Create Copy That Converts
- You write an email about your new product range telling them all the bells and whistles but still no-one buys.
- You finish your new sales page excited to share it but when you do nothing happens, *cue tumbleweed*.
- You announce a new 10% discount on Facebook but no one uses it - you're seriously confused, surely everyone likes a good offer?
Websites, social media posts, blogs, articles, emails there's so many different ways to communicate your message, but how do you write copy that actually makes people buy from you?
When I first started researching what social entrepreneurs were writing on their websites, I was surprised by how few had really spent time on developing copy that clearly communicate who they were and what they were about.
In this blog I share 5 things to consider when writing any copy for customer audiences.
Before I get started I want you to think about the other reasons your website or emails aren't converting for you.
It's all about the numbers. Sometimes you're not making sales on your website because you just don't have enough people visiting it. Yes it's crucial to have a great copy but if no-one is visiting your site in the first place they're not reading your perfected words. Once you've tweaked your copy make sure you have a strategy to drive visitors to your website.
My 5 top tips for writing copy that converts:
1. Connect by speaking directly to one individual
Copy that's specific and directed to a particular audience is much more powerful than generic copy that's trying to speak to a 1000 different people. When you sit down to write each piece of copy, think about who it is you're trying to connect with.
In most cases this will be your target customer avatar. But each time you write a piece of copy it might be targeted at someone specifically. Get super focused on who this person is and speak directly to them.
Who are they? What language do they use? How do they spend there time? What do they enjoy? What do they dislike? What do they want to know? What inspires them? What do they desire?
Fill your copy with specific examples, scenarios and stories that create an image of what you're describing in the readers mind - connect to experiences they might have, smells, feelings, desires.
2. Create an emotional reaction
Think about what emotion you want your reader to feel when they read your copy. this could change throughout the copy or it could just be one strong emotion you want to create.
For example, you might want to make them feel angry or frustrated about the terrible situation you're describing and then make them feel optimistic that there is a solution out there and they can make a difference.
3. Share your authentic voice
You experience is unique. Nobody has lived, learnt, loved or experienced life in the unique way you have.
This unique experience helped create your idea for a business, it helped you implement that idea in your own unique way. In the same way you've built your beliefs, worldview and experience in to your brand and the way you run your business and deliver impact.
Don't assume people know this about you. It's important to share what makes your brand unique and different by sharing your authentic voice. Be confident about sharing your perspective on the world, your understanding or the problem you're seeking to tackle and why you approach the solution in the way that you do.
This builds connection to you and your brand over anyone else's and its what makes people remember you.
4. Answer their questions and concerns
Whenever we read anything our brain is in overdrive processing the information, making sense of it and creating a response. Remember the last thing you read, you didn't just read it and absorb the information your brain consumed it, considered it and created a response. You may not have verbalised this response but you had thoughts and feelings about what you just read.
This is the same with sales (whether or not people are looking to buy or not) they read information about a product or service and instantly generate responses. When the responses are questions or concerns your copy needs to answer these.
Pre-empting what these questions and concerns is easier when you know exactly who you're trying to connect with.
What are going to be their hesitations? What will they want to know more about? What underlying beliefs, fears, stereotypes or cultural norms to you need to acknowledge and respond to so they can feel positive about buying?
Try to anticipate these and address them in your copy. (If it's on a sales page you can easily write a list of questions and answer them directly at the bottom of the page).
5. Include a call to action
So many people don't have copy that converts because they forget to include a clear call to action.
Typically people are either a) too fearful to include a 'buy now' or 'check this out' call to action or b) include two many different calls to action which ends up confusing people.
If you don't include a cal to action you can't expect people to know what you want them to do. They're not mind readers. And if you have written excellent copy and they want to find out more or by from you that needs to be a simple option available to them there on their screen.
And remember just include one. A confused mind doesn't buy. So don't give them loads of options, decide what this particular piece of copy if for and include that call of action only.
If you found this blog post helpful you might also want to read:
4 not-so-secret Marketing Tools most Social Entrepreneurs aren't using
Want to learn more about Copy That Converts? Watch my video talking about this exact topic in my Facebook Group - The Impact Entrepreneurs Club