If you’ve ever watched a copywriter at work, you might have seen them write a word, replace it with another, before changing it back to the first word again.

Now be honest: have you ever thought they were being fussy?

If you answered no, you’re a liar (even the copywriter fears this is the case). And if you answered yes, you’re wrong.

A single word can make the difference

If you (or your copywriter) ever wonder if they're wasting time on a single word, stop wondering now. Because digital marketing means we can measure the impact of a single word.

For example, GoCardless decided to test the wording of one of their CTA buttons. They changed the wording from "Request a demo" to "Watch a demo".

You might think that changing a single word wouldn't do much. But you'd be wrong. Changing one word increased conversions by 139%.

Trailblazer vs exclusivity

A more personal example. If you’ve read Ollie’s article about our B Corp certification, you’ll have spotted that we are the world’s only B Corp Certified Google Premier Partner.

We spent a long time debating whether to describe ourselves as the only, or the first.

Being the first shows us to be blazing this particular trail. But it also implies that there are others. That you have your pick of B Corp Certified Google Premier Partners.

But being the only one creates scarcity and exclusivity. You can’t get the benefits of a B Corp Certified Google Premier Partner anywhere else. That makes us special. 

It’s a subtle difference. But it makes all the difference.

Weigh each word

So if you’re ever tempted to tell your copywriter to stop being fussy, just remember: choosing the right word won’t just change your copy. It could elevate it.