9 simple tips to write better copy

Having strong conversion copy is critical at all stages of the buyer journey. Whether they’re being used for increasing brand awareness or nailing the sale, the words you use matter.

It doesn’t matter how great your product is, how beautiful your images are or how flashy your website looks - if your copy doesn’t resonate with your reader they simply aren’t going to buy from you.

From your Facebook ads to each page of your website to every email you send, there’s a lot of places you need to use impactful copy that’s designed to convert.

So, it goes without saying that improving your skills around copy is worth every minute you spend on it.

Why is writing copy so hard?

Honestly, most of us tend to wayyyyy over complicated copywriting. We ponder and procrastinate ourselves into a hot mess, until we’re completely brain blocked and have no chance of writing anything coherent, let alone engaging.

The main reason for this, however, is fear. Fear of being judged for writing the wrong thing or something that isn’t ‘good enough’. 

When this happens it’s because you’re thinking too widely. You have the whole world in mind and it’s terrifying to think about writing for them.

The tips below will help you get laser-focussed on who you’re writing for and how to write for them. I promise that when you start taking this approach, you’ll find it far easier to write great copy, no matter how good you think you are at it today.

1 Write for one reader

The first step towards getting over your blocks and writing killer copy is to take the pressure off and write to one single person.

This person is your ideal customer avatar (ICA). If you don’t have this already, check out this post where I explain what it is, why it’s critical you have one and give you a free template to create yours today.

You know your ICA.

Writing to that one single person, who you know inside out, helps you to create a personal connection with them by addressing their needs and desires.

I can’t stress enough how important this is. If you’re trying to talk to everyone then you are talking to no-one. 

Before you start writing, do whatever you need to get that one person into your mind and keep them there for the entire time.

2. Use value-based messaging

Nobody wants to buy a gym membership, they want to transform their health and fitness. Focus on the value your product brings more than the product itself.

No matter what you’re selling, your copy should be centred around these three things:

1. The pain your customer has without your product

2. How your product solves the pain

3. Why your product does it better than any other on the market

If you haven’t already, brainstorm these 3 points and use the results to drive the content of your copy.

3. A picture speaks a thousand words

A great way to test the impact of your copy is to find one image that depicts your customers pain point and another that depicts their goal.

Write about exactly what you see in the picture - every little detail of what is happening to that person, in that situation.

If you can read that copy to someone and have them describe the image back to you then your copy is clearly communicating what matters.

4. Talk in their language

The more you sound like your ICA, the more you will resonate with them and the more likely they are to buy from you.

One important element of achieving this is using the same language that they do.

If you already have customer reviews, or even emails from customers, use these to look for trends in language. What words and phrases are people using to talk about what they love about your product?

Even if you have negative feedback, you can use this to understand what people want to avoid when buying a product like yours.

If you don’t have much customer feedback of your own yet, go to a site like Amazon and find products that your ideal customer would be buying. These could be similar products to the ones you sell or books on the topic.

Read through the reviews and, again, pull out the key words and phrases used. This will show you what language to truly connect with your reader.

5. Get to the point

No-one has time to read through fluff before getting to the important stuff these days. Make your copy clear, concise and to the point.

Wherever possible, use less words. A good way to achieve this is by writing your first draft in a free flow state, then going back over the copy and removing / rewording any sentences that are OTT.

The quicker your copy communicates your core message, the more impact it will have.

6. Address their objections

One way to easily go deeper into building a connection with your reader is to list out all of their objections around the subject you’re writing about.

Not only does this give you far more material to write about but it also enables you to have a conversation with them that goes beyond the surface level.

7. Read it out loud

Great copy reads like a conversation. To avoid sounding salesy and connect with your reader on a real level, read your copy out loud once it’s written.

As you do, edit any sentences that don’t sound relaxed and natural.

The more your copy reads like a conversation, the longer you’ll keep your reader engaged and the more likely they are to form a connection with you.

8. Same same but different

It’s natural (and a good idea) to research what your competitors are doing when it comes to copy. Especially if you know they’re doing well, it’s smart to see how they’re communicating and steal ideas to test in your own copy.

However…

Same words + different company = no impact.

Take your inspiration and then find a different way to say the same thing. A way that’s unique to you and speaks to your brand voice and personality.

9. Practice, practice, practice

Yup, the one we all know but never want to hear.

But the truth is that we can’t get better at anything until we’ve put in the hours. 

If you truly want to overcome your copy writing challenges and start knocking it out of the park, you need to get serious about dedicating time to writing.

It doesn’t matter if you produce anything great each time, it just matters that you produce.

Commit to dedicating ‘x’ amount of time each week to writing and make it a habit, even if it’s writing with no agenda. Then go over what you’ve written with these tips in mind and see where you could make improvements.

The more you do this, the easier it will become to produce great copy the first time around.

To wrap up

There are lots of ways to approach improving your copy. These 9 tips are incredibly easy to implement and will make a huge difference to your writing.

If it’s not obvious, number 1 and number 10 are by far the most important. Without these you’ll struggle to move the effectiveness of your copy forward.

However you currently feel about your writing abilities, know that it’s a skill that can be learnt. Yes, to some it comes more easily, but that’s not to say that everyone else can’t catch up with the right approach.

So, stop letting the fear take over, put your head down and get writing. You’ve got this.

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As ever, if you want more hands-on support in launching and growing your business reach out to me about 1:1 coaching. There’s really nothing you can’t do with the right support.