- 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
- 1. Clarity
- Is it clear?
- Would a 12-year-old understand?
- 2. Voice
- Does it sound right?
- Is this how the brand/customer talks?
- 3. Proof
- Is it believable?
- Where's the evidence?
- 4. Specificity
- Is it specific?
- Can I add numbers, names, details?
- 5. Stickiness
- Is it memorable?
- Will they remember this tomorrow?
- 6. Emotion
- Does it make them feel?
- Where's the emotional hook?
- 7. 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
[ ] Customer interviews (min 3-5)
[ ] Survey responses (min 50)
[ ] Review mining completed
[ ] Support tickets analyzed
[ ] Sales call recordings reviewed
Competitive Intel
[ ] Top 3 competitors audited
[ ] Competitor reviews analyzed
[ ] Positioning gaps identified
Internal Sources
[ ] Existing copy audited
[ ] Analytics reviewed
[ ] Team interviewed (sales, support)
Synthesis
[ ] Pain points ranked
[ ] Desires ranked
[ ] Objections listed
[ ] Key messages identified
[ ] Messaging hierarchy drafted 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