For my entire adult life I’ve held gym memberships and actually enjoy working out. Since the pandemic I’ve subscribed to online videos. People often assume I was a tomboy who played sports as a child.
Alas, I was not. I was a wuss and a wimp. I could have won awards for “Most Creative Excuse To Escape Gym Classes” in school. So I’m thrilled every time someone says, “I can tell you work out.”
The Copywriting Fitness Test
Copywriting also can be strong or weak. Some copywriting seems ready to run a marathon and some seems downright wimpy. How do you tell the difference?
Spot A Wimpy Landing Page As Soon As You Open Your Browser
The unmistakeable sign of a wimpy page is vagueness – the copywriting equivalent of flabby muscles.
You see promises like, “Step up to the next level!” instead of, “Let’s explore your unique gifts and discover how you can maximize your potential (without adding new stress to your life.”
You see questions like, “Are you ready for more authentic relationships?” instead of, “Would you like to get the secret key to better relationships when you’re a solitude-loving introvert who has fantasies of living on a desert island?”
You can spot a wimpy landing page when you ask the question: “How many other marketers could use the same copy and make the same claims?”
The smaller the number, the stronger the copy. Strong copy seems to be written with just one business owner in mind.
So how can you get build muscles into your landing page?
Begin by looking for your client’s backstory – also called your baggage story.
In his book Tell To Win, Peter Guber demonstrates the impact of a customer’s story.
A producer needed to get Alice Walker’s approval to produce her book, The Color Purple, as a stage play. Alice was the customer; the producer was, in a real sense, doing the selling.
Guber coached the producer to expect resistance. Alice had gotten a negative backlash from the black community after her book was produced as a movie. The producer needed to address Alice’s backstory — not directly, but with a new story.
That’s the kind of backstory you need to reach prospects. You start with their pain or problem…but then you dig into the layers that create resistance.
Just as Alice Walker had bad experiences with a previous producer, clients come to you with baggage: good and bad experiences with other service businesses.
So let’s say you’re ready to craft your message and write the copy. Those steps require you to enter the conversation. They’re sharing their experiences and expectations. Now it’s your opportunity – and challenge – to respond.
Learn more with this free guide to understanding your clients- http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage
Schedule a Strategic Intensive session to work on your greatest copywriting or marketing challenge.
Leave a Reply