Writing words that sell

By guest blogger Katrina Pace.

Being able to write words that sell is an essential skill needed to grow your business. Especially when we’re having to get online to get in front of the people that need our products and services.

If you can’t tell people quickly and clearly how you can change their lives it won’t matter how great your business is.

And that’s why copywriters exist. To write words that sell. To write words that help you grow your business.

The problem for most business owners is that they’re too close to their business to be able to sell what they do! It’s something my clients tell me time and time again. When you know your business inside out it can be hard to see where you might be losing clients by not communicating clearly.

But there are some things you can do to help you write words that sell.

What it takes to write words that sell

Knowing your customers’ needs and wants

All good marketing starts with knowing your customers’ needs and wants. The more you know about them the better. Who are they? Where do they live? What do they want? Why do they want it? What does it make them feel like? Why don’t they have what they want? How would life be for them if they get what they want?

Answering these questions in as much depth as you can, and using the language your customers would use, will give you a heap of information to use when you come to write the words that sell.

Being clear (not clever) about telling them how you solve their problems

Now you know what problems your customers have, you need to be able to tell them quickly and clearly how you can help them. Use the Granny Test. Write down what your business does. Now read it out loud. Would your granny understand it?

Choose to be clear rather than clever. Word-play may be amusing but if it confuses your customers, you lose. Focus on the ‘wins’ that your product or service brings. Use real-life examples to demonstrate what happens if they have a pair of shoes that fits perfectly!

Knowing the secrets of persuasion to help them make the decision to engage with you

Another problem people face is not knowing how to sell. You’re great at your business, but that doesn’t mean you know about neuropsychology, behaviour change and persuasion! That’s what copywriters do.

You see, there’s a lot of headology (in the words of the great Terry Pratchett) that goes on behind writing words on websites, blogs, newsletters, product pages, sales pages, posters and fliers. Knowing how people read as well as what they read. How to word sentences to make sure they are engaged and able to absorb what’s being written. It’s all psychology.

Here’s a quick tip. If you’re writing a sentence that contains negative emotions, use third person (them, they). If you’re writing positive statements, use first person (you). Psychologically this is gold when it comes to helping people engage with words that sell.

Getting online with the right words so the search engines can find you

Thanks to the curve-ball that 2020’s thrown many businesses, we’re all hopping online to meet and greet our customers. And that means we have to write so search engines (like Google) can find us and present our webpages as the solutions to the question someone has asked.

Keyword research is an important feature in writing words that sell online. But it’s also one of the things that make business owners go into panic mode.

Knowing your customers’ needs and wants, and the language they would use to express these means you’re one step ahead when it comes to keywords. These are the words they’d type (or speak) to Google or Siri to find the answers to their questions. So, they’re your keywords!

Presenting the information in the way your customers want to see it

The last thing to consider when writing words that sell is thinking about how your customers want to consume that information. SEO experts may say that 2000 word blogs are best for SEO but if your customer is a busy CEO then they won’t have time to read long blogs like that!

Knowing your customer gives you the insight to present them with the words that sell in a format they will listen to. It may be newsletters, podcasts, infographics, videos, blogs or checklists.

When it’s time to bring in the experts

If writing words that sell is proving the ideal candidate for the ‘too hard basket’, or you just want to focus on running your business and doing what you enjoy, it’s time to bring in a writer to your team.

Many writers are freelancers, and will specialise in copy (writing words that sell on websites, emails, product descriptions etc) or content (writing words that engage your customers on blogs, newsletters, articles, white papers, reports etc).

They can bring you peace of mind that you really are making the most of connecting with people who need your help. 

 

Katrina Pace writes words that sell, mainly on websites and emails.
She’s a StoryBrand Certified Guide (which means she knows how to tell a good story that connects with your customer) and total psychology nerd.
You can find her at www.wordsforwellness.com behind her computer or walking the dog.