Using numbers in your copywriting is smart.
Numbers give your readers’ brains a quick shortcut (as they are easier to scan). Think,
9 vs. nine
499 vs. four hundred and ninety-nine
It’s particularly true for percentages and dollar values.
67% vs. sixty-seven percent.
Even 5c is easier to read than 5 cents.
TIP: Use numbers to draw a reader’s eye into your copy. The flip side of this tip is that you should spell numerals out if you don’t want to call attention to them in your copywriting.
Numbers can add credible detail to your message. Like,
Saving $297 on your next shopping bill vs. saving some money
100,654 people have already signed up vs. over 100,000 people
Numbers can also help you explain a benefit.
The subscription is just $6.20 a week vs. The subscription is affordable
Level up the power to SUPERPOWER
Some people can do calculations on the fly. Numbers just make sense to them and it’s all so easy to work out a percentage or calculate the savings for a year.
I wish I was one of those people.
I am not.
And you can bet many of your readers aren’t either.
So, how can you boost the effectiveness of the numbers in your copywriting? It’s actually very straightforward.
When there is math involved, do your readers a favour and do the calculations for them.
Particularly when it comes to dollar amounts and percentages, which make our brains work harder (and the harder we make our copy to understand, the less likely someone will buy).
“…a really simple way to increase your conversion rate most often is that if you put numbers on the page and there is math that has to be done, do the math for them.” Joanna Wiebe
This little trick gives your numbers a superpower.
The power of being understood with no effort whatsoever.
Taadaaa!
Will I save some time? Be specific about how much to boost credibility and then do the math on how many minutes each day, month and year.
Will I save 20%? How many dollars is that? If it’s a regular saving, how much am I saving a year?
When you’re talking about saving money or time, roll the numbers up to a year to give you some more impressive metrics.
Join today to save 20% on your monthly bill. That’s $27.95 every month giving you an extra $335.40 in your pocket after just one year.
Our new converter attachment will save you 5 minutes of driving time for every hour behind the wheel. You’ll have 5 extra hours a month just from your daily commute which is 2.5 days a year!
When you’re talking about spending money or time, a smaller measure can make a larger one seem more palatable.
Get one year of coaching and content to help you become a confident copywriter for $335 p/year. That’s just 92c a day for more profitable copywriting year after year.
Make numbers even more compelling
If you want to make the numbers in your copywriting even more compelling for readers, provide a comparison. This helps readers turn the values into concrete objects.
Like, take away coffees or sandwiches.
For the price of a takeaway coffee per week, you could be…
Using my example above, I can make the time saved more meaningful by comparing it with something more familiar and to give it a context.
Our new converter attachment will save you 5 minutes of driving time for every hour behind the wheel. You’ll have 5 extra hours a month just from your daily commute which is 2.5 days a year. That’s a long weekend you didn’t have before!
A long weekend. I know what a long weekend is and I’m instantly imagining what I could do with a bonus long weekend.
5 bonus tips to maximise the power of your numbers
#1 Add decimal points to make a dollar value seem larger
Earn $10,000.00
#2 Drop them when you want the value to seem smaller
Spend $1 a day
#3 Don’t use percentages to share good news
9 out 10 dentists use our toothpaste is more tangible than 90% of dentists
#4 Use percentages to minimise the focus
Only 1% of customers request a refund vs. 1 in every 100 customers request a refund.
#5 Uneven numbers are more credible than even numbers that appear rounded off.
So there you have it.
Whether numbers are your friend, or not, you can give them a lot more power in your copywriting. And when you do that, you make it a whole lot easier for your reader to say yes.
Belinda AKA The Copy Detective
6 Responses
I really like your blog so that I can find a lot of useful and valuable content in one place.
Thanks!
good blog post wow
I love this, Belinda. Your list of 5 tips is awesome. I’m currently living in South Korea and there seems to be a different philosophical approach to numbers here, but I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that is. For example, they use whole numbers, like 1000 instead of 997. It’s something I’ve only recently become aware of. It’s kind of refreshing to look at a menu board and not feel manipulated by the figures on there 🙂
How interesting Sharon! And I love your comment about not being manipulated. I know what you mean. Once you know the rule it’s hard not to raise an eyebrow. Or two.
Thanks for commenting!
hiii