A few months ago I made this video about how shorter marketing gets more results:
One word subject lines get the highest open rates.
Less syllables in a price increases purchases.
Short brand names are most memorable – Nike, Apple, Zoom, Bolt.
Short call to actions work best.
Shorter forms get more signups.
One sentence value props convert better.
Shorter menus increase sales.
Short headlines get more attention.
Quick replies close more deals.
Say less to get more.
Few better things than doing less and getting more.
BUT the top comment was people wishing I cited sources.
So that’s what I’m doing in this article.
It’s easier to make short videos go viral; funny enough, for this one people are asking for something long.
One word subject lines get the highest open rates
From one of my favorite newsletters – about conversion rate optimization: https://read.first1000.co/p/things-matter-for-growing-a-newsletter
And my newsletters with one word subject lines ALWAYS get higher open rates than 2 words, 3 words, or more.
Less syllables in a price increases purchases
There’s a lot written on how prices feel smaller with fewer syllables.
Here’s an example: https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.jcps.2011.11.005
“Consumers non-consciously perceive that there is a positive relationship between syllabic length and numerical magnitude.”
Short brand names are most memorable - Nike, Apple, Zoom, Bolt
The Fluency Heuristic says people give more value to phrases that are more easily retrieved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyme-as-reason_effect
“People do not always make decisions based on rational analysis or declarative knowledge.
The fluency heuristic is defined as the tendency to attribute higher value to objects or phrases that are more easily retrieved or processed. According to this heuristic, the perceived value of a phrase is linked to how quickly and effortlessly it is processed.”
Short call to actions work best
Regular A/B testing often has concise CTAs winning out.
“The most effective CTAs are concise and to the point. Long or complicated sentences can confuse users or make them hesitate. Phrases like ‘Shop Now’ or ‘Join Today’ are short, easy to understand, and create a sense of urgency. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for the user to act without overloading them with information.”
From – https://www.networksolutions.com/blog/write-5-killer-calls-to-action/
Shorter forms get more signups
There’s a ton written on this. Here’s one such example:
One sentence value props convert better
Jury’s out on this. Some sources say 2-3 sentences, but there’s also lots of evidence supporting one sentence value props as best.
Here’s some strong one sentence value propositions:
“Explore Your Creativity With Thousands of Hands-on Classes”
-Skillshare
“Affordable Legal Help Does Exist”
-LegalShield
“Pack Everything You Need Without Checking a Bag”
-Tortuga Backpacks
“Go Anywhere With Uber”
-Uber
Shorter menus increase sales
“Research shows most menus crowbar in far more dishes than people want to choose from. A popular study from Columbia University revealed that people actually prefer fewer choices – as it makes the decision process that much easier.
‘As we complicate menus, what we’re actually doing is tormenting the guest,’ says restaurant consultant Aaron Allen. ‘When the guest leaves they feel less satiated, and part of it comes down to a perception that they might have made the wrong choice.’ If you leave with a bad taste in your mouth, you’re less likely to come back. And in an industry where repeat customers account for about 70% of sales, getting diners to return is the ultimate goal.”
From – https://foodtecsolutions.com/blog/2018/10/31/do-smaller-menus-yield-more-sales/
Short headlines get more attention
“Findings showed that the most clicked-on headlines almost always scored higher on a simplicity index developed by the researchers. The study identified three hallmarks of simplicity in the winning headlines: They used common words; they avoided analytic writing, which tends to be more formal and complex; and they had fewer words per sentence and syllables per word.”
From – https://news.osu.edu/simple-headlines-attract-more-online-news-readers/
Quick replies close more deals
“Research confirms: Simpler communications are much more likely to be read… Cutting the number of words by two-thirds increased the response rate by 80 percent.”
From – https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/HKSEE/HKSEE%20PDFs/Write%20shorter%20messages.pdf
“On the sender side, crafting shorter emails can change your career and boost your bottom line.”
From – https://www.fastcompany.com/3057577/the-life-changing-magic-of-shorter-e-mails
The best SEO is short
The easiest, least competitive, highest converting SEO is 415 word pages targeting warm searchers NOT 3,000 word articles targeting cold searchers.
This is exactly what my SEO course teaches. Here’s a video testimonial I received a few days ago:
“As soon as I got the course and I went through the first couple of lessons, I went back to some of my previous SEO clients, with those new findings the course gave me, and I was able to secure new SEO contracts from clients that had previously ended SEO services with me. It also allowed me to align my SEO fulfillment team on Edward’s process because I didn’t have a strong process in place, and I had to be the primary strategist behind all of the SEO campaigns. So being able to take that course, I was able to create systems for my team to actually use and help handle the fulfillment.”
Get this for yourself at https://edwardsturm.com/compact-keywords/
