Whether you’re a business owner or an aspiring copywriter who’s just enrolled in their first copywriting courses, copywriting is writing that serves a purpose, more than just to entertain or to educate. It is writing that compels the reader to take a specific action. Typically, copy is meant to compel the audience to buy or subscribe.
The message has to be persuasive. How do you write to persuade or compel someone to take a specific action? To understand persuasive copy is to understand a little bit of psychology. How should you talk to your audience at their various stages of connection with your business?
When you know what the goal of your copy is or what kind of copy you need, you can adapt what thought process you’re speaking to. This will help you understand what copywriting method or strategy will be most effective to implement for your business.
Who Are You Trying to Attract?
Before you can fully develop your copywriting strategy, you first need to have clarity on who you’re trying to reach. You cannot effectively appeal to anyone and everyone, at the same time. Narrow your market to only those types of people you know will buy.
- What are their goals?
- What are their desires?
- What challenges do they face?
- How do they feel about their challenges?
- What are they interested in?
- What do they fear?
- Gender?
- Age range?
- What kind of solutions make sense to them?
- How would those solutions make them feel?
Compile your target audience data and create a persona. This could be an outline or a mindmap of your ideal customer and how you predict they will react to your copy.
Copywriting Guide for Business Owners: Buyer Psychology
When speaking to your audience, put yourself in their shoes. You must prepare for whatever they may be thinking and feeling at each stage of connection with your brand.
If you’re intentionally writing to appeal to your target audience, they should recognize themselves in your content.
Unaware to Aware
At this time, your company or solution may be completely new information. The copy should focus on continuing to nurture the visitor’s interest and gain trust. Human curiosity often leads to payoff or reward.
That’s how the copywriting at this stage should appeal to the reader – make them curious to read on. Compelling them, from one sentence to the next to keep reading.
Aware to Interested
They’re still here! They’re interested enough in what you have to offer to keep going. Now your copy needs to keep them interested, keep reminding them why they clicked in the first place.
For this phase of the copy, develop a strong hook that establishes an emotional connection; one that shows you know exactly who your reader is and what they’re experiencing. Tell a story you know your reader will relate to. This will further your credibility and prove that your solution might be just what they need.
Interest to Decision
The buyer is intrigued enough to still be around. Psychologically speaking, they’re primed to make a buying decision. Don’t hold back! Reiterate their pain points from the story. Remind them why they’re still reading.
Highlight the benefits of your service, product, or membership. What’s in it for them? Take them on a short journey, showing them where they could be or what they could accomplish if they move forward.
At this stage, the reader is looking to validate your offer. Supplement this phase with examples of social proof:
- Any awards or industry recognition
- Case studies
- Client testimonials
- An impactful value proposition
Now is the time to present your best offer!
Decision to Action
It’s “click the button” time. Your call to action (CTA) should be clear and powerful because it’s time to ask for their money.
You need to compel the reader to click and buy! Write your copy to appeal to their desires and fears. Hubspot cites the 11 primary desires of the customer as:
- Money
- Security
- Being liked
- Status and prestige
- Health and fitness
- Praise and recognition
- Power, influence, and popularity
- Leading the field
- Love and companionship
- Personal growth
- Personal transformation
If you know your target audience well, you will know which need you should appeal to. Based on the above motivating factors, here are several calls to action that may work for your audience.
(And… don’t worry if all of this seems overwhelming. If you don’t feel up to the task or you’re not seeing the results you want, look into a copywriting agency to help you reach your revenue goals!)
- Leverage their fear of missing out (FOMO) by speaking to product scarcity.
- “There are only 10 spots left!”
- “This product sells out every launch, don’t miss out!”
- “Offer expires at midnight tonight!”
- Leverage their desire for power, influence, and popularity by speaking to their competitive nature.
- “Don’t get left behind!”
- “Don’t let your competition beat you to the finish line!”
- Leverage their desire for security by speaking to the success of your program or offer.
- “Ready to overcome sales instability in your business? Sign up today!”
- “Take control of your finances and get the skills to pay the extra bills!”
- “Don’t wait for the market to get worse. Take advantage of this offer today!”
Strong Copy Means Sustainable Long-Term Impact
Your copy will have a significant impact on the success of your business. Copywriting done right doesn’t just create paying customers, it creates loyal customers.
