ARE YOU THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX WITH YOUR COPY CHOICES?

Aaaand relax. 

Wine in hand. Take-away ordered. Catch-up TV sorted. 

You’re mid-show when the doorbell rings. FOOD’S HERE.

You hit pause on catch-up TV – and what appears on-screen? A huge, mouth-watering, cheese-covered Domino’s Pizza.

We’re talking crispy pepperoni, stuffed crust, countless toppings: the works. 

That’s it – you’re done. Your head has been turned. 

Forget your sushi (you never liked it anyway). Domino’s it is.

What can we take away from this story? (Aside from a sudden, intense pizza craving?)

Well, it’s a damn clever piece of marketing. It’s unusual, it’s effective and it’s making the most of its captive, hungry Friday night audience. 

So it got us thinking about other innovative ways you can use copy in your marketing and make sure you’re making the most of your choices. 

Here we go.

#1 Vamp up your 404 page

OK, so a 404 page isn’t exactly where you want your web users to end up.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it stand out with some genius copy. You can be adding a silver lining to an otherwise dead-end.

In fact, a show-stopping 404 page can showcase your brand identity, entertain your visitors and ideally keep them on your site, instead of clicking away.

Here’s some tips for what makes a genius 404 page.

• Let your copy shine

Show your personality, show your humour and, most of all, think outside the box. Check out this example by Disney. It’s fun, engaging and has a search bar to help you find what you’re looking for.

• Add value 

You could link to another page, give them a free downloadable Ebook, a sneak peek at a newsletter or just include a killer CTA. Whatever it is, you want your user to stay engaged and on your site.

• Include something fun

Like a video. Check out this super awkward but hilarious example by Steve Lambert. Some legendary 404 pages have even included playable games…

Here’s a cheeky look at our 404 page for a little inspiration. 

#2 Thanks for getting in touch messages

Let’s talk about thank you pages. 

They might get forgotten along the way, but if you’re making the most of your copy they’re the ideal platform to increase conversions, showcase your brand and build brand loyalty. 

Think of it this way: you may never have a more natural opportunity to give a customer something that they want.

But how do I know what they want? I hear you cry.

They just told you. When they followed a CTA on your site.

For example, if a prospect has requested to sign up to your online course, on the thank you page you can show related content they’ll like. You’ll build trust by letting them know you’re on their side, add value and make your customers happy. 

It’s a win-win. You get to show your customers that you deliver value time and time again. And they’re happy in the knowledge they made the right decision with your company.

Check out Axis Social who tell a big, layered story on their Thank You page for new contact form sign-ups. Thanks to careful layout and crisp design, they manage to push their primary CTA while also reinforcing social validation and trusted partners.

#3 Give your cookie consent banner some personality

Yep, we hate cookie consent banners too.

But what if your website could be the one that stands out because your cookie consent message stops a user in their tracks and maybe, just maybe, makes them laugh?

It’s gonna take some pretty ninja copy skills (we’re right here if you need us) to catch an annoyed user’s attention in the split second before they mash the “accept all” button without reading a thing. Look, we all do it.

If you can pull it off though, you’ll join the sparse ranks of creative heroes who’ve turned one of modern life’s perpetual irritations into a marketing win.

Our top tips are to combine it with good design and don’t – seriously, don’t – do one of those whole-screen takeovers that shoves several hundred words of legalese in your users’ faces before they can use your site.

Check out this example by Groupe Castor and Pollux

Oh, and fun fact: cookies (tiny text files) were originally called magic cookies by early coders – a slang term for a small packet of info passed from one place to another. Magic cookies took their name from fortune cookies – a cookie with a message inside it. So that’s why cookies are called, er, cookies.

#4 Email signatures.

Gone are the days of email signatures simply being a place to sign your name at the end of an email. 

They’re actually a highly valuable B2B marketing channel and a vital part of any successful marketing campaign.

They can be used to:

• Boost brand identity
• Increase engagement
• Generate new leads

In fact, 62% of businesses are now using email signature marketing.

Why? 

• They allow your campaigns to reach more people
• They’re a platform to showcase your brand personality
• Perfect place to add links to podcasts, videos or website

Here’s mine as an example. 

It’s true to brand, has a strong CTA and it’s got a link to a new podcast that I’m speaking on. 

#5 DOOH – digital elevator signage

DOOH is on the rise, fast. 

DOOH (Digital-out-of-home) is the latest influential way to advertise your brand. In fact, DOOH accounted for 28.3% of all OOH ads in 2019 and is predicted to reach 38.3% by 2023. 

You’ve probably heard of out-of-home advertising (OOH) – but here’s a quick recap: 

OOH is traditional outdoor print advertising, such as billboards, where messaging is displayed to consumers in public places, such as elevators, bus stops etc. DOOH is essentially a powered up version, with dynamic digital displays that paves the way for a more immersive experience. 

And guess what? Digital elevator signage is the future of it.

Just think about it:

• You’ve got a captive audience who are actually looking to be entertained (and escape from the awkwardness of a lift journey with strangers)

• They have a high footfall, with people using them multiple times a day, whether it be office or home buildings.

• The average ride time is 118 seconds – ample opportunity for exposure. 

Check out our elevator digital signage that we used to advertise our academy.

#6 Unsubscribe pages

No matter how much blood, sweat and tears you put into making your blog/newsletter/mailing list engaging and high quality, the hard truth is, you’re going to get some unsubscribers. 

Maybe they’ve lost interest, but their pain point may have already been resolved. Or maybe they never even meant to subscribe anyway.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t have one last attempt at keeping them on board. 

Take Puma for example. They’ve gone for a playful, lively approach.

They’ve used clever copy coupled with a smart and bold design. And they’ve included a link to rejoin to improve their chances. 

Of course, most people will still unsubscribe, but it’s likely that some will appreciate the humorous side and change their mind.

Final thoughts

The world of marketing is changing and evolving at a rapid pace. 

Which means that making sure you’re using clever copy across the board is important now more than ever. 

Think outside the box and get creative. 

Be consistent and stay true to your brand. 

And don’t be afraid to let your personality shine.

Love you, 

Konrad

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