SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF COPYWRITING
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    • Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons From John Caples
    • 8 Copywriting Lessons from John Powers
    • Scientific Advertising: 10 Copywriting Lessons from Claude Hopkins
    • A Review of Current AI Copywriting Tools
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience
    • Top Skills for a Copywriter
    • Launch A Career In Advertising With These Top Portfolio Schools
    • UX Copywriting and Short Copy ​
    • Discover How To Write Killer Copy That Converts
    • What is Copywriting? >
      • What Alternative
    • 10 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy
    • How to Use Statistics, Facts and Quotes to Craft Compelling Copy
    • Great Copywriters Use Verbal Imagery to Tell a Story
    • Master the Art of Headline Writing!
    • Here’s How to Get Portfolio-Building Copywriting Gigs
    • What Volkswagen’s ’Think Small’ Teaches Copywriters
    • 5 Brands with Amazing Copywriting Teams
    • Master Hard and Soft CTAs for Superior Sales Writing
    • The Ultimate Checklist for Blog Copywriters
    • 10 Mistakes Even Experienced Copywriters Make
    • Read These 4 Books to Become a Better Copywriter
    • Sales Writing: How to Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
    • How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy
    • Proven Copywriting Methods Emotional Advertising
    • How to Write Good Copy : Preparation Techniques
    • Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility
    • Copywriting Cheat Sheet: Write Powerful Copy Quickly and Easily
    • Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results
    • Write Effective Ad Copy: No Fail Secrets and Tips
    • What Never to Do When Writing Compelling Copy for Sales
    • How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
    • 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately
    • A Day in the Life of a Copywriter
    • Coffee, Copywriting, and Freedom
    • Copy is Everywhere
    • Direct Response Copy Sells
    • The Pros and Cons of Copywriting Part–Time
    • Three Tips to Write Copy that Converts
    • Two of the Biggest Mistakes Beginning Copywriters Make
    • Why Copywriting Makes a Great Second Career
    • Why I Love Being a Copywriter
    • Landing Pages that Work - Copy that Converts
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Copywriting Certificates: Online Copywriting Classes
    • The Advertising Museum Tokyo: Copywriting Fun
    • How to Tell a Great Brand Story
    • 20 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Top London Ad Agencies
    • The Top 10 Best Copywriting Books
    • Copywriting Courses & Resources
    • Copywriting Formulas to Write Faster: AIDA, Problem Solution and More
    • Sales Letters: Broken Down by Parts
    • Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • What is Creative Advertising
    • Ideation and How to Find the Next Big Idea
    • Creative Advertising Methods and Madness
    • Paths to Becoming a Copywriter
    • Great Print Ads - Creative Advertising That Rocks
    • Great Outdoor Ads - Creative Advertising That Works
    • Underground Ads - Creative Advertising in England
    • 10 Great Email Subject Lines
    • Email Marketing Types: Long, Short, Creative and More
    • Email Copywriting Tactics
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • Autoresponder Copywriting: How to Do It Write
    • Copywriting Examples: Social Media
    • 6 Free Copywriting Courses
    • Where You Can Get a Copywriting Certificate Online: Copywriting Training
    • Top American Ad Schools
    • 10 Ad Schools for College Graduates
    • These Direct Response Letters And Campaigns Delivered Great Results - Yours Can Too
    • How To Break Into Advertising
    • The Creative Advertising Bible: The Value Of Great Guerrilla Ad Campaigns (With Examples)
    • Content Writing Vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
    • SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
    • Show and Tell: 7 Ways to Write Strong Video Copy
    • Short, Sweet, and It Sells: How to Trim the Fat From Your Sales Copy
    • Digital VS Print Ad Copy: How to Write the Difference
    • How to Craft the Ultimate Product Description
    • B2B VS B2C Sales Copy: 6 Crucial Differences You Should Know About
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
    • Landing Pages and Lead Magnets: Everything You Need to Know
    • How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works
    • Where to Take Copywriting Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • Why San Francisco Business Owners Need to Know Copywriting
    • How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry
    • What Everybody Should Know About Online Advertising Portfolio
    • Copywriting for Beginners: 10 Quick Tips
    • Don’t Let Imposter Syndrome Keep You from Writing Great Copy
    • How to Design Great Digital Ads
    • Ad Campaigns: Nike Just Do It
    • Copywriting Examples: Google Ads
    • Best Copywriting Resources: Magazines, Organizations and More
    • How to Practice Copywriting
    • How to Build a Brand With Copywriting
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: 10 Common Grammar Mistakes
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: When to Use Commas
    • Our Top 10 Conversion Rate Optimization Copywriting Tips
    • Urgent, Useful, Unique, Ultra-Specific: How to Boost Your Copywriting with the Four U’s
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Apple 1984
    • Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "When EF Hutton Talks"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "We Make Money the Old Fashioned Way"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Daisy
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Absolut Vodka
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Top 6 1960s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1970s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 7 1980s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1990s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Why Does Creative Advertising Matter?
    • How Can AI Copywriting Tools Make Me a Better Copywriter?
    • Why Should You Enter Advertising Contests as a Copywriter?
    • 10 Tips for Writing Captivating Social Media Copy
    • Tips for Improved Direct Response Copywriting
    • Copywriting Pro-Tip: Highlighting Benefits Over Feature
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Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility ​

When it comes to buying anything online, consumers these days need to know that something is as good as it claims to be. They will often seek the opinion of others and will be searching your copy for help in reducing their skepticism.

​It’s your job to write in such a way that you help your readers believe in your product.

In this article we are going to look at what you can do to give them the proof that they are looking for and credibility that you need in order for them to feel comfortable enough to buy.

So it’s your turn to get comfortable, sit back and relax whilst we review how you can build trust with your readers to increase your response rate.

When it comes to buying anything online, consumers these days need to know that something is as good as it claims to be. They will often seek the opinion of others and will be searching your copy for help in reducing their skepticism. It’s your job to write in such a way that you can help them to create belief in your product.

In this article we are going to look at what you can do to give them the proof that they are looking for and credibility that you need in order for them to feel comfortable enough to buy.

So it’s your turn to get comfortable, sit back and relax whilst we review how you can build trust with your readers to increase your response rate.

Questions that you have to answer
Making claims about a product is all very well, but you need to back those statements up with some explanation on why your vacuum cleaner is the best on the market.

You need to provide readers with reasons why they should believe what you are telling them. You also need to clearly demonstrate your product in use giving the results that you have claimed it can produce.

Here are some of the elements that you can use to convey proof and build credibility:

Proof and credibility tools
There are plenty of ways that you can build trust in your copy. Let’s take a look at the many different tools that you can use to provide proof and credibility for your reader:
  • Case studies for demonstration
  • Be highly specific with data
  • Use images to show how other people use the product and the results that can be attained
  • Offer further demonstration through videos
  • Demonstrate that other people like it through testimonials
  • Remove the risk with guarantees
  • Expert endorsements
  • Process diagrams

Case studies for demonstration
Consumers are very skeptical, in particular online. They’ve looked at so many products in their lifetime that they no longer believe all that is said. A case study is one way to help to alleviate them of some of this skepticism.

Case studies are usually a one or two page document or article that gives the specifics about how a product helped in a real life situation. It might be that you are selling a software package to businesses, so the case study takes the reader behind the scenes of the business to look at the results gained from using the product. It will also quantify the results that were gained from implementing your product as a solution.

One of the essential elements of case studies is that they need to be relevant to the reader. If your target market is small businesses, then use a typical small business in your case study – using another type of example will only alienate your reader.

Use typical scenarios that a small business has.  Use the name of the customer if possible, if they don’t approve then you could detail their company as ‘a Successful Bakery in San Francisco’. To be most effective, the case study should be positioned so that it is available to be viewed directly after viewing details about the product.


Be highly specific with data
Being specific is very important as it will come across as more convincing. If you are need to use data to make a point, then put the specific data to do so.

Saying ’61 out of 64 housewives improved their cleaning with our product’ is far more credible than saying a non-committal ‘most housewives’ or an approximate ‘nearly all housewives’.

Use images to show how other people use the product and the results that can be attained

Images of people happily using your product can go a long way with helping your consumers come to a buying decision. It’s also wise to use images to show how dire a person’s situation was prior to using your product and how amazing it is now that they have used it.

You can ask happy customers to take photos and to document how your product has helped them get to where they are now.

It’s important to build an image of the reality of the product. The more tangible and real you can make it appear to the consumer, the more he will be bought into the idea.

It’s not so much that you are showing how it works with this tool, it’s more about using imagery to show the details, and train the consumers brain to become more familiar with the product as it comes to life for them.


Offer further demonstration through videos
By providing a video of a customer using your product consumers can see for themselves how your product works. They can actually witness the changes taking place that you have promised them in your copy.

The use of video will also allow the consumer to get more involved with a product by experiencing how it works, what it looks like and to imagine how he is going to be using it himself to gain the same effect.

Demonstrate that other people like it through testimonials
Something strange, but true is that your sceptical consumer will be subconsciously and consciously discounting virtually all that you say until he gets bolstered by some good testimonials.

These however will need to be specific as to why something is good and they will also need to include the name of the person. If you can, then even go so far as to add a person’s face to it as this technique works well.


Use testimonials to back up a variety of different benefits. Headlines should be used to summarise and highlight the main benefit detailed in each testimonial.

Remove the risk with guarantees
Consumers are against risk when it comes to buying. If you can remove it altogether by offering an excellent guarantee then this is going to help them to buy. If you can get the representative of the company to write and personally stand behind a guarantee then there is somebody who is personally committing to the guarantee and it will come across as stronger.

You don’t have to say that you’ll give back all the money if they aren’t satisfied, you could say something like ‘if you aren’t feeling full after eating our succulent steak, we will continue to feed you until you can eat no more’. Domino’s Pizza built their success on adding a guarantee: - ‘Delivered in less than 30 minutes or it’s free’.

Expert endorsements
People love products that have been endorsed by industry experts. These types of endorsements bring credibility from a place that has already had credibility established to cast it’s positive glow on to your product.

The easy way to add this element is to make a list of all industry experts. Now study all material that they have written and interviews that they have given to look for a tie in with your product. It might be that you need to go for one of the materials or concepts that it’s based on.


Process diagrams
Showing exactly how something works through visual imagery can help a sceptical consumer deal with their objections.  For example if you are promoting a new fireplace then you could use infrared heat detection to display how it is heating the whole house.


Where should you put your proof for best effect?
These proof and credibility building elements should really be placed early on in your copy. After all, with so many marketing messages bombarding consumers every day you need to build credibility whilst you have their full attention.

Here are some actions that you can take away with you to improve the credibility of your copy:
Action steps to add proof and credibility to your copy:
Take a look at your existing customers to determine if there is anybody that you could work with to create a compelling case study, testimonial or that you can ask for images from. 
  1. Look through your research material for specific data that can be used to support your claims. If you don’t have any to use, consider creating a survey to ask customers for supporting data.

  2. Research names of industry experts and document them. Now search through their written material or media appearances for statements that will support your claims.

  3. Create a feedback form to distribute to happy customers (in exchange for a gift or discount voucher) in order to capture testimonials for use. Be sure that they provide enough detail on what the benefit is and why it delivers it, how it affects the customer etc.

  4. Try adding your proof to different positions in your copy during split tests to understand which position provides the best conversion to sale. You should try adding the elements to the beginning, strongest first and then save a strong one for the closing statement.
FREE COURSE
  • Home
  • Courses
    • Copywriting 101
    • How to Create an Advertising Portfolio From Scratch
    • Direct Response Copywriting
    • 360 Copywriting Online
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons From John Caples
    • 8 Copywriting Lessons from John Powers
    • Scientific Advertising: 10 Copywriting Lessons from Claude Hopkins
    • A Review of Current AI Copywriting Tools
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience
    • Top Skills for a Copywriter
    • Launch A Career In Advertising With These Top Portfolio Schools
    • UX Copywriting and Short Copy ​
    • Discover How To Write Killer Copy That Converts
    • What is Copywriting? >
      • What Alternative
    • 10 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy
    • How to Use Statistics, Facts and Quotes to Craft Compelling Copy
    • Great Copywriters Use Verbal Imagery to Tell a Story
    • Master the Art of Headline Writing!
    • Here’s How to Get Portfolio-Building Copywriting Gigs
    • What Volkswagen’s ’Think Small’ Teaches Copywriters
    • 5 Brands with Amazing Copywriting Teams
    • Master Hard and Soft CTAs for Superior Sales Writing
    • The Ultimate Checklist for Blog Copywriters
    • 10 Mistakes Even Experienced Copywriters Make
    • Read These 4 Books to Become a Better Copywriter
    • Sales Writing: How to Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
    • How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy
    • Proven Copywriting Methods Emotional Advertising
    • How to Write Good Copy : Preparation Techniques
    • Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility
    • Copywriting Cheat Sheet: Write Powerful Copy Quickly and Easily
    • Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results
    • Write Effective Ad Copy: No Fail Secrets and Tips
    • What Never to Do When Writing Compelling Copy for Sales
    • How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
    • 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately
    • A Day in the Life of a Copywriter
    • Coffee, Copywriting, and Freedom
    • Copy is Everywhere
    • Direct Response Copy Sells
    • The Pros and Cons of Copywriting Part–Time
    • Three Tips to Write Copy that Converts
    • Two of the Biggest Mistakes Beginning Copywriters Make
    • Why Copywriting Makes a Great Second Career
    • Why I Love Being a Copywriter
    • Landing Pages that Work - Copy that Converts
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Copywriting Certificates: Online Copywriting Classes
    • The Advertising Museum Tokyo: Copywriting Fun
    • How to Tell a Great Brand Story
    • 20 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Top London Ad Agencies
    • The Top 10 Best Copywriting Books
    • Copywriting Courses & Resources
    • Copywriting Formulas to Write Faster: AIDA, Problem Solution and More
    • Sales Letters: Broken Down by Parts
    • Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • What is Creative Advertising
    • Ideation and How to Find the Next Big Idea
    • Creative Advertising Methods and Madness
    • Paths to Becoming a Copywriter
    • Great Print Ads - Creative Advertising That Rocks
    • Great Outdoor Ads - Creative Advertising That Works
    • Underground Ads - Creative Advertising in England
    • 10 Great Email Subject Lines
    • Email Marketing Types: Long, Short, Creative and More
    • Email Copywriting Tactics
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • Autoresponder Copywriting: How to Do It Write
    • Copywriting Examples: Social Media
    • 6 Free Copywriting Courses
    • Where You Can Get a Copywriting Certificate Online: Copywriting Training
    • Top American Ad Schools
    • 10 Ad Schools for College Graduates
    • These Direct Response Letters And Campaigns Delivered Great Results - Yours Can Too
    • How To Break Into Advertising
    • The Creative Advertising Bible: The Value Of Great Guerrilla Ad Campaigns (With Examples)
    • Content Writing Vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
    • SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
    • Show and Tell: 7 Ways to Write Strong Video Copy
    • Short, Sweet, and It Sells: How to Trim the Fat From Your Sales Copy
    • Digital VS Print Ad Copy: How to Write the Difference
    • How to Craft the Ultimate Product Description
    • B2B VS B2C Sales Copy: 6 Crucial Differences You Should Know About
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
    • Landing Pages and Lead Magnets: Everything You Need to Know
    • How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works
    • Where to Take Copywriting Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • Why San Francisco Business Owners Need to Know Copywriting
    • How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry
    • What Everybody Should Know About Online Advertising Portfolio
    • Copywriting for Beginners: 10 Quick Tips
    • Don’t Let Imposter Syndrome Keep You from Writing Great Copy
    • How to Design Great Digital Ads
    • Ad Campaigns: Nike Just Do It
    • Copywriting Examples: Google Ads
    • Best Copywriting Resources: Magazines, Organizations and More
    • How to Practice Copywriting
    • How to Build a Brand With Copywriting
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: 10 Common Grammar Mistakes
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: When to Use Commas
    • Our Top 10 Conversion Rate Optimization Copywriting Tips
    • Urgent, Useful, Unique, Ultra-Specific: How to Boost Your Copywriting with the Four U’s
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Apple 1984
    • Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "When EF Hutton Talks"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "We Make Money the Old Fashioned Way"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Daisy
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Absolut Vodka
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Top 6 1960s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1970s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 7 1980s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1990s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Why Does Creative Advertising Matter?
    • How Can AI Copywriting Tools Make Me a Better Copywriter?
    • Why Should You Enter Advertising Contests as a Copywriter?
    • 10 Tips for Writing Captivating Social Media Copy
    • Tips for Improved Direct Response Copywriting
    • Copywriting Pro-Tip: Highlighting Benefits Over Feature