If you want to increase your conversions, it makes sense that your copy needs to be amazing and prompt people to take action. Coming up with marketing and sales copy can be extremely hard if you don’t have much experience with it.
On one end of the spectrum, you don’t want to seem to salesy and push people away, while on the other end, you don’t want to be too vague or long-winded and confuse people with your message.
There’s always a way to find a happy medium. The quick solution is to hire a professional to write your copy for you. If you can’t afford the extra expense right now or want to learn how to improve your marketing copy on your own so it converts, you can always learn this skill and run trials to see what works best.
Here are 6 key tips for writing copy that converts without having to hire a copywriter.
1. Identify a Pain Point
To get conversions from selling your services, you first need to write copy that identifies a pain point from your ideal customer. Find out what they are struggling with, afraid of, or actions they tried in the past, but didn’t succeed with.
You need to effectively communicate that you understand their pain point(s) and have an effective solution.
This is important and answers that “Why would I want to buy ____ from you?” question.
Advertisers hit on customers’ pain points all the time and that’s how they make sales. You can survey your audience to see what their pain point is so you won’t have to guess.
Then, make sure to clearly address it in your copy so people know that your proposal will be helping them solve an issue they currently have.
2. Use Vocabulary Your Ideal Customer Uses
Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it. If you want your copy to convert, you need to use language that your target audience can understand and relate to.
While the tone is important, certain words and phrases will resonate with your ideal customer more than others. Thus, leading to a better conversion rate. If you use generic sales copy and common buzzwords, people may see right through that and become skeptical.
One of the best ways to find out the type of language your target audience uses is to observe their interactions in social media groups, their comments on your blog posts, their own social media posts, and the comments they make and questions they ask during webinars.
Make a list of some common words and phrases that you can add to your copy to enhance it.
3. Use Rule of Three Sentences
A popular sentence structure copywriters use is called ‘the rule of 3’. With this sentence structure, you basically create engaging copy sentence by sentence using 3 key points to create a statement.
You’ve probably witnessed this pattern-style of copy before but here is an example:
This accountability program has been designed so you can get access to all the information, support, and strategies you need to exceed at ________.
That was a pretty generic example but you get the point. The main idea with rule of 3 sentences is to make 3 solid and direct claims that allow you to express yourself more clearly, stress your main point, and strengthen the impact of your message.
Did you see that? I just used a rule of 3 sentence while explaining the concept. Odds are, you probably create rule of 3 sentences all the time but when it comes to your sales copy, they can really be valuable in terms of making your copy more impactful and persuasive.
People love short and direct sentences that tell them exactly what they’re going to get. Be sure to narrow down your key message and features of the product or service you are promoting and describe it using rule of 3 sentences. Don’t forget to include familiar vocabulary that your ideal client uses as well in your sentences.
4. Make it About Them
While you create products and services for the benefit of others, it may be hard to avoid talking too much about yourself when you get to the marketing aspect. You work hard on your business and to piece everything together but when it comes to your sales copy, you have to keep in mind that it should be all about your ideal customer.
Even if you’re writing an About page for your website and trying to get readers to sign up for your email list, you still need to make a majority of the page about them and their needs.
Again, make sure you hit on pain points and be sure to describe what your ideal customer’s situation may look like currently.
For example, if you are running a health and wellness based company, you may mention some of the frustrations and goals the person who’s reading your copy might have had.
If you have a product that will help busy moms re-organize their schedules and feel less stressed, you may want to say things like:
You want to get rid of ________, you want to clear _________, and regain ________.
It’s important to give the initial impression that you understand them and their current needs and frustrations. A large majority of your copy should surround the fact that you want to help them get from point A to point B.
You can always add in a few paragraphs about who you are and who you work with for clarity, but be sure to always lead it back to the outcomes you can help deliver for other people. That will prompt them to want to work with you or purchase your services.
5. Address Any Concerns They Have
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with your sales copy is neglecting to address any concerns, hesitations, or excuses people will have.
Unfortunately, everyone who reads your copy won’t jump at the chance to sign up for whatever you’re selling – especially if you’re a digital entrepreneur and they don’t really know you personally.
You need to focus on building trust, addressing their concerns, and combating their excuses and objections. Here are some of the most common reasons why you may not get as many conversions even though you’re targeting the right audience:
- People don’t think they’ll have time to use the product or service
- Fear of failure – maybe they don’t think they can succeed even with a valuable service
- Cost – Your product or service may seem too expensive for people
- Lack of support
To combat all these objections in your copy, you can do quite a few things. First, you can tell a short success story from yourself or someone else. Hearing about someone else who’s succeeded at something is always motivating and a powerful persuader. Including something as simple as a review can help boost a potential customer’s confidence.
Next, you can clarify how quickly they’ll be able to get certain results or how much or little time they will need to dedicate. This will help combat the ‘no time excuse.’
Saying something like: In as little as 20 minutes per day or in just 30 days…
Also, explain that you’re flexible and identify how your offer is different from competitors. If you offer different packages, discounts, freebies or adds-ons, this could combat the ‘no money excuse’.
It’s also good to mention phrases like “step-by-step”, “one-on-one”, or “extra support and guidance” to let people know that they’re not going to have to navigate through things alone once they buy.
You should consider addressing some of these common objections in a sequence of emails because it may be easier for people to digest than being bombarded with one big long message.
6. End With a Solid Call to Action
Finally, you want to end your copy with a strong and solid call to action. Let people know what you want them to do next and be clear about it.
I like to sprinkle links to my services throughout the content when appropriate then make a direct bolded statement at the very end as my call to action to direct people somewhere for the next step.
Whether you want people to click a link, download something, sign up for an email list, or purchase a product or service, be sure to make it crystal clear in terms of what you want them to do.
Summary: Be Your Own Copywriter
You can certainly become your own copywriter when you use these tips to drive conversions. Your call to action is probably the most important part of your copy because it can close the sale.
Writing your own copy and doing market research will allow you to understand your target audience better and keep certain things in mind as you create new offers to promote.
[Related: How to write Better Copy]
