Effective copy is customer-focused copy. Customer-focused copy is about addressing customer’s pain points, wants, goals and desires. It may sound harsh, but most of the time customers don’t care about your business or brand, they care about themselves and what you can offer them.
That’s why when marketing your business, it’s best not to waste any time or effort creating content with a low chance of converting. For example, announcing that your company has achieved ‘X’ in the last year or proclaiming to have won ‘X’ awards.
To turn it around and make it about your customers, you need to master one simple rule. Write the way your customers talk. When you do, prospects will resonate with your messages and think to themselves, “This product/service is for me!”
The question is, how do you do this? We explain below.
1. Put your customer first
When writing copy, address your reader directly by using the word “you”. This makes them feel part of the conversation and like you are talking directly to them.
If you haven’t used this technique in the past, go through your existing copy to see how many times you’ve used the word “we” “us” or “I” instead of the word “you” and edit it to be more balanced.
Granted, there are instances where you do need to talk about your business (after all people buy from brands they know and trust) but most of the time it should be about your customer and how your product or service can assist them.
2. Get the tone right
Using language that your customers use means first knowing who they are. This is where buyer personas come in. They are very helpful for pinpointing your ideal customers because they go into detail about age, job, family life, income, hobbies, likes and dislikes.
When creating a persona, give them a name and put a face to that name. And don’t worry about not attracting anyone who isn’t this exact person. Others outside of this buyer persona will still resonate with your messages on some level. Doing this just makes it a lot easier to write copy that speaks to them.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure who you are speaking to, your copy will be bland, vague and won’t appeal to anyone.
When writing copy, make sure to use the correct tone consistently across all platforms. If you write one way on your website but another in your emails, readers will feel disconnected from your brand and will start to distance themselves as a result.
3. Focus on solving their problems
Once you’ve figured out your audience, get to know their pain points. Don’t just write about the products and services you offer, write about how those products and services can solve their problems.
Ask yourself, what keeps your customers up at night?
If you offer a grass-cutting service for example, your customers most likely aren’t staying up all night worrying about their grass being too long, but they may be worrying about if they’ve spent enough time with their kids lately. Suddenly your service isn’t just about keeping the grass short, neat and tidy, it’s about freeing up time for your customers to be with their families.
It’s about putting the focus on the emotional aspects and allowing your readers to feel seen and understood.
4. Address their concerns
Your customers will inevitably have concerns that may prevent them from purchasing from you right away, but that’s okay. To get past these barriers, acknowledge and address their concerns by reassuring them that you understand and that there is no need to worry.
For example, if you know that there is a price barrier, highlight the value they’ll receive and mention the cost of not buying from you. Addressing objections reassures your customers before they’ve even had a chance to express their fears.
5. Finish with a strong call to action
Always end your copy with a strong call to action – a clear next step for your reader to take. Ensure your call to action empowers them by encouraging them to take control of their situation.
Use active and positive language and write from your customer’s perspective. Ideally, your copy should always finish with a call to action that your reader can hardly resist.
Need help with writing customer-focused copy? Chat with us today to find out how we take one less worry off your plate.
