Copywriting is tricky, especially for the entrepreneur or solopreneur who is new to business writing.
First off, let’s define copywriting because everyone in business has to write copy at some point. A copywriter is a person who writes the text of advertisements or publicity material. Think of sales pages, elevator speeches, landing pages, social media posts, blogs, website content.
You can hire someone to write your content for you, but I guarantee that there will be times that you will need to write also.
When we write or talk about our business and programs, the biggest mistake is to talk about features and not how it benefits our ideal client. This sounds like it is something that is easy to fix. However, it is not. If you are struggling with this, then know you are not alone!! You are with the many and the copywriters are the few. And not all copywriters do it well, either.
So, what am I talking about? Features are the nuts and bolts, the how-to, of your product or service.
One of my clients is a fitness instructor. She has been in the business for 25 years. When we began working with her, I asked her why people would come to her in a saturated market?
She excitedly listed many reasons why she is the best choice for her target market. Below are a couple she listed:
- 25 years as a fitness trainer
- Daily check-in
- Studio and online training
- Programs are 50 minutes
- Private or group training
- Certified Movnat© Trainer
Although the items on the list are true and helpful, it does not speak directly to your ideal client where they would say “I need that”. It does not show how you are going to help them personally with their pain points. Here are benefits we discovered together:
- When you hit your 40s and beyond, your body has different needs. We specialize in working with baby boomers so they can stay active, play with their grandkids, and live a healthy lifestyle.
- You will never feel alone because we will connect every day for accountability, motivation, and tweaks to fit your needs.
- Our group training allows you to train with your friends or make new friends so working out is fun and not frustrating.
- We meet you where you are by creating a program customized to your needs and lifestyle, whether in group or private training. You are the most important person.
As you can see, benefits tell the “so what”. They answer the question of “why do I care – what will it do for me”.
The pain points were:
- I want to stay healthy and active as I age.
- I love playing with my grandkids but it is getting harder to keep up.
- I feel okay when I’m training but I feel alone and want to give up when I get home.
- My friends like to work-out together in a private group.
- I don’t have any friends to go with me and I feel alone.
- I have a bad knee, so “cookie-cutter” workouts don’t work for me.
See the difference? The benefits speak to your ideal clients and connect with their pain and show you as the solution. Check out my client Julie Beck’s website and feel the difference in her site versus other trainers.
Now, features are important also. However, they come into play after clients feel heard and have hope for a solution. Then they want to know more. They want to know if it can fit their schedule, why you are qualified to help, how much will it cost, etc.
The benefits pre-sell them, the features inform them, and the closing benefits motivate them to sign up on the spot.
Sounds easy, right? I wish. It is a process of researching, understanding the thoughts and emotions of your ideal client, and making sure you provide the right solution.
Since features come so easy to us, write down all the features you offer. Go ahead and write them all down, none are too small or insignificant.
Once you have that list, write why that feature would be important to your ideal client. Ask “so what” or “why do I care”.
But don’t stop there. Dig deeper to uncover the “why behind the why” and you’ll soon be crafting truly irresistible content that converts far better than you imagine.
