Conversion Copywriting 101: How to Connect, Persuade and Motivate your Ideal Customer or Client

'Conversion copywriting' is the art of crafting compelling and persuasive messages that prompt readers to take action. For heart-led solopreneurs who are juggling various aspects of their business, mastering the ability to convert leads into customers can be a game-changer.

In this post, we will explore the key principles and strategies that can help budding entrepreneurs effectively harness the power of conversion copywriting to drive their business forward.

"First, people buy with emotion, then they justify with logic"

Focusing & Narrowing

Chances are if your website isn't winning you more work, it's LOSING you work.⁣ No matter how talented and passionate you are in your craft, there's more competition than ever. This means your messaging matters like crazy.

It’s paramount to your success as a small business that your website copy be on point & converting.⁣ Every word, on every page matters!

What does this look like? It means drilling down to the #1 action you want a user to take on each page and focusing on One reader, One idea, and One offer.

Good Copy: “This is our product. It helps people fall asleep faster.”

Better Copy:"This is our product. It helps you sleep better so you wake up feeling refreshed.”

Best Copy: "You haven’t slept through the night in years. And you’ve accomplished a lot for being chronically sleep-deprived. Imagine what you could do if you were well-rested? 

Our product helps you fall asleep and stay asleep so you don’t need to spend $7.25 on lattes to survive your 9 a.m. meetings.”

The difference is that the best copy CONNECTS to convert. It triggers that "oh yeah, same, me too" moment which helps the buyer feel understood and in turn be more open to purchasing.

Understanding Your Target Audience

Before diving into copywriting for your website, email newsletter or social pages, it is crucial to understand your target audience. Thankfully solopreneurs typically have the advantage of being intimately connected with their customers. Regardless, by gathering insights about their needs, desires, motivations and behaviors you can create copy that resonates deeply.

You'll need to know your customer's needs, both positive and negative

• "PLEASURE POINTS " = What they want (aspirations, dreams, desires, fullfilments)

• "PAIN POINTS" = What they don't want (agitations, fears, frustrations, problems, challenges, concerns)

Of course, to discover info about your audience and info your copywriting decisions, you need DATA. How to get it:

• Engage in direct, personal conversation with your customer

• Conduct surveys and polls

"Creating killer content comes down to three words: Clear. Concise. Compelling."

Demian Farnworth

Craft Compelling Headlines

In today's fast-paced online environment, attention spans are short. The average human attention span is 8.25 seconds, which has decreased by almost 25% from 2000 to 2015.

A headline serves as the first point of contact with your audience, making it a critical element in conversion copywriting.

How to do it:

• Aim for headlines that are concise, intriguing, and promise a benefit or solution.

• Utilize power words, questions, and urgency to capture attention and entice readers to explore further.

• Avoid the generic page titles like "About Us" or "Contact Us"

• Use your target keywords (location name + service, etc)

• Hook the reader with phrases like:

"Pay attention…"

"Have a look…"

"Just imagine…"

Focus on Value

A common mistake in copywriting is overly emphasizing features rather than results, product rather than performance. Fear of loss is more powerful than pleasure of gain so biz owners should instead focus on the final outcomes!

How to do it:

• Highlight the specific advantages and descriptive benefits your customers can expect by embracing your service.

• Use persuasive language to evoke emotions and create a sense of desire, making it difficult for readers to resist taking action.

  • Instead of saying "The Price is...", say "For a one-time investment of..."

• Swap technical or product terms for specifics, and replace adjectives for verbs. Examples of how to frame your copy in a different way:
  

-Instead of saying, "Portable media player" say "1000 songs in your pocket"

-Instead of saying, "Waterproof phone case" say "stress-free pictures at the beach"

-Instead of saying, "25GB of cloud space" say "all your files in one place"

-Instead of saying, "Get healthy, abundant hair with our new shampoo” say“Prevent hair loss with our new anti-baldness shampoo”

-Instead of saying, "Our face wash is effective, healthy and perfect for your skin" say "Our face wash cleans your pores, moisturizes your skin and adjusts your skin type."

Write for Humans

Writing for your audience means you factor in human nature and psychology into your messaging, simplicity and structure. Using simple, familiar, everyday words and clutter-free readability will make your copy easy to digest.

How to do it:

• Storytelling: Craft a compelling narrative highlighting your product's journey and its impact on customers. Emotional connections drive purchases, and a compelling story makes your product more memorable.

• Speak their Language. Picture your best customer. Imagine them summarizing you business or saying your copy. If it sounds strange coming from their mouths, then it's not aligned.

• Stop the Scroll. Try out these viral hook templates that will make your viewer or customer say "THAT'S ME!"

  • “POV: You’re a _____ [describe ideal client/follower] who ____ [wants to/is tired of] _____ [their desire(s)…be SPECIFIC & concise here] and you find this _____”

  • “POV: You’re a _____ looking for a ____ that _____ and you find this _____ [type of product] ___ [at/on] _____ [store/website]”

  • “Finally! A _____ [ex: account/recipe for ____/resort] for _____ [ideal client/customer/follower] that ____”

  • “If you love ____ but also ____ [pain point/desire] you’re in luck because ____ [ex: I found this ___/this hack will ____]”

  • “_____ [insert what you call your target market]! I ____ [found/tried] _____ [what you found or tried] and _____ [the results]”

• Niche Down. Speak to a specific audience, even if you serve everyone. Identify WHO your target customers are. Example personas/avatars: busy moms, workahaulics, health nuts, adventure seekers, bargain hunters, etc. Then, create a sense of belonging or exclusivity to their identity.

  • Instead of "For people who run" → "For runners"

  • Instead of "The shop for people who love houseplants" → "The shop for houseplant hoarders"

• Simplify. Write in a scannable, skimmable way. Short paragraphs, lists, bullet points, etc. Avoid too much jargon!

• Be transparent. Include pricing, either specifically or a range. Putting it out there openly means your customers can find the info they need quicky and easily

• Get in the flow. Start sentences with transition words, which are conversational and casual and keep the reader engaged and interested:

And

Because

Besides,

Normally

Naturally

Of course

You know

Remember

That's why...

By the way..

Let me guess...

I know what you're thinking...

Leverage Social Proof

Genuine experiences build trust, influencing potential buyers to choose your product. Encourage customers to share their positive experiences to enhance credibility.

By demonstrating that others have benefited from what you offer, you instill confidence in potential customers, thereby boosting conversions. This takes the form of

• positive customer testimonials and reviews

• client success stories

• case studies

• professional endorsements

• professional affiliations, associations

How to do it:

• Incorporate snippets of social proof strategically within your copy

• Showcase the results your product or service has delivered.

One way to do this is to speak in first person and sell with your OWN first-hand experience. Your own story is your most powerful marketing asset because it is 100% unique to you. Here's a format:

"I had a problem with...

It hurt because...

I tried to solve it with...

Until I finally found the solution in....

Now I am..."

Craft Clear & Compelling CTAs

Your copy's ultimate goal is to prompt readers to take action, whether it's making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or scheduling a consultation. Your call-to-action (CTA) must be compelling, clear, and positioned strategically. You want your writing to be so impactful and influential that it invites your reader to click, consider, or keep reading.

How to do it:

• Use action-oriented language over descriptive language and create a sense of urgency. Ex: Limited-time offers, time-sensitive deals, triggering quick decisions and boosting desirability.

• Experiment with different placements, colors, and button designs to optimize your CTAs for maximum impact.

• Reduce friction. Make an offer they can't refuse! It should no-brainer, easy for them to buy- [Ex: "free trial"]

• Avoid vague or generic CTAs. Instead, speak to a specific user benefit. The more specific, the more likely you are to attract clicks! For example:

-"Buy Now" → "Score Instant Access"

-"Sign Up" → "Secure Lifetime Updates"

-"Subscribe" →"Recieve Weekly Value-Packed Emails"

-"Join Today" → "Join 1,250 other like-minded members inside"

-"Learn More" → "Adventure Further", "Explore Our Solutions" "Read Our Story"or "Find Out How"

-"Click Here" →"Get Started Today", "Discover Now""Unlock The Truth""Request Access"

BONUS: Instead of asking your audience to take action, invite them to become an (aspirational) identity:

• "Help us" → "Become a Helper"

• "Go vote" → "Be a Voter"

• "Support us" → "Become a Change-maker"

Monitor, Modify & Improve

Conversion copywriting is an iterative process, and a skill that can always be honed. As a solopreneur, you have the flexibility to experiment with different approaches to see what copy works, and what doesn't. Test one variable at a time to accurately identify what elements have the most significant impact on your audience. By investing in ongoing learning and improvement, you'll refine your copywriting skills and keep your business ahead of the competition.

How to do it:

• Utilize A/B testing to compare different versions of your copy, headlines, CTAs, and other elements.

• Analyze the data and insights to refine your copy and improve your conversion rates continually.

• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, strategies, and techniques in the field through books, webinars and networking to learn from industry experts.

• Analyze successful copywriting examples from your niche and adapt them to your unique style.

Every part of your copy sells something:

The headline or hook sells the scroll.

The lead sells the body.

The body sells the benefits.

The testimonials sell the trust.

The CTAs sell the click.

Get all of these right and you’ll be step closer to the sale.

A Final Check

Here are the essential questions to ask yourself before hitting "Publish"

Did you...

• Make it ...

  • easy and quick to read for the lazy or busy reader?

  • interesting for the bored reader?

  • believable for the skeptical reader or those with objections?

  • convincing for the vain or selfish reader?

• Write...

  • a first sentence that will hook them?

  • each sentence so it only carries one idea?

  • a page or post that naturally flows?

  • less characters, less words for easy scanning?

  • with a sense of urgency to make them act now?

  • with a consistent brand voice?

• Eliminate...

  • weak or redundant words?

  • pointless intros or fat phrases?

  • fat phrases to single words?

  • unnecessary or long words?

  • secondary information or repetitive concepts/ideas?

  • buzzwords or jargon?

• Demonstrate or Show...

  • the negative outcome of not acting/buying?

  • that people already benefit from your product/that they’re not the first to try?

  • you’re the authority to buy from?

  • a high value to low effort ratio?

  • how you’re different from competitors or how you're product/service contrasts?

  • how you help solve a problem, alleviate a pain or realize a dream?

  • how to use your product or service habitually or regularly?

  • important context?

• Incorporate or Use...

  • an optimized H1, H2 and H3?

  • a clear & compelling CTA?

  • subheadings and bullet points?

  • the active voice to make ideas concrete and easy to process?

  • lots of white space for legibility, aesthetic and experience?

Mantra: “Clarity will do more for your copy’s conversions than cleverness ever will.”

Wrapping It All Up

Next-generation copywriting focuses equally on CONVERSIONS as it does CONNECTION. user experience and measurable results, while also prioritizing

• CONNECTION: inclusion, empathy, emotion, accessibility, storytelling

• CONVERSION: user experience, user engagement, measurable results, reducing bounce rates, maximizing sales and profitability, testing, offering social proof

A skilled and strategic copy professional will take time to understand the target audience and align persuasive content to meet the user journey and your business goals. At the same time they'll also have a commitment to ongoing learning and continuous improvement to ensure the effectiveness of their work.

If you're a busy and heart-centered solopreneur ready to unleash the power of WORDS to captivate your audience, look no further. I am the copywriting master who can help you connect with your customers, unlock new opportunities and transform your biz right before your eyes.

Whether you need persuasive copy for your sales pages, click-worthy copy for your email newsletters, or engaging content for your blog posts my holistic digital marketing services are here to help you impact, serve and shine. Contact me today to discuss your project and embark on a journey of soul-driven success!

---

Erin Ratliff is a certified feng shui consultant, holistic business coach and organic growth marketer for earth-loving, heart-centered soul-preneurs.

SUBSCRIBE NOW to never miss another post related to mindful marketing. We can also stay connected on social media at the links below!