Raise your hand if you struggle to write about your products. Whether it’s a product description, social post, or even an email…. the amount of written words it takes to promote and sell your products on the Internet is seemingly endless.
Sure, some products sell a bit more easily than others. Or they present really well on video… but even if that is the case that doesn’t mean you get to skip out on the written word altogether.
Here are a few quick tips & tricks to help you write better copy.
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Do You Have to Be a Copywriter to Create Great Content?
I am not a copywriter or a wordsmith… but I’ve been successfully marketing and selling products for a long time and it just sort of comes naturally to me. And the funny thing is, I didn’t even realize how naturally it came to me until multiple other people told me I was good at it.
My point is, you don’t have to be a copywriter or a wordsmith to create great copy. You just need to understand a few key principles, make your customer the hero of your story, and try not to overthink it too much.
2 Most Important Copywriting Principles
Okay, so there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when you’re writing copy to sell your products. And look, if you were to go and google copywriting tips or take a copywriting course, it would go a lot more in-depth than we can do on biz bite episode… but I promise if you can nail these concepts you’ll be well on your way.
People Don't Buy Products, They Buy Solutions
People don’t buy products. They buy solutions, confidence, results, status, and better versions of themselves. They buy with emotion and justify with logic. So, what does this mean?
When you’re writing about your product you want to get really clear on WHY they’re buying that thing. What is the REAL outcome they’re looking for?
For instance… if you didn’t already know I used to sling dildos on the Internet. And while the majority of what I sold was all about the big O, that wasn’t enough to sell the product because different customers were buying them for different reasons.
Some wanted to be closer to their partner and spice things up, others were truckers who got lonely on the road, then there were the singles who wanted to take control of their pleasure… and a host of other customer avatars that shopped with us.
Sure, there were new technologies and features that hit the market that were cool to talk about. But it wasn’t the feature alone that sold the product… it was how that particular feature was going to benefit the end user.
Essentially, features are cool… but benefits are better.
For every feature you want to share, think about the benefit behind that feature. Ask yourself… so WHAT? What’s in it for them? Or you can think of it as a statement like My product has this feature SO THAT
Speak to the Customer in Their Own Words
I can’t emphasize this enough. Don’t worry about being cheeky and clever. If that comes easily to you and it's widely understood by your perfect customer, then great. But otherwise, just use the words your customer is already using to describe the product you sell or the outcome they want.
Not only is this a great practice for SEO purposes, but it also ensures what you’re saying will actually resonate with them – and that is the most important thing. If they don’t see themselves in your copy, if they can’t nod along in agreement with what you’re saying and think to themselves, YES! that’s exactly what I want… it’s just not going to convert as well as it could.
Copy Examples for Products
I have a product called the Holiday Content Bundle. It’s 90-holiday content prompts and 75-holiday subject lines. And here are a few ways that I talk about it.
- So you can connect with & convert your customers
- So you never feel like you don’t know what to say
- So you can create content with ease and avoid the overwhelm
These phrases that I’m using… connect & convert, feeling like you don’t know what to say, avoiding the overwhelm. These are all things the eCommerce Badassery community has said to me. Things they want to do and avoid.
Silicone Nipple Covers for Breast Pumps
- A more comfortable pumping experience
- More time bonding with your baby
- Less sensitivity so you can breastfeed without pain
- Get the perfect flange fit even if you’re between sizes
Hand-Poured Coconut Wax Candles
- Scents that fill a room and transport you to [WHERE THEY WANT TO BE]
- A non-toxic candle that won’t give you a headache
DIY Nail Polish Kits
- An activity to create memories with the people you love most
- Non-toxic ingredients that are better for your and the environment
- Mix a custom nude polish that perfectly compliments your unique skin tone
T-Shirt with Snarky Sayings
- Express what matters to you most
- Feel like your most badass self every time you wear your tee
A Dress with Pockets – a personal favorite product of mine
- So you can stash your lipstick without having to carry your handbag
- So you have a place to put your hands in a photo and look cool at the same time.
Speak to the Customer's Pain & Pleasure Points
As you can see with all of these examples I’m touching on a mix of pain and pleasure points. Ultimately, most people prioritize one over the other, maximizing pleasure or minimizing pain.
And maybe you have an abundance of one in your audience. If you do and you know that… great lean into that a bit more. Otherwise, having a healthy mix of the two is a great place to start.
In some cases, which angle you take is going to depend on the audience you’re speaking to as well. Take the DIY nail polish kit for example. The girl who wants to mix her perfect nude, might not care as much about the fact that it’s also non-toxic. Sure, that is a bonus – but probably not the REASON why she would ultimately decide to buy. It’s not the specific outcome she is looking for.
On the other hand, there is a subset of consumers that consider non-toxic nail polish as a non-negotiable.
Of course, if you’re talking about ad copy, it’s really easy to pair the right copy with the right audience. You can even do it in your email if you have enough information about your customers. But don’t get too hung up on that. Again, just keep a healthy mix of the different outcomes people are looking for from your product and you’ll be good to go.
Hopefully, this makes writing copy for your business a little less scary and overwhelming. When in doubt, remember that it’s just a human on the other side of those words. Put your human hat on and you’ll do great.
