]. Identify the strongest messages and organize them into a hierarchy.

I have this VOC data: [paste data]. Turn it into copy for a [page type] using the Copyhackers methodology.

Create a wireframe outline for my [landing page] that organizes these messages: [list messages]. Include awareness stage transitions and CTA placement.

Run the 7 Sweeps editing process on this copy: [paste copy]. Start with the Clarity Sweep and work through all seven.

Instructions

The 3-Part Process Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 1. RESEARCH & DISCOVERY │ 2. WRITE, WIREFRAME, EDIT │ 3. VALIDATE & TEST │ │ (Biggest phase) │ (Synthesis phase) │ (Proof phase) │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

No phase is optional. Even if a client says "just write," you still need research.

Part 1: Research & Discovery

"If research is not the biggest part of the work, 99% of the time it means you're doing it wrong."

Goal: Find your messages in customer language—don't invent them.

Research Checklist

Internal Sources:

Existing website copy audit
Product pages and feature descriptions
Sales call transcripts/recordings
Customer support tickets
Chat transcripts
Email sequences currently in use
Brochures and sales materials

Customer Sources:

Customer surveys (existing or new)
Thank-you page polls
Customer interviews (transcribed)
Review mining (Amazon, G2, Capterra, Trustpilot)
Social media comments and discussions
Forum posts and Reddit threads
Testimonials and case studies

Competitive Sources:

Competitor website audits
Competitor reviews (especially negative ones)
Industry forums and discussions

Analytics Sources:

Click tracking data
Heatmaps and scroll maps
Conversion funnel analysis
Exit survey data

How to Mine VOC Data

What to look for:

Pain language - How do they describe their problem?
Desire language - What outcome do they want?
Objection language - What's stopping them?
Trigger language - What made them start looking?
Value language - What benefits matter most?
Emotional language - How do they feel about all of the above?

How to organize:

Tag each insight by type (pain, desire, objection, etc.)
Note the source and frequency
Identify patterns and repeating themes
Rank by strength/emotion

Part 2: Writing, Wireframing & Editing

The Writing Setup

Joanna's Split-Screen Method:

Open research/VOC data on LEFT side of screen
Open writing document on RIGHT side
Search VOC data for relevant keywords
Copy-paste actual customer language
Refine into copy (don't reinvent)

"You don't sit there and just start writing. Split your screen in two and take what people are saying and put it on the page."

The Writing Process

Step 1: Determine Awareness Stage

Where is your reader starting?

Stage They Know Example Headline Approach

Unaware Nothing Lead with the problem/pain

Problem-Aware They have a problem Agitate the problem

Solution-Aware Solutions exist Differentiate your solution

Product-Aware Your product exists Prove you're the best choice

Most Aware Ready to buy Make the offer irresistible

Step 2: Map Your Messaging Hierarchy

What messages need to appear, and in what order?

Primary Message - The one thing they must understand
Supporting Messages - Evidence that backs up the primary
Objection Handlers - Address what's holding them back
Call to Action - The specific next step

Step 3: Select Your Framework

Framework Best For

PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve) Short copy, high problem-awareness

AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) Longer sales pages

PPPP (Picture-Promise-Prove-Push) Visual products

PASOP (Problem-Agitate-Solution-Outcome-Proof) Complex solutions

Step 4: Draft Using VOC

Take raw VOC and transform:

Raw VOC:

"I was so frustrated with spreadsheets. Every month I'd spend 8 hours just reconciling data and I'd still find errors."

Transformed into Copy:

"Tired of losing 8+ hours every month to spreadsheet reconciliation—only to find errors anyway?"

The 7 Sweeps Editing Process

After your first draft, run these sweeps in order:

Sweep Focus Key Question

Clarity Is it clear? Would a 12-year-old understand?
Voice Does it sound right? Is this how the brand/customer talks?
Proof Is it believable? Where's the evidence?
Specificity Is it specific? Can I add numbers, names, details?
Stickiness Is it memorable? Will they remember this tomorrow?
Emotion Does it make them feel? Where's the emotional hook?
Zero What can I cut? Does every word earn its place?

Clarity is ALWAYS first. Above everything else, copy must be clear.

Wireframing

Create a visual layout showing:

Where each message block goes
Image/video placeholders with notes
CTA placement and copy
Mobile considerations

Tools: Figma, Balsamiq, Photoshop, or even Google Docs with boxes

Part 3: Validation & Experimentation

"We test to validate and learn."

Goal: Ensure you're putting the best version out before committing.

Validation Methods

Method Best For What It Tells You

5 Second Test Headlines, hero sections Clarity (not persuasion)

UserTesting Full page experience Usability, comprehension

Wynter B2B messaging Message resonance

Preview Emails Email copy Open/click behavior

Scroll/Click Maps Soft launch Engagement patterns

A/B Testing When Possible

Test one variable at a time:

Headlines
CTAs
Lead image
Offer structure
Social proof placement

Note: You can't A/B test everything. Validation fills the gaps.

Examples

Example 1: SaaS Landing Page Process

Research Phase (Week 1):

Interviewed 5 customers
Mined 50 G2 reviews
Analyzed 10 competitor pages
Reviewed 20 support tickets

Key VOC Finding:

"I was drowning in Slack notifications. By the time I found the message I needed, I'd lost 20 minutes and my train of thought."

Messaging Hierarchy:

Primary: "Find any message in seconds, not minutes"
Supporting: AI-powered search across all channels
Objection Handler: "Works with your existing Slack—no migration"
CTA: "Start free trial"

Draft Headline:

"Stop drowning in Slack. Find any message in seconds."

After 7 Sweeps:

"Find any Slack message in 3 seconds. Not 20 minutes." (Added specificity, cut unnecessary words)

Validation:

5 Second Test: 85% understood the value prop
A/B tested against control: +34% signups

Example 2: Email Sequence for Course Launch

VOC from Survey:

"I keep signing up for courses but never finish them. I feel guilty every time I see another one in my inbox."

Email 1 Subject (Problem-Aware):

"That course you never finished? Not your fault."

Email 1 Opening:

"You've bought courses before. Started strong. Then... nothing.

The guilt sits there in your inbox. Every email from that course creator feels like a reminder of another thing you didn't follow through on.

Here's the thing: It's not a willpower problem."

Transformation Notes:

Used exact phrase "never finish"
Captured the "guilt" emotion from VOC
Moved from Problem → Solution setup

Checklists & Templates

Pre-Writing Research Checklist

Research Checklist for: [Project Name]

Customer Voice Sources

Competitive Intel

Top 3 competitors audited
Competitor reviews analyzed
Positioning gaps identified

Internal Sources

Existing copy audited
Analytics reviewed
Team interviewed (sales, support)

Synthesis

VOC-to-Copy Translation Template

VOC Translation for: [Page/Email Name]

Raw VOC Quote:

"[Paste exact customer language]"

Source:

[Interview / Review / Survey / Support ticket]

Message Type:

[ ] Pain [ ] Desire [ ] Objection [ ] Trigger [ ] Value

Transformed Copy:

[Your refined version]

Placement:

[ ] Headline [ ] Subhead [ ] Body [ ] CTA [ ] Testimonial

7 Sweeps Worksheet

7 Sweeps for: [Asset Name]

Sweep 1: Clarity

Main message understood in 5 seconds?
No jargon or insider language?
Simple sentence structure?

Sweep 2: Voice

Sounds like the brand?
Sounds like how customers talk?
Consistent throughout?

Sweep 3: Proof

Claims backed by evidence?
Testimonials/case studies included?
Numbers and data where helpful?

Sweep 4: Specificity

Generic words replaced with specific?
Numbers instead of "many" or "some"?
Names, places, details added?

Sweep 5: Stickiness

Memorable phrases or hooks?
Would reader recall this tomorrow?
Any "quotable" lines?

Sweep 6: Emotion

Emotional trigger present?
Reader can feel the pain/desire?
Human, not robotic?

Sweep 7: Zero

Every word earns its place?
Redundancies removed?
Could be shorter without losing meaning?

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

Structuring audio production workflows
Providing technical guidance
Creating quality checklists
Suggesting creative approaches

What This Skill Cannot Do

Replace audio engineering expertise
Make subjective creative decisions
Access or edit audio files directly
Guarantee commercial success

References

Courses: Copyhackers Copy School, 10x Freelance Copywriter
Free Resources: Copyhackers.com tutorials, Where Stellar Messages Come From (free ebook)
Expert: Joanna Wiebe, original conversion copywriter
Source: sources/books/wiebe-conversion-copywriting.md

Related Skills

copy-frameworks - PAS, AIDA, and other structures mentioned here
dan-kennedy-copy - Direct response principles that complement this
landing-page-copy - Specific application of these principles
email-writing - Email-specific applications
headline-formulas - For the headline writing portion