“Good copy can’t be written with tongue in cheek, written just for a living. You’ve got to believe in the product.”
— David Ogilvy
If your business is struggling to convert prospects into buyers, there’s one primary reason why. It boils down to your copywriting skills. The truth is this. How you communicate with your prospects dictates how well your business performs.
And if your sales are lackluster, it’s likely because you’re making one of these 5 major copywriting mistakes. In business, communication is a vital part of the sales process. If you can’t effectively communicate to people why they need your products or services, you’ll fail to convert.
One telltale sign is if you’re spending money on ads that are flatlining.
Meaning, you’re spreading the word, and people are clicking or visiting your landing pages, but very few are buying. That’s one way to diagnose things.
Now, there are several reasons why people don’t buy. But for most people running a business, understanding marketing is key. Many work so hard on their products or services before ever bringing them to market, when the direct opposite should be true.
You should be working on your marketing before anything. And when it comes to marketing, there’s nothing more important than copywriting.
This can literally refer to every part of the sales process. There’s copywriting in your ads, your emails, your landing pages, product descriptions, service descriptions, and so on. Plus, not all copy is created equally. There’s headlines, sub-headlines, stories, calls-to-action, and so on.
The Biggest Copywriting Mistakes
Creating drool-worthy copy is not just about the landing page. And it’s not just the headline, the bullet points, or the call-to-action. It’s the whole thing. But before you embark on writing copy, ask yourself this question: how well do you know your customers?
Because, here’s the thing. The better you understand your customer, the more likely you can write copy that sells. The less you know your customer, the more likely you’ll fail to connect with them on an authentic and genuine level.
When a prospect feels like you understand them and their problem better than they understand it themselves, that’s when the real magic happens. So I’m starting with the assumption that you know your customer and you know them very well.
When that’s the case, how do you write copy that sells? I’m not talking about fluff that’s easily overlooked. Now, this isn’t easy. I can’t waive a magic wand and help you avoid making copywriting mistakes or become a master copywriter overnight. Nope. Sorry about that.
But what I can do is help you avoid some of the major pitfalls that most people face. That much I can definitely do.
How To Write Great Copy
Okay, so you want to write great copy. I get that. Because, after all, this is a billion-dollar skill. Not a million0dollar skill. BILLION with a “B”. Meaning, that with the right copy, you can sell anything on the planet. And I do mean anything.
Imagine it. You fire your trusty laptop and begin crafting a story that sells almost effortlessly. It weaves together pain points and problems, benefits and social proof, creating a masterpiece sculpted from words etched in gold.
Okay, so that illustration might be a little bit over kill. But writing great copy truly is a way to take your idea to fruition. And the beauty of this is that you don’t need a completed product or service. All you need is the ability to craft copy that sells.
Now that I’ve hyped the skill of copywriting enough, let’s get into the meat and potatoes. How do you actually sit down to create something that compels people to take their wallets out of their pockets, pull out those shiny credit cards, and begin keying in those 15 or 16 illustrious digits?
Should You Hire An Expert Copywriter?
The skill of copywriting is learned over time. It requires tenacity and perseverance. And a willingness to truly understand how to craft words that connect to the prospects pain points. This is not something you can just pick up and do overnight.
Now, if you’re an entrepreneur, you understand that you cannot do everything on your own. You need to find a skilled copywriter who can help you. But doing that won’t be cheap. Good copywriters are expensive and great copywriters cost a fortune.
But what will great copy get you? Imagine it this way. You have an offer for $997. And instead of selling just a few of those every month, you can sell a few every week or every day. Meaning that great copy can instantly increase your sales 10 to 100 fold without paying for more traffic.
This is a conversion problem that we’re solving here. Yes, you have to get the right eyeballs to your offer. But once they’re there, it’s the copy that sells them. Okay, I’ve harped enough about hiring an expert copywriter. Now, let’s get into these serious copywriting mistakes you should avoid.
1. Neglecting The Headline
The most important element in your copy is your headline. Hands down it’s the single element that matters most. If you can’t get the headline right, then all bets are off. The headline should connect with the prospect and lead them away from pain.
What does that mean? Instead of leading the prospect toward pleasure, you have to lead them away from pain. People do things for one of two reasons. They do it to either avoid pain or to gain pleasure. However, leading people away from pain is far more powerful.
For example, you and I don’t know each other. But you found this piece of content. Now, if you analyze the title carefully, you’ll notice that I’m leading you away from pain. The pain here are serious copywriting mistakes, right?
What if the title was 5 copywriting secrets that will make you a million dollars or more? You’d probably think it’s a scam. That’s leading towards pleasure. But let’s say you did already know me and we had an established relationship, even then I could get your attention far more by leading you away from pain.
2. Not Being Authentic
Another serious mistake you can make is not being your true authentic self. Don’t try to be someone else. By being your authentic self, you’ll get far more people to pull those credit cards out of their wallets. So how can you be more authentic in your copy?
First, don’t try to mislead your audience. You’re not there to sugarcoat things or make yourself out to be more of something that you’re not. You’re there to connect with the audience in a way that is authentic and relatable.
And you want your audience to feel like they resonate with your words. Because they should. After all, if you’re selling something and speaking authentically, you’re connecting on a level that makes people feel acknowledged.
You do this by addressing the pain and describing it better than your prospects can. When you can connect on that level, with deep, profound, and authentic words, it’s game over. They’ll buy whatever you’re peddling.
3. Misunderstanding Your Audience
How well do you understand your audience? If you can’t understand them, you’ll make endless mistakes. Not just in your copywriting, but in all sales processes. By understanding your audience, you’re understanding who they are implicitly.
In marketing, we call this your avatar. Once you know your avatar, and you know their problems, you can create copy that resonates with them. This is way more broad than just something specific. Because you have to interweave an understanding of your audience into your copy.
This is easier said than done. But a few things to keep in mind are as follows. First, make sure you research your avatar and their pain points really well. And take a deep look at what your competitors are doing. Especially if your competition has a high-converting offer.
Next, when you speak to your prospect, use simple language. Avoid complex language. Meaning, make sure you keep things at about a third-grade level. That includes the complexity of words, but also your tonality. Write like you would speak. And keep things simple.
4. Lack of Storyselling
Can you tell stories that sell? We call this storyselling. Your ability to create a story that meets the prospect where they are today is vital. Because, this is likely where you were when you personally faced the problem and created the solution you’re selling.
So what makes a good story? You’ve likely read a great book that was so riveting, you couldn’t put it down, right? That book likely stirred all sorts of emotions. And you connected with it on a deep level. Why? Can you start to pinpoint the reasoning behind it?
What makes a good story so good is not just the topic. It’s the ability of the author to be highly descriptive. In fact, it’s so descriptive and well-written that you can easily place yourself in that scene. That makes sense, right?
When you write your copy, and you use the art of storyselling, be descriptive. Don’t use complex language, but be descriptive to where the person reading it connects on a deeper level. This is not a skill that comes overnight, but not doing this is a huge copywriting mistake.
5. Not Addressing Objections
We all have objections. There are always reasons why we don’t want to do something. We say these silently in our heads. So your ability to address these objections that a prospect has is vital if you want to make the sale.
It doesn’t matter if you sell a product, a service, information or whatever else. Learn how to address objections. This boils down into three main buckets. There are objections about the opportunity or thing you’re selling. Meaning, does this thing really work.
The next objection is whether the thing you’re selling will work for them. Yes, sure, maybe your thing works. But will it work for them? Will they have the necessary skill to implement it or consume it? And will they be successful in doing it?
Once that objection is addressed, you have to address any external objections. Those are things that are outside of the prospects control. We’re talking about money or time. Will external factors get in the prospects way?
Copywriting Done For You
If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur looking to up your game and create drool-worthy copy that can sell ice to an eskimo, please listen up. Spending money on great copy is not an expense. It’s an investment in your business.
The truth is that great copy works whether you sell a product, a service, information, or anything else. And we’ll help you scale your business with a copywriting subscription that works for you. Pause or cancel at anytime!