4 essential copywriting transitions to boost conversions

Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to Persuasive Alchemy.

I’m Jim Hamilton. My writing has contributed to $30,000,000+ in client sales across health, biz opp, and B2B.

I share actionable tips to help you get clients with content & copywriting.

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Joe Sugarman is one of my favorite copywriters.

He once wrote an ad that sold 20 million pairs of BluBlocker sunglasses in the 1980s.

And while he revealed a dizzying number of copywriting techniques inside his book, The Adweek Copywriting Handbook…

The most important lesson he taught me was:

How to create a “slippery slide” for my readers.

So today, I’m revealing 4 essential copywriting transitions you can use in your posts, emails, and landing pages to boost conversions.

Let’s dive in.

Reading time: 2 minutes and 39 seconds

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What is the “Slippery Slide” Effect?

The less effort it takes for someone to read your copy, the more people will read it.

And the more people who read it, the more conversions you’ll see.

Regardless of whether it’s a post, email, or landing page.

This simple fact illustrates the “slippery slide” effect:

Your job is to make the copy so smooth that readers literally “slide” all the way down from top to bottom.

Now, this starts with your headline, of course.

But once you’ve got into the body of the piece…

It hinges on transitional words & phrases.

These are the building blocks of your slippery slide…

Stringing together each sentence in a seamless way that’s easy to read.

Now, let’s quickly review:

4 Essential Transitions to Use in Copywriting

There are 4 types of transitions we’re going to cover:

1) Clarification
2) Temporal
3) Contrast
4) Example

Let’s dig into each one and how to use it so you can boost conversions.

1) Clarification Transitions

Definition:

These are used to clarify a new point or idea.

Especially useful when discussing anything mechanistic, such as:

- Bodily functions (like weight loss)
- Financial calculations (like compound interest)
- Psychological effects (like reciprocity)

Examples:

- Simply put
- Specifically
- In other words
- Let me explain
- What this means is
- Another way to put it

2) Temporal Transitions

Definition:

These are used to manipulate the speed and rhythm of your copy.

You can use them to speed things up or slow things down.

Or to drive your point home.

Examples:

- Now
- Then
- Finally
- Eventually
- Meanwhile
- Ultimately

3) Contrast Transitions

Definition:

These are used to shift between opposing ideas, statements, or viewpoints.

In neurolinguistic programming (NLP), they’re sometimes referred to as “deletions.”

Meaning they “delete” the previous sentence from the reader’s mind.

Which can be helpful when overcoming objections or false beliefs.

Examples:

- Yet
- But
- Instead
- Despite
- However
- On the flipside

​4) Example Transitions

Definition:

These are used to introduce examples that prove your point.

Remember the golden rule:

“Show, don’t tell.”

Examples:

- To wit
- Exhibit A
- For example
- For instance
- Case in point
- Here’s a perfect example

The Easiest Way to Get Better at Using Transitions

Now that we’ve covered the 4 essential types of transitions…

You’re probably wondering:

“How do I actually get better at using these transitions in my writing?”

Good news is, there’s a stupid simple way to do it that won’t cost you a dime:

Read your copy out loud.

It feels silly at first…

But it’s the easiest way to spot choppy transitions that break up your flow.

(see how I used a contrast transition to “delete” a possible objection there? ;)

Do this enough, and eventually you’ll start “hearing” it clearly in your mind…

So you won’t have to read it out loud anymore.

Putting It All Together

Smooth transitions are the mark of a skilled copywriter.

The easiest way to get better at this is to read your copy out loud before you publish.

4 essential copywriting transitions to boost conversions:

1) Clarification
2) Temporal
3) Contrast
4) Example

That’s it.

Thanks for reading!

See you next time.

Jim Hamilton​