Today’s focus is on 3 steps to writing copy that converts. Writing copy for your business is so important because it means you can effectively communicate how your business helps others. Effective copy then converts leads into sales, which puts more money in your pocket.

These 3 steps on writing effective copy come from Jill Wise, owner of Words by Jill. Jill has created a full video training series that goes more in-depth into the 3 steps mentioned below inside our Rebel Office Resource Library.

 

Step 1: Message Research

Before you even think about writing, Jill suggests that you get to know the readers that you want to read your posts.

Message research is the foundation of great copy. Copy that converts shows people want they already need, it literally takes the words out of their mouth! Doing this helps potential customers feel personally invested in your brand, which leads to them wanting to purchase your products or services.

To conduct message research, you should interview people who are your ideal customer or ask your current customers, if you already have some.

Ask open-ended questions that pull out your ideal client’s pain points, emotions and desired results without feeding them answers. You want it to be as authentic as possible without influencing them with your own thoughts and ideas.

Interviews are typically best in person so you can see their body language, facial expressions and get a full picture. However, with Covid still on the rise, you’ll most likely have to settle for phone or video interviews.

Both are still effective you just won’t be able to pull as much extra information from your interviewees, so make sure you ask great questions that truly dive into what they need. You can find a great list of interview questions, helpful tips and templates in the Rebel Office Resource Library.

Another great way to do market research is to analyze the reviews of your competition. Go through them and figure out what do customers really want. What is it that your competition does that they really like and what is it that your competition is missing or isn’t satisfying in your customer?

When you finally go to write your copy that converts make sure that you use your ideal market’s language, in order to make them feel like you really have a grasp on what they need and how exactly you can help them.

 

Step 2: Finding your brand voice

Second, you need to consider how you want your copy to be perceived by your readers. What is the personality of your business that you want to convey?

To write effective copy you need to find your brand voice. Your brand voice is so important because you want to make sure you communicate with your audience in a way that truly represents your business.

Think of how you interact with your audience and keep in mind that different brand voices attract different audiences. Some audiences may prefer you to be very casual while others expect someone that’s very professional in how they interact with others.

A consistent brand voice encourages your readers to know, like and ultimately trust you. Trust is the most important factor that you need to build because NO ONE buys from people that they don’t trust!

 

Here are some questions you can use to help you describe your brand:

• What do you want your brand to be known for?
• What are your core values?
• What do you want people to think when they hear your business name?
• What words does your audience use?
• Are you going to use slang? Emojis?

Make sure when you’re answering these questions that you document everything to ensure clarity and consistency. In this case, the more detail you have, the better you’ll be able to communicate with your ideal audience.

 

Step 3: Writing for the web

It’s time to get into the good stuff, what you’ve all been waiting for! And if you’ve skipped to step 3, please go back and do the other 2 steps. Trust me, it’ll make this step so much easier!

Now, forget everything you know!

Well, not everything… Please remember your grammar and how to actually make sentences.

But, this is NOT the academic writing you were taught all through school. This is writing to communicate with normal people that have short attention spans.

All they really want to know is how can the information you’re giving them help them out and solve their problem.

You need to have clear simple sentences of varying lengths. Write in small chunks that are easy to digest instead of long boring paragraphs (because people generally don’t read all the words).

Try to inspire emotions and feelings in your readers. Buying is an emotional reaction and your copy should touch on their pain points and provide them relief in knowing that they’ve found a solution.

What will they gain in working with you? Start off by listing the benefits then go into the features of whatever it is that you’re offering.

If you can, tell a story in your writing. Not something too personal, but something that’s true and relates to what your copy is about. Think of any similarities between yourself and your target audience and use them!

When you’re writing make sure to keep it simple. Write in the present tense. Cut out all the repetitive and unnecessary words. Don’t use “to be”, “were”, “was”, “are”.

After you’ve finished writing your copy, one of the most important things to do is to make sure to proofread for flow, grammatical correctness and spelling. Check that you’ve carefully considered your words and paid attention to your audience. Remember the purpose is to write copy that converts your leads into real sales.

Ask yourself if your copy aligns with your brand and your business.

Finally, you need to make sure you have a call to action (CTA). You need to ask for the sale! There needs to be a very clear next step for your readers to take once they’ve made the decision to buy from you or work with you.

Check out the Rebel Office Resource Library if you want to learn more of Jill’s great techniques on writing copy that converts or you want more training on how to grow your business to be successful and thriving.