September 16

10 Costly Copywriting Mistakes To Avoid

D-R Copywriting

8  comments

Boost Your Conversions By Avoiding These 10 Costly Copywriting Mistakes...

As you know, it can be frustrating to pour tons of time, effort, and energy into crafting your sales copy, only to discover - the only thing it's attracting is crickets!

Many times the poor conversions are due to one or more common copywriting mistakes, which I've listed below so you can learn exactly what to avoid.

Read on...

  • Mistake # 1: Not Understanding the Audience
    In order for your audience to really feel the copy in their bones, you need to know who you're writing to. That's why you have to research your market first, so your copy aligns with your prospects' needs, desires, and pain points.
  • Mistake # 2: Lack of Clarity
    If you've created the product, then you may be a bit too close to the project to efficiently explain the offer to others. This lack of clarity will tank your sales. As such, you'll want to step back from your product and try and see it from your prospects perspective - and then explain the offer clearly and succinctly, with a focus on what your product will do for your audience.
  • Mistake # 3: Weak Headlines
    As we've discussed before, your headline is the most important part of your sales letter, as it will determine whether someone reads the rest of your sales copy or not. Weak headlines will send users clicking the "back" button, while strong headlines draw readers in like a magnet!
    Follow these tips...
    1. Put your biggest benefits in the headline. This is a good place for your unique selling proposition to appear.
    2. Arouse curiosity if possible. E.G., "Discover this little-known secret for _____..."
    3. Use Social proof. E.G., "Who else wants to _____..."
    4. Be specific. Don't round numbers - be precise, which boosts credibility.
  • Mistake # 4: Focusing on Features Only
    Yes, your prospects want to know the features ("parts") of your product - but even more than that, they want to know the benefits (what the features do for them). In many cases, your prospects don't know the benefit of a particular feature, so just listing it, isn't very helpful. For example...
    One feature of toothpaste might be that it contains carbamide peroxide.

    But listing that feature ain't gonna bring the house down anytime soon. However, if you want to provide the benefit of said ingredient, like it whitens teeth to a radiant glow, attracting admiring glances from all around.
    Now, that's sure to win the race!


  • Mistake # 5: No USP
    Another common mistake is to NOT have a unique selling point. A USP provides the customer with the reason why they should buy this product rather than a competing offer. For example...
    United Airlines used to use the USP, "Fly the friendly skies," which let customers know that they'll have a great experience with the company. (And this is a convincing benefit, as most people have experienced stressful flights).
  • Mistake # 6: Failing to Emotionally Engage the Audience
    People tend to make their buying decisions based on emotion, which is why it's important to engage your audience on this level. For example...
    You can get your audience to "imagine" how good it will "feel" to solve their problem or achieve their goal.
  • Mistake # 7: Not Providing a Logical Justification
    While your customer is going to make the buying decision based largely on emotional reasons, they're going to need to justify that decision with logic. And as such, you need to give them rational reasons why they should purchase your product. For example...

    Someone purchasing and expensive luxury car (such as a Mercedes Benz) may make the initial decision from an emotional place, like imagining how the car will reflect their wealth, power, and prestige. However they'll justify with logic, which is why a good car sales person will talk to them about the reliable German engineering and the safety features of the vehicle.
  • Mistake # 8: No Proof / Weak Proof
    Your prospects are a skeptical bunch, and therefor need proof of your claims. You also want to be sure the proof is persuasive.
    For example, a testimonial for a weight-loss guide that says, "This book was fun to read!" is weak since it doesn't actually talk about what's inside the book.

    A better testimonial for this guide would be something like, "The recipes and meal plans are delicious and easy to follow - I've lost 25 pounds so far!"
  • Mistake # 9: No Urgency
    If you don't stoke a sense of urgency in your prospects, they'll shut their browser window with the intention to purchase the product later. Except "later" never comes. As soon as they step away from the sales page, their enthusiasm for your offer fades. And once the enthusiasm starts fading, they'll likely forget about the product.

    You can avoid all of this by creating a sense of genuine urgency, where possible. For example, you can offer a limited time discount, a limited quantity bonus, or even let prospects know there will be a delay if they don't order now. For example...

    Amazon often has a notation saying something like, "Order soon, only two left in stock!" This creates urgency, as prospects know that if they don't buy now and stock runs out, they'll have to wait for the product to come back in stock.

    Another common example is offering a special price. E.G., "Order now to save $25 - but hurry, this offer ends soon!"
  • Mistake # 10: Lack of Credibility
    If you don't provide your audience with reasons why they should believe you and listen to you, they won't. That's why you need to build credibility within your sales copy. You can do this in the following ways...
    1. Provide proof of claims
    2. Let prospects know about relevant awards you've won.
    3. Share your relevant work history or other experience.
    4. Demonstrate your expertise such as by offering valuable advice.

    For example, if you're selling a guide to interior design, you can build credibility by showing photos of what you've designed, listing your celebrity clients, and listing design awards you've won!

So, wrapping it all up...

If you want to craft more effective sales copy, then make sure to review the above list so you can avoid these common copywriting mistakes... and watch your conversions soar!

 Previous
Next

Tags

You may also like

10… Froze on a Cliff… That’s Where…

I Was 10. I Froze on a Cliff. And That’s Where My Real Life Began.What Near-Death Taught Me About Self-Trust I was ten years old the first time I really met fear. Not the monsters-under-the-bed kind.Not even the “get told off by Mum” kind.I mean REAL fkin’ fear. The kind that silences your thoughts.Tightens your chest.Makes you

Read More

Sleight of Mind…

The Sleight of Mind That’s Been Controlling YouWhat if the thoughts you trust most… are the ones keeping you stuck? There’s a reason good magicians can fool even the sharpest minds.And it isn’t because they move faster than your eyes.It’s because they move faster than your EXPECTATIONS. Here’s the secret… 👉 You don’t see the world.👉 You see

Read More
Leave a Comment

Get in touch