How to boost your web and email marketing with the inverted pyramid structure

Life’s too short, the internet is full of writing, and most of your audience has mental fatigue. They will not scroll.

This is why most writing for the web and email marketing employs the ‘inverted pyramid’ structure. It’s how you can get clicks, actions, sales and engagement.

What is the inverted Pyramid?

Used in journalism, the Inverted Pyramid is a structure which presents the important information of a story first. So, the headline and opening is where readers get the who, what, when and why, and maybe even the conclusion.

This is followed by supporting details and any other information readers might benefit from once they’ve committed to reading on.

How does this translate into copywriting for a landing page? Here’s how:

Don’t rely on the mouse-scroller of strangers.

Use the top half of your page or marketing email wisely.

In the olden days, when people read newspapers, the equivalent to this was called ‘above the fold.’ The upper half of the front page of a paper/tabloid was where editors placed news items that they knew would entice readers to buy. That’s essentially what you want to do.

The writing at the top of your landing page or email needs to be able to sell you and what you offer at first glance.

This is the bit where you want to tell your audience everything they need or want to know about what you can offer them. And you want to give them the chance to take action straight away by making buttons and links readily available.

If you can do this effectively, your audience will do one of two things:

1. Take action (ie. click through, sign up, make a purchase).

2. Scroll down to find out more.

Give your landing page and emails structure.

Structure and focus are key to successful copy that converts and the Inverted Pyramid makes it possible. This is especially true because most of your audience won’t read your whole email. Instead, they’ll skim. So essentially you’re planning their path.

Now imagine an upside-down pyramid. Your task is to fit your copy into it. It will likely look something like this:

First comes your headline: a big, bold statement that hooks your reader on a personal level, in big, bold font.

Next is your opening paragraph. This delivers detail that’s enticing and engaging.

Then possibly a third paragraph, with supporting information to convince them further.

And finally your CTA that’s: sweet, succinct, irresistible.

Needless to say, design plays a key role in making this kind of copy work. Your page or email needs to be designed in a way that guides your reader’s eyes down the same route you want their mind to follow as they’re reading/skimming.

Found these tips useful? We’ve got more where they came from. Check out our other blogs on finetuning your copy and how this can help your business/organisation grow.