Copywriting Guilty Secrets #2 How to tell your customers what to do without being rude
You’re out at a restaurant with friends. The food’s good, the wine’s flowing and the conversation is lively and peppered with laughter.
Until the person next to you says:
“{!name} I just wish I knew how to solve that problem of mine…”
You know your business offers them the perfect solution to their problem.
So you delve into your bag and emerge with stacks of paperwork. Your friend looks bemused as you push her plate aside and put an article in front of her.
“Read this – it’s 10 quick ways to solve your problem.” She laughs nervously but reads it and smiles politely.
“That was useful… thanks”
“You thought that was useful! Sign here to see the newsletter – all the best information is in there.”
“Oh, I’m okay thanks…”
“I’ll give you 5 even more amazing tips on how to solve your problem – you’d like that right?”
With your hand on hers, she signs up for the newsletter which you hand over. Meanwhile the table has grown silent as your friend reads more of your content.
“Want to buy something?” You ask, smiling.
She shakes her head. You wait 10 minutes
“Want to buy something now?” Eventually she does and you relax in your seat and finish her untouched meal.
Of course, there’s no way you’re going to act like that in real life. What would probably happen is you would chat a bit, mention you know a bit about her problem and see if she asks for your card.
The thing is, our offline personas don’t work as well online, but we’re uncomfortable pushing ourselves so we create great quality products and content and then think:
If we write a blog people will read it
If we create a newsletter, people will sign up
If we make an offer people will buy it
But trust me, if you tell your customers in no uncertain terms what they can do so you can help them, they will love it.
Because by letting them know about your content, your product or your service, you’re taking them a step closer to being able to help them and solve their problems.
And customers love that.
So…
On each and every blog post, tell them to sign up to your newsletter
In your newsletter, link back to your blog
On your site make it clear WHY they should hire you and HOW to hire you
Tell customers to promote you to their friends
Language tips
Tell them what to do and include hyperlinks to make it easy:
“Sign up to the newsletter here” “Get blog posts straight to your inbox by clicking here” or read this article on copywriting when you feel like a fraud here”
Be confident
Replace polite and gentle words and phrases like:
Perhaps, maybe, you might like, possibly, if you want to, you could,
with:
Definitely, you’ll love, get this today, you’ll want to do this, you won’t want to miss this
Tell them what they’re going to get
“For more tips on solving your problem sign up to the newsletter”
“To get advance notice on my course to solve your problem register here”
“For your “all-in-one problem gone once and for all” solution, buy the platinum package”
This is a great technique that can sometimes be forgotten, we hear a lot about having a “call to action” but it’s easy to forget that doesn’t have to mean buying something. It can be about signing up for more content with you.
So, have a go at being a little more direct with your customers and let me know how you get on!
Till next time,
Amy.
Find me on twitter at www.twitter.com/littleunred