Ever felt like you walked into some sort of secret society in which everybody speaks a language only they understand? You hear about the kind of words floating around: conversion, bounce rate, USP, and suddenly you feel you have either to pretend you understand what’s going on or risk getting branded “out of the know”.
Image Source: https://boldcommunications.co.nz/creative-articles/copywriting-jargon-explained-in-just-31-seconds/
Well, you’re not alone, and that’s where it stops today. If you’re an entrepreneur, marketer or copywriter in training, just grab a spoon and scoop out the confusion so you become fluent in copywriting terminology. Alright, now, buckle up and get ready for all of this to break down into simple and digestible terms.
Why So Much Jargon In Copywriting?
Let’s be ruthlessly honest here: why, in heavens name, must copywriting prattle talk like nobody else?
Actually, it’s two fold: First of all, every business develops their own shorthand over time. Meaning simply that communication will be faster and more effective if you’re in the know. And you can say something like, “Our conversion rate needs improvement”, rather than you have to explain why a website does not get enough people converting from visitors into customers.
That’s where things stand: jargon alone doesn’t make a good copywriter. Indeed, the “tool” itself is jargon. The real art, in this respect, is the writing of persuasive copy that inspires people to take action to do something, even if not about speaking with equals in jargon.
Never lose sight of connection and clarity, and forget to use some jargon.
The Top Copywriting Jargons Everyone Should Know
Take a deep breath and dive into the words you will use most of the time. These are the basics that every copywriter or marketer, for that matter, should know. Let’s start here, then:
1. USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
What is it? This is the one thing that makes your product or service different from all others—the one thing that gives you an edge over the competition and something that makes people care.
Why it matters: Without a USP, you are just another voice in the crowd. An identified USP lets you tell your audience, “Here’s why we are different, and here is why that matters to you.”
Example: Apple. Innovation, simplicity and premium design start to be the synonyms of beautiful, easy-to-use and cutting-edge products.
How to Use It: Before you even write, ask yourself the question: What’s that one thing my product or service offers that nobody else does? And that USP would be the basis of all your copy.
2. CTA (Call-to-action)
Definition: Call-to-action is that you ask your intended audience to take the next step by completing a request of some form, purchasing a product, signing up for an email newsletter, or even just reading another blog post.
Why it works: It’s a Call-to-action, which basically asks your audience what to do next. If you omit that step, then your reader will be interested in what you have to say but never really know what he or she should do.
Example: “Sign up for our free trial today!” or “Download your free guide now.”.
Pro Tip: Best CTAs are clear, simple and action-oriented. Scarcity element: “While supplies last” or “Download now to get benefit of the limited-time offer” can be added for a compelling reason to act quickly.
3. Conversion Rate
Definition: Your conversion rate is the number of people who perform any action you want them to do, as compared to the total number of visitors on your site or page.
Why should I care? A conversion rate is your measure of how well your copy is performing. The higher your conversion rate is, the more likely it will be that your copy goes on to successfully persuade an audience to act.
Example: 500 people visited your landing page, and only 50 signed up to get your newsletter. Your conversion rate is then 10%.
Action: Test A/B on CTAs, headlines, and offers to understand which one really matters in front of your audience. Sometimes it is the little things which are going to make a huge difference in conversion.
4. Bounce Rate
Percentage of visitors who come to the site and view only one page before leaving.
Why is this important? If your bounce rate generally tends to be too high, then it may be because your copy isn’t interesting enough for somebody to even stick to your website.
Example: Suppose a visitor came to your website and only saw your homepage before he or she left; that would mean you had a 70% bounce rate.
How to Reduce It: Ensure landing pages make sense to the targeted search phrases by people and do a great job at keeping the user interested, meaning an attractive headline, a very prominent call-to-action, and sound, smooth navigation.
Comparison Table: CTA vs. Conversion Rate
| TERM | DEFINITION | GOAL | EXAMPLE |
| CTA | An actual call to action for your audience to do something | Calling for them to take action now           | Subscribe now!” or “Buy today and save 20%!” |
| Conversion Rate  | What percentage of visitors do something desired on the page | Measure how good your CTA or your content is | Ten people sign up from 100 visitors = 10% conversion rate |
Advanced Copywriting Lingo: You ought to know now that we’ve got all this sizzle, it’s time to put some beef on the bones. And by that, we mean all this highfalutin’ copywriting jargon so you sound like a pro and write better copy.
5. Pain Points
Definition: These are the very specific problems, aggravations, or needs your audience is facing and your product or service can solve.
Why it works: This speaks to the pain in your copy by showing that you know you have a solution to this person’s problem.
Example: “Tired of wasting hours trying to figure out complex software? Our user-friendly platform gets you up and running in minutes.”
How to Use It: Always keep in mind the reader’s problem as you write. Presenting relief for the reader’s pain first makes your solution like a relief sigh.
6. Social Proof
Definition: Any form of evidence that others trust or have benefited from using your product or service. Reviews, testimonials, case studies, etc., are all forms of social proof, even the number of users or followers.
Why? People trust more if they can relate to other people. The better you can show that other people love what you have, the easier it is going to be to get new customers to trust you. Example: “Join over 5,000 satisfied customers who have transformed their businesses with our software.”
Pro tip: Sprinkle throughout your copy with a few customer testimonials and some case studies of happy customers; this can give credibility and trust. Assuming you do not yet have enough customer testimonials, flash awards, certifications, or media mentions as social proof instead.
7. A/B Testing
Definition: A/B testing or split testing, comparing two versions of something, whether it’s a piece of copy, web page, or email, to see which one works better.
Why you care: A/B testing lets you optimize your copy using complex data, not just guesses.
Example: Test two subject lines: the benefit-driven (“Save Time with Our New Tool”) and one that stirs up curiosity (“The Secret to Saving Hours Each Week”).
How to Use It:
- Keep it Simple.
- Test one variable, such as a headline or CTA or something, and see which runs better.
- Take the results and zero in on your copy to continue optimizing.
8. Hero Section (Above the Fold)
Definition: Hero section-the top part of the page, when it is loaded at first sight, before you start scrolling. You’d want this section not to lose people right when they get there. Hit it right; it’s the key!
- To do its job of hero-section, it needs to be well-designed and attractive enough to the eye. It should let the visitor know that they have finally arrived at the right place.
- Give them a reason to keep reading
- Explain what you do, for whom, and why it matters
9. Active Voice
Definition: Active voice is simply a plain, interesting sentence construction that’s appropriate for so-called conversational writing. In it, the emphasis shifts to the doer, followed by what happens: the cat knocked over the glass of milk. Your readers will more clearly be attracted by such a plain, direct tone.
Active voice example:
The cat dropped the glass of milk.
The opposite, then is called passive voice. In this case, the action comes first, then the doer:
Passive voice example:
Down from the cat came the glass of milk.
10. Advertorial
Definition: An advertorial is one of those long-form ads that seems as if it is a piece of writing for an editorial article within a magazine or newspaper. It is so well-written that it seems to fit right there. However, quite often, somewhere along the piece, there will be a disclaimer to indicate that, indeed, it is an advertisement.
11. AI Writers
Definition: AI, which simply means machines that can do things that people normally think about. AI writers are highly advertised as a quicker and cheaper alternative to having human writers take several minutes to produce a copy. But is that enough to make them trustworthy?
12. Anchor Links
Definition: An anchor link is an internal link that takes you to a specific section on the same page or another page of a website. They enable you to “jump” directly to content relevant to your current need without scrolling through endless pages.
For example, imagine you were on some other page of my website and you clicked on the anchor link to this explanation; you’d be sent directly here. Neat, huh?
Copywriter’s Cheat Sheet
| TERM | DEFINITION | EXAMPLE |
| USP | Unique Selling Proposition – your key differentiator | “Our app integrates with all your favorite tools.” |
| CTA | Call to Action – compels your audience to take action now | “Sign up for a free trial.”            |
| Conversion Rate | Percentage of visitors who actually take your desired action | “10% of our visitors signed up last month.”    |
| Common pain points  | Specific problems for which the target audience is concerned | “Isn’t it such that the responsibility of keeping track of all the chores you need to accomplish is difficult?” |
| Social Proof   | There is proof that other people trust or have benefited from your product or service.  | “More than 5,000 5-star reviews on Amazon.”          |
| A/B Testing   | Comparing two different versions of a piece of copy to see which one performs better | “We tested two subject lines, and the winner had a 20% higher open rate.” |
How Knowing Copywriting Jargon Helps Your Writing
Let’s take you back for a minute. And you’re probably already starting to see the bigger picture: ‘Understanding jargon’ is just not about wanting to be part of the crowd, right? It’s actually about writing better, smarter copy. All these terms let you think much more strategically; therefore, you’re communicating better with your audience.
This is where knowledge of the vocabulary can make all the difference in your copy:
- Clarity: Controlling your USP makes it easier for you to talk about the value of what you are selling better. A clear USP says what makes you different, not vague.
- Focus: You only ever come to understand their pain points if you are laser-focused on what matters most to them. The more that copy speaks to their pain, the more persuasive that copy will be.
- Optimization: A/B testing and knowing conversion rates means that you get to continually optimize your copy. Not perfect the first time but better over time on facts.
- Trust: Thus, social proof converts the hesitating prospect into a confident customer. They hesitate because of the objection and the doubt. If they think that as many people have gone through good experiences, then it eliminates the doubt as well.
From Jargon to Genius
Jargon is a weapon. You can use it as a wall or a bridge. And the best news? You have just broken through the jargon wall and are now ready to apply those terms for good.
Copywriting is not about using the flashiest words; it is clarity and winning people’s trust with the end result to seize the opportunity and get the reader to behave the way you want them to. Now that you know your CTAs from your USPs and accept that there is a difference between your bounce rates and conversion rates, focus on the copy that’s going to touch the heart of the reader because that works.
Well, now it is your turn. Let that newly acquired terminology do the trick, penning word after word in confidence and clarity with a purpose in each word you commit to paper. Watch magic materialize in words.