After telling someone what my job is, they almost always follow up with, “amazing, what exactly is a copywriter”. And because these people are usually miles away from the digital world we function in, I strip my definition back and (try) rein my enthusiasm in a little (usually, this fails). 

“It’s persuasive writing for businesses. The words I write always have an intention- to connect, convert, inspire action.” 

9/10, they get it, and it piques their interest (because copywriting is fascinating, obviously).

I think approaching copy as persuasive writing can take a lot of the fear, questions, and overwhelm away from the business rebranding or the CEO DIY-ing.

As a business owner, you always want to be persuading people:

Persuading them you’re worth listening to

Persuading them you know your stuff

Persuading them you can solve their issue

Persuading them you understand their situation

& of course, persuading them to buy from you

Every piece of content/copy you produce should be persuading your audience something (even if it’s not directly linked to sales!)

But, persuading your audience isn’t as easy as battering your eyelashes and giving them a winning smile (if only, eh). Like all areas of marketing, persuasive writing requires strategy and understanding. In this post, I’m sharing how you can write persuasively and why it’s an invaluable skill for a business owner.

Why does persuasive writing matter for your business?

Without persuading your audience to do something, your business is at a standstill. If people aren’t downloading your freebie, listening to your message, or inquiring with you, you’re not going to make sales or build community.

Persuasion versus Personality

I talk about website copy that is equal parts personal and persuasive because I don’t believe the two are mutually exclusive. You can write with personality and persuasion (& you should!)

Persuasive writing doesn’t mean being super formal, factual, and salesy. It means writing strategically and crafting copy with a deep understanding of who your ideal client is and what they need to see.

Want to learn more about writing personality-packed website copy? Read this post.

How to make your copy more persuasive

You won’t be surprised to hear there’s not one formula for writing persuasively. There’s not one method that works with every potential client. And for something as extensive as your website, you’ll need to implement several techniques.

Add statistics

Don’t underestimate the power of statistics. Whether these are from your business or industry statistics, your ideal client’s logical brain loves them. 

Why? Because…

• Numbers and percentages show proof of the product/service expanding further than your business and messaging. 

• Shows you’re serious about finding the best solution for your client and have researched to ensure you can provide this.

• The human brain loves holding onto stats (these bite-sized bits of info make great conversation starters). Connecting your business to a memorable stat means people will associate you with this information.  

Case studies &  social proof

People want to know you’ve helped people like them solve the same issues they’re having. Case studies provide a play-by-play account of how you’ve transformed someone’s life and provide evidence you’re capable of achieving the same for someone else. 

Testimonials act as mini case studies, emphasising your credibility and trustworthiness through the words of others. 

Use pain & Motivation

People buy to escape pain (a problem) and to live a better, more rewarding life (the solution). Once you understand what your ideal client is running from and how they want their life to look, you can present this to them in a narrative with your product/service as the source of relief/fulfilment. 

Write with emotion

Apply to people’s emotionality by showing them how they’ll feel during and after working with you. 

Plan your perfect wedding → radiate joy as you glide down the aisle into the warm embrace of the person who means the most to you.

Capture your wedding through photography → relive every detail of your wedding day through candid photographs overflowing with raw emotion.

Create an eye-catching business website → finally, feel empowered to show up & shout about your business to your dream clients!

Consider & address objections

People will always have a reason not to invest in you or your service. From believing they can do it themselves to investing the money, you’ll rarely encounter a buyer who won’t have a voice in their head questioning their purchase. It’s your job to talk to this voice and counteract its arguments. Provide solutions to their questions and explanations that alleviate concerns.

Create urgency

Your ideal client has an ingrained fear of missing out. People are most likely to take action when they feel they have a limited time to do so. Otherwise, they risk missing something everyone else is benefiting from.

→Ready to start working with clients this spring? Book your spot now to get your wedding business up and running before engagement season. 

→Still waiting for that Pinterest-worthy summer wedding to plan itself, eh? You might not want to hear this, but it’s not going to happen. Unless you start searching for venues, vetting vendors, and finalising designs today. Or, you could hire a professional to do the heavy lifting while you keep scrolling. I think I know what you’d prefer…

→[Business] only works with 3 couples every season. If you’re searching for tailored, one-to-one wedding design, planning, and support, reach out today and see if you’re a good fit for the [business] experience.

Which persuasive technique should I use?

Writing persuasively is a skill and understanding you’ll develop over time. This blog post doesn’t account for every possible way to enhance the persuasiveness of your writing, but it’s somewhere to start. These six persuasive writing techniques will appeal to different buyers for different reasons. It’s your job to understand your ideal client and experiment with various methods in your marketing and messaging.

If you’re reading to offload your copy tasks to a professional, CCS can help. Click here to view my 1:1 services.

Or, if you’re searching for more copy tips, browse the CCS blog.