Are you writing your blog for yourself or for your higher-paying clients?
This is the question you should be asking yourself when you’re wanting to add a blog to your business and it’s no matter how well your business is, the bottom line is that nobody likes to hear somebody ramble on about themselves, and the same is true in the form of copy.
Which type of person do you think is more persuasive – a person who always talks about you, or someone who always talks about themselves? Who do you think is a better communicator? You’re right if you said the former.
The key to writing good copy is that you’re not actually writing about yourself, but for those whom you’re serving. If you’re wanting to reach and serve higher-paying clients, then you’ll need to write for them
Sure, on the surface, you are writing for yourself because you’re wanting to attract clients to your digital doorstep, right? Your content might describe the features, details, and specs of your product or another offerings.
But that’s only on the surface, but what you actually want to do is to talk to the reader as if you are coaching them. Want higher-paying clients? Then treat your blog as if it’s the higher paying client.
This is one of the major reasons why it’s hard to write copy well because the copy is either all about you or it’s all about a lower-paying client when you’re actually want to serve those who will pay thousands to work with you.
Neil Patel describes this so well in his blog about wooing customers with your business blog:
“To gain business with your blog you should stop thinking like a salesman and start acting like your reader’s mentor. A salesman wonders how to get his next sale. A mentor cares about his students. He wants to help them get ahead and live a more fulfilled life.”
It’s time to act like your blog is your coaching client rather than you talking to yourself. Here are some tips on how to begin writing on a higher level.
WIIFM – What’s In It For Me
When you’re writing copy, write it from the WIIFM – “What’s in it for me?” – perspective.
Neil Patel (what an awesome copywriter and guy, am I right?) wants you to ask yourself two questions when you’re writing your blog or any sort of content:
- Who are you writing for? Try to be specific. When you can visualize an ideal reader or buyer persona, your writing becomes more vivid, more personal, and more engaging.
- How can you help your readers? Consider what your ideal reader is dreaming of, and how you can help him achieve his goals.
This is what the reader is thinking while they read your copy because they wouldn’t be on your blog if it was about you (trust me). The reader is full of doubt and skepticism, worry and unsure.
You want to take them on a journey where they are being lead to being confident, trusting themselves once again and clarity in their lives or business. If they don’t feel that from your blog then you have just lost a potential client and someone who could have been a loyal fan of your brand.
Strike at the Emotional Level
In order to write great copy, you need to understand your reader’s emotions and talk to them at the emotional level. Facts and data are nice to have for some types of people, but you really need to speak to the reader’s feelings, desires, dreams and fears.
Remember how you’re coaching someone and your client goes into their fears, struggles, and dreams and they get emotional? Go there. Think about the client that had the greatest breakthrough because they went deep within themselves, felt the emotion, and came out on the other side. All thanks to you and your coaching.
This is your blog.
Neil Patel tells you to scrap the corporate talk and talk as if you’re talking to a human being (aka your coaching client). One way you can do this is by recording yourself as you talk and then transcribe it into content.
Of course, you can weed out the ums, awkward silences, and grammar, but keep the conversation going because your content should be just that – a conversation.
Copy shouldn’t tell your reader that you’re the best at what you do. It should tell the reader that they’ll find relief from their biggest problem or attain their dreams only through the one solution you offer (much like a coaching call. What an idea!).
Yes, it’s about your offer, but it’s really about the reader’s problem or dream and how you solve their problem with your on of a kind solution.
Mission-Focused, not Sales Focused
I am going to leave it to Enchanted Marketing to tell you what I mean here for they said it better than I can:
“But when you’re writing a blog post, the action you inspire your reader to take is not directly sales-related. Your blog helps, advises, and inspires your readers.
You’re building a relationship.
You’re on a mission.
When you’re on a mission, you become happy to give away your best tips. You link freely to other bloggers. You look for opportunities to promote your mission and other bloggers can help. They’re not your competitors anymore.
Your mission might be vaguely or directly related to your business. You still want to use your blog to build your authority, to get others to trust your advice. You still want readers to get to know you and like you so they’ll get in touch to buy from you.
Before you write your next blog post – consider this: how can your knowledge, your experience, your wisdom help others? How can you make the world a better place?”
How do you feel about having a mission for your blog? What does that change about writing your next blog post? I hope this has changed or shifted your perspective on how to write your next blog post.
Benefits, Not Features
Whenever discussing the features of your offer, always relate to the result of how your offer will make a positive change in your reader’s life. Put your focus there on the benefit to the reader, rather than on the actual feature.
I know I have fallen into this trap, but when I focus on the results of what my client or reader wants, they instantly get it and the answers are usually a yes rather than a no.
Here’s an example of how to focus on the results and benefits:
A time management app allows the user to more quickly and effectively manage their time so they can do the things they really want to do.
Being open 24 hours is a feature; the benefit is that you can get what you need done any time you need it done.
Focus on the benefits and end results for your copy, landing pages, and conversation because this will ultimately lead to higher conversions, more people wanting to work with you, and better leads.
Want to learn more about how you can create better copy right now and generate more leads (thus leading to more money)? Grab your free worksheet on how you can write attention-worthy content now and start converting more leads into clients now.