Does your copy paint a crystal clear picture for people?
Here’s why I ask: the easier it is for people to visualize themselves doing something, the more likely they will be to actually do the thing!
It’s so much easier to take an action you can clearly imagine yourself doing, as opposed to something you can’t see happening in your “mind’s eye” at all.
That’s why, when you write copy for your website, landing pages, emails, and all that fun stuff, it’s a good idea to choose words that create a clear visual picture and make it easy for people to “see” what you’re saying.
Here are some tips to help you do that:
TIP 1: TELL A STORY
Everybody loves a good story! We humans are a story-telling species and have been conveying important information to each other in story form since the dawn of time. So if you want people to pay more attention to the information you’re sharing, share it in the form of a narrative story.
TIP 2: FOCUS ON *THEIR* EXPERIENCE
Imagine what their lives look like right now and what they might be thinking and feeling about. What are their hopes, challenges, worries and delights?
Then consider how experiencing whatever it is you’re offering them will change their lives. What will that experience look like and feel like for them? And how will they feel, and what will their lives look like when they are experiencing the “happily ever after” of using your products or services?
The clearer you get on this, the easier it will be for you to create a picture they can see and relate to.
TIP 3: INCORPORATE THE SENSES
Great writing makes people feel like they are there in the scene being described. And the easiest way to do that is to speak to their senses! What will the experience of using your offer and enjoying the happily ever after look, feel, sound, smell, and taste like? When you create a full sensory description of the scene, you make it so much easier people to imagine themselves experiencing it.
TIP 4: USE POWERFUL WORDS
Your writing packs more of a punch when you use strong, evocative nouns and verbs that do a better job of bringing your descriptions to life. For example, instead of “went to,” say “explored.” Instead of saying “walked,” say “hurried, hustled, or sauntered.” Instead of saying building, say “skyscraper” or “shack.” Strong nouns and verbs also eliminate the need for adverbs and adjectives which eliminates unnecessary wordiness and gets more meaning across in fewer words.
TIP 5: SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE
Before you describe something, ask yourself: “How would my ideal clients or customers describe this? What words would they use?” The more you speak in their terms, the easier it will be for them to immediately understand and imagine what you’re saying.
TIP 6: ALWAYS ASK: WHAT MATTERS MOST TO THEM?
Consider the thing you’re describing or offering and ask, “What aspect or element or this thing are my ideal clients or customers going to appreciate most?” That’s what you should focus on! For example, if you offer pre-natal yoga classes, it’s probably better to emphasize how it will relieve hip and lower back pain and make it easier for heavily pregnant women to sleep, as opposed to how it will help them improve their flexibility and tone their upper body.
So those are my six tips on how to help your ideal customers or clients “see” what you’re saying in your copy. If you’d like to learn more powerful writing tips to help you elevate your copy game and get better results with your marketing, join me for WordPower Academy this fall! Our first live copy coaching session is on October 12th – I hope to see you there!
Learn more at www.wordpoweracademy.com
