You’re a small business owner. How can you write compelling copy without breaking the bank?

For small business owners writing their own copy, I recommend forgetting fancy jargon, complex phrases, and corporate speak and tapping into the magic of old-school classic selling, the way our grandparents did it back in the day. Keep it accurate, keep it simple, and focus on fewer things. Don't just tell people what your product or service does; tell them how it will make their lives better. Embrace being a small business owner, showcase the added value your business brings, and connect with folks on a genuine level. Now that's copy that resonates!

Most people already know this, but not all of them understand why this is important and how to effectively create and ask questions to their audience. For me, creating a questionnaire and survey/ social voice is really important before creating content. Asking the right questions and understanding why they answered is important for you to actively know what your audience thinks and how they engage and interact on certain posts. With these in mind, you will be cutting out the time wasted on trial and error and focus on creating quality content that can instantly hit virality.

Why are you writing what are you writing? Who is your audience? And why should it buy/ get service from you? Find out the answers for these questions. - Have survey forms - Do online research - Study community forums - Learn & Address the need of your audiences.

Pick up "Demand-Side Sales 101" by Bob Moesta to gain an incredible framework for understanding your buyers. It'll help you understand your audience - your One Reader - in a way that goes way beyond demographic details.

As a small business owner, writing compelling copy on a budget requires a strategic approach. Invest time in understanding your target audience's pain points and desires to create content that resonates deeply. Hone your writing skills through online resources and courses to craft engaging and persuasive copy in-house. Consider collaborating with freelance copywriters for specific projects, leveraging their expertise without committing to full-time expenses, ensuring your copy remains compelling while staying budget-friendly.

Here's a tip straight from the copywriting playbook: Don't just list what your product or service does. That's like giving directions without a destination. Instead, paint a picture of how it makes life better, easier, more enjoyable. Ask yourself, "What's the endgame for the customer?" Is it saving time? Reducing stress? Making them the envy of their neighbors? That's what you harp on. Your words should focus on 'after'. After they've bought your product, after they've used your service. That's where the magic happens for your customer. And when your copy zeroes in on these benefits, that's when it starts working overtime for you.

Focus more on benefits than features. The reason behind this is a simple psychological element that triggers your audience towards making purchasing decisions. Studies shows that a person will be more drawn towards a copy or content that highlights the benefits instead of features because they are least concerned about another factor than how that particular product/services brings difference in their life. And benefits bridges that gap.

When it comes to crafting compelling copy, shift your focus towards accentuating the advantages rather than merely listing the features. For instance, instead of merely stating that a fitness app provides workout tracking (feature), emphasize the benefit by explaining how it empowers users to monitor their progress seamlessly, helping them achieve their fitness goals (outcome).

Exactly. When you write articles or posts that don't benefit your audience, you are just wasting your time and effort. Always make sure that you are putting your audience's needs first. Find something that they can't do that YOU CAN definitely do. It's like offering them the last piece of their puzzle.

Hint: If you're not quite sure if you've landed on a benefit, this prompt can help. To find a feature's benefit, finish the sentence: "So you can..." Another useful framework to use so that you ensure your messaging includes the "what's in it for me?": Feature-Advantage-Benefit (FAB for short). It works particularly well in body copy.

You know why you created this small business and what your USPs are. If you lack budget for a content writer entirely, the below is what I'd prioritise. By now, you probably have an elevator pitch honed to a fine art. Approach your copy in the exact same way. People like to feel their interaction with online copy is conversational and open. Don't overthink things, but do keep a record of the conversations you have with people about your business. The way you describe your offerings over a beer is (essentially) the same way you should describe offerings to your potential customers. In copy, I've found that people anticipate and deserve the same friendly, conversational tone they're used to receiving in brick-and-mortar businesses.

As a small business owner, you don't have to become a top-tier copywriter to sell your product or service. What you can do right away to make your offer more appealing is: 1. Use short sentences and simple words for clarity. 2. Break up content for easy digestion. People scan before reading. 3. Speak in a friendly tone, like chatting with your best friend. 4. Be transparent about your offer, even if it's not the market's top. 5. Mirror the writing style from your or competitors' reviews for familiarity. Starting with these steps lays a solid foundation for making your offer more appealing. The more genuine and straightforward you sound, the more attractive your offer becomes to potential customers.

Using clear and simple language is a powerful tool in writing compelling copy. By avoiding overly complicated or flowery language, you can create copy that is easy to understand and resonates with a wider audience. This can help you save money on excessive editing and revisions, as well as appeal to a larger potential customer base. Using clear and simple language can also help you convey your message more effectively and efficiently, avoiding the need for lengthy and expensive copy. By keeping your language straightforward and relatable, you can create compelling copy that connects with your audience without breaking the bank.

For small business owners, clear and simple copywriting is a MUST. It turns your message into a friendly chat, easy for anyone to grasp. Think of it as a casual conversation over coffee, where you build trust and connect with your audience. Plain language shows you respect their time and grabs their attention, right off the bat. Simple words also break down borders. No matter where someone comes from, they can feel included in your message. Ditch the jargon and complex stuff – it should feel like a welcoming invitation. Bottom line? Clear copywriting makes your brand relatable and boosts communication. It's a user-friendly win-win.

Steer clear of friction-filled words like "learn" - which implies a loss of time and effort for your reader - unless you're sure your audience is actually motivated to learn. When in doubt, start your CTA with "get" because it implies that the reader will gain something from you. Here's why: Studies have shown that the power of the “reward” is most enticing and attention-getting when the person believes obtaining the reward is within their control. So if you know your audience is control-oriented, "get" can be a particularly persuasive choice. Which brings us back to the first part of this article: know your audience. :)

By providing a strong and specific call to action, you can guide your audience towards the desired action and avoid wasting resources on vague or ineffective messaging. This can help you save money on unnecessary marketing efforts and increase the chances of conversions and sales. Additionally, a clear call to action can also help you measure the success of your copy and make adjustments as needed, ensuring that your efforts are cost-effective and impactful. By giving your audience a clear next step, you can create compelling copy that drives results without breaking the bank.

In simple terms, a CTA is like a friendly guide in your message, telling your audience what you want them to do next. It's a crucial part of your writing that directs people to the next step in their journey with your business. Here are some tips: Be Clear and Specific: Your CTA should be crystal clear, leaving no room for confusion. Tell your audience exactly what action you want them to take. Explain the Benefit: Let your audience know what they'll get from taking this action. Whether it's a special offer, valuable information, or an exclusive opportunity, make it clear and enticing. Create Urgency: Make it urgent. Use words that encourage immediate action. This adds a sense of importance and tells people why they shouldn't wait.

If I only had two places to A/B test messaging, it would here: - Blog headlines: this single line of copy is what will compel audiences to click through and engage with your content. Test a range of different headline formulas or structures to see which copywriting techniques are most effective in winning your audience's attention. - Email subject lines: your CTR (click through rate) is primarily influenced by your subject line, so ensure you're testing at least 2-3 options per EDM and see what trends emerge.

Testing and optimizing your copy is a crucial step in writing copy. By regularly testing different versions of your copy and analyzing the results, you can identify what resonates best with your audience and make adjustments accordingly. This can help you save money on ineffective messaging and focus your resources on the most impactful copy. Optimizing your copy can also help you improve its performance and increase conversions, making your efforts more cost-effective in the long run.

Testing and optimizing your copy is a game-changer for small business owners. Keep this in mind. For example: Using tools like A/B testing and analytics, you refine elements like headlines and CTAs, ensuring your message resonates appropriately. Pay attention to customer feedback as it becomes your compass, guiding improvements. This iterative process sharpens your copy's effectiveness, maximizing impact and responsiveness. In the competitive landscape, constant refinement based on data and insights is the secret to a compelling and high-performing copy that provides business with the desired results.

This is the most useful yet most neglected tip — Hand copying. If you don't want to spend any money and learn to write a compelling copy… Hand copying great writers is the only tip you need to follow. Hand copy ads or emails or sales pages. Those copy will help you understand how great copy feels like. How to write a compelling copy that will sell. Start with these legends: David Ogilvy. Gary Halbert. Joseph Sugarman. Eugene Schwartz. Write with hands. No keyboard allowed.

When you first get started, write it yourself. I wrote everything down by hand first. I also started out years ago by taking ads I read in the papers at the time or online and I would rewrite them to make them better. Always look to those who have gone before you for direction. Take from them what you can to help you go further.

To write compelling copy without spending a bomb is to become a copywriter yourself! As a small business owner first list out the problems you set out to solve by your business approach and start providing byte-size value consistently in the medium you can reach out to your target audience. Try different approaches and double down on the ones that get better results.

Remember to just put yourself in your customer’s place. Also a way to do so is to hire a freelance copywriter. This would free the business owners up to work on other aspects of their business. This could be project based or even on retainer to move their marketing along. I’d be happy to offer my services Pro Bono (limited projects) as I am moving into the copywriting arena.