3 Tips to Giving Good… Copy
Do you know how to give good copy? 😉
It’s OK… I meant to do that. 😀
Copywriting isn’t natural to everyone, but it IS essential to growing a business and generating sales.
In fact, when serial entrepreneur Ramit Sethi was asked what the most underrated skill was to grow a business, he replied, “I’d have to say copywriting. I spent years studying it, we’ve generated millions of dollars using copywriting, and I’m still amazed by the masters.”
Yes, you read that right. He bought in millions of dollars of business using copywriting.
And I know it because…
I’ve created an email for a SaaS startup that generated a 10% open rate in 2 hours (higher than industry average).
I also created a Messenger bot and two-email sequence for the same SaaS startup that made $3,000 in sales and had a 68.2% open rate, a 36.5% CTR and 71.5% CTR to sales page.
And my landing page copy for dating expert Matthew Hussey (for askmh.com) outperformed the control by 44%.
So, copywriting is crucial to your bottom line.
To get you started on your copywriting journey, here are the 3 things you need to know to give good copy.
Ready? Let’s go!
1. Good copy focuses on benefits, not features.
When you’re writing, whether it’s a Facebook post, email or even your website, be sure to focus on the benefits of what your customer or client gets out of your product or service.
Right now on your homepage, if it isn’t clear what services or product you offer in a glance, change it! Your ideal client would be time-poor and want to understand what you offer in an instant.
To do this, focus on the benefits not the features. Use the term ‘so that…’
For example: Get to the core of what clients are REALLY saying when they say ‘I want a website’ so that you can predict the conversation and come up with solid answers to rebuff any objections.
PRO TIP: A feature is what your product does; a benefit is what the customer can do with your product. You want to paint a visual picture for them — show don’t tell. Specifics always win over generalisations.
2. Good copy uses storytelling elements.
People don’t buy products. They buy better versions of themselves. A story begins with a hook, and has a climax and resolution. The characters include a hero, a guide, and a villain.
Open with a hook, lure readers from one line to the next, and have a conflict. Make sure you write for a 6th grade reading level. Check the fancy words at the door.
When you start writing, you need to know who you’re writing to and why. This is where you think back to your ideal client and their desires and pain points, and what you can do to solve that.
After you’ve started with a hook, you need to build drama. Next, you need to show not tell. This will evoke emotion and build a connection with your reader. Make sure your readers fell like they’re in the moment. Then step back for a moment and ask yourself, “is this dramatic enough?”
PRO TIP: Once you’ve written something, let it “rest”. What I like to do is leave it for about 30 minutes, and return to it to read over it with fresh eyes. Then you move into the editing stage. Horror master Stephen King calls this “kill your darlings” where you edit for brevity and clarity. If you can say something in 6 words instead of 12, say it in 6 words.
3. Good copy uses specific, clear instructions.
This means giving your customers path to make it easier to do business with you, so it’s easy for them to take action and enlist your product or service.
I love this technique, because it eliminates any barriers or confusion for your ideal clients to do business with you.
Somewhere on your website or in your emails, include 3 steps of how someone can do business with you.
Pop tarts has a really good example of this…
Step 1: Open the pop tart
Step 2: Cook the pop tart
Step 3: Eat the pop tart
Easy, right?
Well, the same works for your business.
For example, if you offer consulting services, it could be something like:
Step 1: Schedule a free call
Step 2: Identify quick wins
Step 3: Enjoy more profits
PRO TIP: Using this, excuses like ‘this is too hard,’ are eliminated, and your customers know exactly how to engage you and what to expect.
My challenge to you today is: Read your website or email copy and see which of these techniques you can use today.
Remember ﹘ even small tweaks can make a BIG difference!
