Question… do you think you’re a good communicator?
Do you consider yourself to be a good writer?
When you’re a biz owner, learning how to communicate in the written form is absolutely critical.
But for tonnnssssss of entrepreneurs – and really anyone who has business writing on their plate – copywriting can be a daunting concept.
And I’m gonna bust this myth right now.
You don’t suck at writing.
You DO know what to say.
And people DO want to hear from you.
The reason why you struggle with it is… perfectionism.
Here’s the deal.
When we tell ourselves we’re not “good” at something (usually because we haven’t done it much before) – we create fear around it.
That fear then grows and expands. And it turns into resistance.
For me, when I notice that resistance it’s my cue to remind myself… this is a challenge.
And I’m NOT afraid of a challenge.
I mean, you can literally ask anyone who has ever told me I can’t do something.
OOOOOOOH – it instantly brings out my competitive side.
We all have SOME sort of response to this “you can’t do it” voice – whether that voice is coming from the outside… or from inside of us.
So to help you break through this block, I’m sharing 5 simple copywriting tips you need to know.
These tips will help you with any business writing you have – especially if it’s for the web or email.
And they’ll help you approach this SUPER crucial skill with excitement and ease… instead of dread and frustration.
Oh and BTW – copywriting is just ONE of the pillars that makes you successful.
To help you get crystal clear on what makes you different – and use this knowledge to stand out from the crowd…
I’ve got a FREE resource that’s really gonna help ya with all of the things.
It’s called the Build Your Online Biz Guide – and you can download yours at https://hayleyhobson.com/bizguide.
Or go to my IG or FB pages and comment the word BIZ. I’ll shoot it to ya that way as well.
If you aren’t online yet – this guide will help you identify the right places to start.
Because the world is going online… and these days, if you want to build stability and longevity into your career – not to mention your finances – the internet is where it’s at.
Ok so let’s dig into these 5 copywriting tips. Which are great for beginners… as well as anyone looking to freshen up their writing.
The first one is… Know who you’re talking to.
In your biz, you probably have a picture of your ICA – that Ideal Client (or Customer) Avatar we just talked about.
If you haven’t done this for yourself yet, then that freebie guide I just mentioned will really help.
Once you have your ICA in mind, think about how you’d talk with her IRL.
I’m not saying be fake. I’m recommending you tailor your approach – just like how you would to a human standing in front of you.
I mean think of it this way.
How you talk with your straight-laced retired mom is different from how you talk with your ride-or-die bestie, right?
I mean, unless your mom IS your ride-or-die bestie.
In which case A) cute. And b) think about how you’d talk to – I dunno – the lady at the DMV. Or the cashier at the grocery store. LOL
Or someone where you WOULDN’T be dropping slang or curse words or references to Bridgerton. LOL
Anyway, the point I’m making is copywriting is all about tailoring your voice to the person you’re talking to – or want to work with.
Everything from the words you use to the tone you take to the references you use… it all depends on how you’d like to be seen in the marketplace.
For example, I have a friend who owns a health business. She’s in her mid-30s and she LOOKS even younger.
And most of her clients are over 50 – so she chooses to use a professional, authoritative voice. Even though, with her friends, she’s bubbly and funny and uses slang.
So in her biz, she leans into her professional side.
Now, if the majority of her clients were Gen Z, she would definitely take a different approach.
BTW, Gen Z language is wild. My daughter has started calling me “bruh” – and now she’s got me doing it back to her. LOL
She’ll legit say to me, “Listen GIRRRLLLLL”. LOL
See what I mean about choosing your voice based upon who you’re talking to? Can you imagine talking to your Gen X or Boomer clientele like that? They’d think you were on something. LOL
Anyway, the point is… when you tailor your voice based on your audience…
You’re still YOU – you just adapt a bit so it lands with your audience the best way possible.
So when you sit down to write, picture your ICA – or if you have an established biz already, consider who your biggest group of customers is.
And use this to guide what kind of language you want to use.
Ok your second copywriting tip is… Focus on the benefits – not the features.
It’s suuuuuuper easy to slip into the bad habit of focusing on the “what” of your biz
(AKA: the features)...
Instead of the “WHY” of your biz (AKA: the benefits).
So when writing copy, remember to tell them why they should care.
And what they’ll get out of choosing to work with you.
Because they literally don’t know.
No, I’m not even kidding.
And most of them won’t take the time to think deeply about it on their own.
So you literally have to spell it out.
Get right to the point.
For example, does your product help someone get radiant glowing skin?
Will it help them look so youthful and healthy that their friends are gonna ask, “Oooh, girllll, what’s your secret?”
That’s what they wanna know.
It’s way more important than hyping up the fact that it has jojoba seeds in it, amirite?
Or let’s say you have a service-based biz.
What are the benefits of working with you?
Remember to consider who your ideal customer or client is… and what they want out of your relationship.
Will they be able to:
Earn more money – so they can spend more time with their family and stop stressing over their finances? Or a $16 avo toast. That’s what you’d say instead of focusing on your offer of a 30-minute coaching call with you.
Will they become stronger and leaner – so they can slip into their “skinny jeans” and feel confident and sexy?
That’s the benefit – and what you’d focus on instead of talking about your 50-minute Pilates classes.
Maybe when they work with you, they’ll find the love of their life – without constant struggle, wasting time and money hunting alone, or getting hooked up a total lunatic?
Write about that iInstead of hyping up how they get their “first match free” in your matchmaking biz.
Get to the heart of the matter (I swear, no pun intended).
And here’s an acronym to think about:
W. I. I. F. M.
Wiffum.
What’s In It For Me?
Now… I’m not saying you can’t MENTION features… just don’t lead with them.
Instead, lead on the DESIRED OUTCOME your ICA has in mind.
Alright, here’s your next tip: Write how you talk.
This one really comes into play with personal brands.
If you grew up here in America, proper punctuation and grammar were drilled into our brains all throughout school.
But in the digital age, writing perfect sentences doesn’t matter so much.
BTW, if my 5th grade teacher heard me RN, I’m sure she’d have A LOT to say about it. LOL
So nobody tell her, ok?
Anyway… when you write, you want to CONNECT. And the best way to connect… is by being you. Which involves writing how you talk.
This goes along with the first tip we talked about today – tailoring your voice. You can literally tailor how you structure sentences too.
Maybe you choose to use break sentences. Like I do. LOL
Maybe you use slang.
Maybe you choose not to swear in your writing.
Whatever your normal speech pattern is… I’m here to tell ya: It’s perfectly ok to write the way you talk.
The one thing you DON’T wanna do is have a completely different experience online to the one a prospective customer has when working with you IRL.
It’s way better to be “what you see is what you get.”
Because when the online vibe is totally different from what you actually offer, it’s a major turnoff to most people.
It breaks their trust… and makes them not wanna work with you.
Now, here’s a really tactical copywriting tip.
When you get stuck on what to say… Record yourself talking.
I know this sounds weird but I promise you it totally works.
Are you one of those people who totally goes blank the second you sit down at your computer to start writing?
It happens A LOT.
So instead of staring at your screen… one hack to get over this is just to record yourself talking.
And you don’t even have to buy fancy equipment. Or literally invest a PENNY.
Here are two easy ways you can do it.
You can use your phone.
Which likely has a Voice Memo app already installed.
So you just open the app, hit the record button… and start talking.
Then, you can upload your audio file to a free or low cost transcription service like Otter.ai.
That’s what we use in my biz. But there are plenty of other transcription services out there.
Your second option is great if you use Google docs.
Because there’s a built-in Voice Typing option under Tools.
Actually, I’m pretty sure most word processing software has some sort of speech recognition or voice typing option.
With this one, you just tap the option… ensure your mic is on… and talk.
In terms of what you can use this hack for… people who use this consistently tell me they really love it for long-for content.
Like blog articles… webpages… an ebook… anything you need to write for your biz.
Quick pro tip about this one… don’t self-edit as you go.
That’s often what slows us down when we actually type it out. It’s that perfectionism creeping back in.
Recording yourself talking will often unlock writer’s block – because you become an EDITOR instead of a writer. Which for many people is a faster and easier way to create copy.
Speaking your thoughts aloud lets you just flow your creativity. Because you know there will be a clean-up step that comes after.
And you don’t have to worry about getting it perfect the very first time – which is another common hangup online business owners (and really, people in a bazillion other professions) experience with writing.
So release that need to get it right the first time… and get the IDEAS and content out by talking it out.
Ok here’s your fifth tip for today: Make your copy visually appealing.
I gotta tell ya the truth about copywriting.
Most people don’t read.
They skim.
So you get to set up HOW you’ve written your copy in a way that encourages them to stay on the page… and keep reading.
So from a tactical perspective, you want to break up your copy.
I’m talking about bullets, bolding, short paragraphs…
Adding visuals like photos, memes, gifs, emojis… even using different colors and highlights.
I mean, you don’t have to go totally overboard and make your webpage look like a unicorn wrote it. LOL.
…..Although…. I am ALLLLLLL about emojis and GIFs in text messages. I actually consider it a language unto itself.
But breaking up big paragraphs of text really makes a difference with web writing.
NO ONE wants to read giant chunks of text.
I mean, you can even pay attention to your OWN reaction when you visit websites.
What pages keep your interest? And which make you want to exit out immediately.
Play detective – notice how YOU react. Even keep notes of what you like and don’t like as you navigate the web.
Here’s another thing to keep in mind…
Over half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices.
Which means you want your content to be optimized for that experience.
So avoid long paragraphs of text. Ditch long, complicated sentences. And make your content skimmable.
Most people won’t read every single word you write.
I know, you’re so brilliant that’s hard to believe. And yes, I know… it’s their loss. LOL
But it’s just how it is.
If you have a kid or you’ve been in a long term relationship before… you understand just how little people actually listen to you.
Saaaaaaame concept. LOL
So encourage your readers to keep their eye moving down the page – AKA listening to you – by creating visual interest. And short chunks of content.
If there’s one thing I want you to take away today, it’s this…
Copywriting is both an art AND a science. And your approach is likely to change over time.
This is perfectly ok – expected even.
I mean, for realz… when I look back at some of my very first copywriting attempts, I sometimes want to cringe.
Because I was spending SOOOO much time copying what I assumed worked for other businesses.
So obviously I was frustrated AF when it didn’t seem to work for me.
You know why it didn’t work for me?
Because my audience is different from their audience.
And once I broke all the rules I had set for myself – and started using the ones I shared with you today – everything changed.
I started getting more traffic to my website.
My social media channels grew.
And more and more people (the ones I was dying for) started asking to work with me.
And over time, my checks got bigger.
Because I realized I had something no one else had… my unique perspective.
And you have YOUR unique perspective.
That’s why committing to a learner’s mindset and getting out of your own way (by that I mean, out of your own HEAD) – that’s what will make writing copy easier for you.
So, to help you with this… I’ve put together some key exercises to help you get to the heart of your brand in my “Build Your Online Biz Guide”.
You can get your free copy at https://hayleyhobson.com/bizguide – or comment the word BIZ on a recent IG or FB post of mine: @hayleyhobson
The Build Your Online Biz guidebook walks you through 7 critical aspects of your online biz – from your intentions, values, and beliefs… all the way through the tactical bits like your copy, offers, and website.
It’s gonna help you get crystal clear on your unique point of view in your biz.
Many people who have downloaded this guide have told me that it’s become their “biz bible”.
They use it as a gut-check guide when they feel stuck on what to write about, create, or produce in their biz.
And it’s saved them HOURS of staring at a blank screen… as well as rescued them from misguided biz ideas that don’t truly align with their vision. Or their ICAs.
I’ll share the link in this week’s newsletter – as well as the show notes. So you can grab it easily.
My friends, copywriting doesn’t have to be a stressful or time-consuming aspect of your biz.
Yeah, it’s an important skill to know how to do… but it’s also an evolving process.
So don’t worry if you feel like you’re not quote unquote “good” at writing just yet.
Commit to learning and practicing.
And use the hacks I’ve provided you with today to add more ease, flow, and productivity to your marketing writing process!
That’s it for today… I’ll see ya online.