There is an overwhelming amount of templates found online for writing sales copy without having to be the best copywriter. However, the problem with templates like this is that consumers become fatigued with seeing the same order of content. They get wise to the psychological “tricks” and “signals” that come with it.
As an experienced marketing copywriter offering website copywriting services, I have learned how to ‘read the room’ and adjust my approach for different clients. Now that doesn’t mean that I always got it right… I made my fair share of gaffs as a junior copywriter, but skill and experience comes with time! And now I am confident that I can get results for clients. The results show for themselves as most of our business is repeat business and referrals.
Writing Copy That Converts to Sales
Valued customers and high ticket clients will likely be able to see through cheap copy. As such, it is much better to invest in hiring an excellent copywriter who can provide SEO optimization and a web designer to create your layout and structure. We can support you with this, but if you are on a tight budget, we are here to guide you to give it your best shot.
So whether you are looking to do your own copy or you are a copywriter looking to tune up your skills or you already work with us and want to write some extra blogs; our advice is this:
Write with a list of principles in mind, a philosophy, rather than a cheat sheet. It always comes off as more organic, and it always leads to better conversions. 100% of the clients I use this approach with have experienced a significant increase in both sales and traffic.
Five Principles to Live By
So here is my list of 5 principles to always live by when writing copy that converts to sales. Ideally, like a skilled chef, with practice you should be able to feel when you’ve got it right. Additionally, there are various tools we use to SEO the content and rework it in an organic way. Watch out for another blog post on this process! This is the next level of copywriting and requires expert advice and a deft hand.
Rather than following a recipe, trust your instincts, use fresh ideas and embody your customer. This is where an expert can thrive and add real value, but it is a philosophy which can be learned and practiced.
1 – EVIDENCE
Customers love results! They love real statistics and evidence that your product or service will provide value in solving the problem they currently have. It is important to specify how you are different from the competition. However, a one-sided conversation will usually end fruitlessly, and it’s the same with sales copy.
You need to imagine your client’s position and write with empathy. Too much about how brilliant you are at the expense of evidence, testimonials or statistics, and your clients will start to turn off.
2 – EMPOWERMENT
Scaring your client is cheap, let’s be honest. Really connect with their problem, empathise and instead allow the client to come to their own conclusions with your guidance. It is all about fit, and you have to be authentic. High ticket clients do not often want to simply be ‘helped’, it implies a lack of empowerment on their part. They need your guidance, partnership, support and dedication whether it be with a product or service. Write to empower your clients and they will empower you with their business!
3 – IMAGES
Use pictograms to express data, growth and ideas. If you are trying to close a sale, images framed by copy can be your best friend. Everybody learns differently and takes in information accordingly. Without the right presentation, the best copy in the world will often fall on deaf ears. With sales, content and execution are both important. This is why a designer is so important.
While I have skills as a copywriter and have been trained in colour theory with my art practice, I am not a web designer. These are all different skills. My partner Treychel and our team are excellent at this and we collaborate on almost every project together to deliver results.
4 – MAINTAIN YOUR BRAND VOICE
If you have settled on branding elements that work for you, keep your tone consistent. Clients are often scared off by too much change and it will make your copy look incongruous (or as if it’s trying too hard) if you shake things up too much.
If you do not feel confident in your branding voice there is no shame in this! But its important to admit this now and get help. Without the right voice, it is near impossible to speak directly to the right people, and it makes sales even harder to close.
5 – FOCUSSED AND SIMPLE COPY WRITING
You’ll need a hook to get your clients interested. You don’t always have to keep it really short; sometimes there is a lot to say about a topic. But keep it concise; there is a difference. Once you have their interest it is your job not to bore them! Give them the key information as simply as possible and let results speak for themselves.
The best way to implement this in your copy writing is to imagine that you have 20-30 seconds to pitch your service or product to a stranger. There’s an awful lot you could garble during that time so imagine that you are also calmly breathing.
Write down your bullet points and stick to these while writing your copy. When selling a product through copy, you have 20-30 seconds of content to close. Any more and you may overwhelm the reader, any less and you seem light on content.
Any other things you think we may have missed about writing copy that converts to sales? What have you learned along the way? Comment below or send us a DM on Instagram – perhaps we can guide you with your copy, design and branding for sales pages, or we could have a chat and offer advice. Either way we’d love to hear from you.