Here’s the deal: People are hardwired to respond to getting out of pain more quickly than they are to seek out pleasure.
Why does that matter to your business? It matters because you need to speak to your customers’ pain points and the problems you solve. If someone doesn’t know they have a problem they aren’t going to buy from you.
So often marketers talk about the positives of their product or service and what the product does rather than addressing problems. And I get it. It can sometimes feel “salesy” and you don’t want to feel like you are manipulating your audience. It doesn’t have to look or feel that way. Trust me, I am one of the most sales-adverse people you will meet.
Addressing your audience’s problems does not mean you are manipulating them or using scare tactics. It means you are relating to them and letting them know you understand them and what their challenges are, and you have a solution. It also makes it about THEM, not about YOU.
Copy That Converts
Are you intimidated by the word “copy”? Do you not consider yourself a “writer”? You don’t need to overthink it. Copy is simply persuasive communication, whether it’s written, spoken, or some other form. If you’re communicating to persuade—and we almost always are—then that’s copy.
Copywriting is important to businesses because it helps you get the results you want. When planning copy, think about the action you want your audience to take, and work backwards from there.
An important thing to note, as well…if the copy you are creating is for social media, engagement matters. The algorithm loves engagement. The more engagement your post gets, the more people the platform will release your content to. So at the very least your copy should encourage engagement with the post.
So what statements can you put to use that will encourage your audience to take action? Here are 7 examples:
If, then statements
IF you have a particular problem, THEN this is the solution. Remember if people are looking for your product or service, they are probably confused or trying to solve a problem. Make sure you are who they come to in order to solve that problem.
The other way to use this tactic is to explain that doing nothing will only make their problem worse. We often hope that if we ignore a problem it will just go away. Deep down, we all know that doesn’t really work. Play on that knowledge and relatable emotion.
What most people do
Most people do the wrong thing. At least when using this phrase. Your customers want to be better than “most people”. They want to improve their life, their business or their situation. Doing what everyone else does won’t get them there. Explain how your product or service can help them get an edge on “most people”.
IMAGINE
This is one of my favorite phrases to use because it let’s you paint a picture of your customer’s life after they work with you. Let them daydream about what that would look and feel like and then explain how you can make it a reality.
If the only thing that happened was….
This tactic can be used to create several headlines, posts or ads. Make a list of all the major benefits of your product or service. Create a statement for each of those benefits and let the customer know that if the only thing they get out of working with you is one of those benefits, then hiring you or working with you will still be worth it.
Don’t let this happen to you
This doesn’t have to be as severe as it may sound. This phrase speaks to what will happen if a customer doesn’t work with you. But it doesn’t have to be life-threatening. It can be as simple as
- Don’t get caught using outdated tactics for…
- Don’t get caught wasting time and money on….
- Don’t spend another year….
What if…
This phrase is similar to the imagine phrase. It let’s your customer focus on positive possibilities. This strategy is straightforward but we often forget to utilize it.
- What if you could accomplish more by working and stressing less
- What if you could be ahead of the game when it comes to
- What if you didn’t have to worry about
You’re at a crossroads
This phrase offers two choices. One is your customer continuing to do what they’ve always done. The other is working with you.
where to Apply these phrases
Remember that everything is copy. You can use these phrases in ads, email headlines, website copy, blog titles, Instagram stories, videos, you name it.