You’ve spent a bundle driving traffic to your latest landing page, making sure that it’s perfectly optimized for SEO.
You have a killer design, a strong Call to Action, and some really impressive testimonials.
So why are your conversions so low? Why are people coming to your webpage only to navigate away without making a purchase?
It could be your marketing copy.
Great copywriting is both an art and a science. The words you choose may not seem that important, but they can have a profound impact on whether or not a prospect decides to buy from you.
If you have a sinking feeling that your copy is coming up short, consider implementing these 7 proven secrets of top marketing copy writers:
- Write to one person
As a coach, trainer, or wellness entrepreneur, your products and services aren’t for everyone.
So why try to please all of the people all of the time in your marketing copy?
Great copywriting makes the reader feel as if you’re writing to them and them alone.
When crafting your copy, picture your ideal client or avatar. Appeal to their specific problems and needs, as if you were writing them a personal letter.
The result will be copy that appeals to a much wider audience precisely because you got specific.
It will also dissuade those who aren’t a good fit for your services from contacting you (i.e. no more wasted time on the phone giving free consultations to people with no intention of buying!).
- Don’t be wishy-washy
Great marketing copy takes a stand.
Consider the following examples:
“My 6-week program will help you shed pounds, reclaim lost energy, and get your life back on track.”
“My 6-week program may help you lose a bit of weight, but of course results will vary from person to person. Some people also find that they have more energy, while others see additional benefits in other areas of their lives.”
Which copy would you respond to?
Marketing copy should be confident. If you’re going to make a promise to your customer, make it clearly and stand behind it.
If you don’t feel comfortable making such a promise, delete it from your copy and offer a promise you do feel comfortable making.
- Focus on pain points
The best marketing copy incorporates human psychology in order to appeal to deep emotions such as fear, anger, loss, hope, love, and joy.
Your job as a wellness professional is to solve problems, take away pain, and help your clients resolve their health issues.
By focusing on pain points in your copy, you remind the prospect of the urgency of solving their problem now, not later.
Let’s take a look at a few examples:
“Lose weight, increase energy, finally fit into that dress from college!”
This is very positive copy that could be effective with the right target market.
However, research shows that copy focused on pain points converts better than good old-fashioned hope and happiness:
“Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired all the time? If you’re missing out on family activities and watching your kids play while you sit on the sidelines, it’s time to make a change. Don’t waste another minute on the couch – call today and step back into the game of life.”
Focusing on pain points does not mean being “negative.” It simply means addressing the most urgent problem your customer is facing and showing them how you can help solve it.
- Always highlight benefits
This may be the #1 mistake entrepreneurs make in their marketing copy: focusing on features instead of benefits.
Features include things like….
- An online course that’s available 24/7
- Access to a VIP member’s website
- One-on-one training with an experienced coach
- Free sessions for referring a friend
Benefits, on the other hand, include things like:
- A better sex life
- Waking up in the morning before your alarm goes off
- No more sugar cravings
- More time with your kids
When thinking of what you offer your clients, picture how those features will manifest in their lives as benefits.
Weight loss is not a benefit in and of itself. We want what weight loss gives us – increased confidence, more energy, higher self-esteem, and better health.
- Use numbers and lists
Stay away from large chunks of text in your marketing copy.
Thick paragraphs are difficult to read and may dissuade some readers from reading at all.
Instead, break up your copy with numbered items, lists, and bullet points.
For example:
- 7 Marketing Copy Secrets to Increase Website Conversions
- The top 25 Coaches in America
- 10 Fitness Hacks you Can’t Coach Without
Numbers make your marketing copy more ‘consumable’ in the eyes of the viewer. A numbered list is a tangible thing that has a beginning, middle, and end, and is therefore much more likely to be read than a long, scrolling page of endless copy.
- Create curiosity
Expert marketing copy keeps the reader guessing.
Each line should lead the reader to the next sentence, all the while building momentum and creating engaging questions in their mind.
The use of words like “this” and “that” is particularly effective at creating curiosity, for instance….
“This is the best kept fitness secret of 2015…”
“Confession: I will never do that again!”
The reader asks themselves “WHAT is the best kept secret of 2015?” and “They’ll never do WHAT again?”
They become drawn into the story of your copy and engage with you on a whole new level.
- Be clear and specific
The world’s top writers of marketing copy are crystal clear and hyper-specific with their marketing messages.
Stay away from generalities like “save money” and “feel great”.
Focus instead on the specific ways your service or product will benefit the customer.
Let’s take this post as an example.
A general version of the title might be something like…
“Writing Better Copy”, or
“Ideas for Better Marketing”.
Those two posts could be about anything. They fail to engage the reader and don’t make a specific promise about how the reader will benefit from reading this article.
Instead, how about….
“How to Write Marketing Copy that Converts”
“7 Marketing Copy Secrets to Increase Website Conversions”
The use of “how to” and a numbered list engages the reader and encourages them to read the piece.
By adding benefits (“copy that converts”, “increase website conversions”) we show the reader exactly how they will benefit from reading the content.
In order to craft marketing copy that converts website visitors into paying customers, remember to….
- Write to one person
- Stop being wishy-washy
- Focus on pain points
- Highlight benefits, not features
- Use numbers and lists
- Create curiosity
- Be clear and specific
For more insider secrets on how to craft great marketing copy and grow your business fast, download your FREE Entrepreneur Jump Start Kit by entering your email below.
icebird says
Thanks for the great tips. I’m currently developing a website for a personal trainer and these points will help me refine their copy :-).