“Words were originally magic, and to this day words have retained much of their ancient magical power.”
~ Sigmund Freud
Language has amazing power to draw people together in a common cause and to divide people. It is the basis of mediation and the cause of war. The words you choose to describe yourself, your business, and your products and services not only determine what other people think about you and how they respond, but also how you perceive yourself.
Words Have Power, So…
It follows that the copy you write in your landing pages, website, emails, blog posts, and social media has the power to attract or repel prospective buyers. Of course, that also means that if you choose not to speak or write about your business or service, you will also pay a price for your silence.
The words you choose have the potential to influence your readers (or viewers) perceptions and change their behaviour if they choose to accept your argument. They do not force a person to agree with your opinion or purchase anything, but they certainly can eliminate the possibility of agreement or sales by being repellant or boring.
Does This Mean That You Want EVERYONE to Accept Your Valuation of Yourself
Actually, yes it does. Your words should convey such an accurate perception of who your business is and what you offer that it is unarguable. At the same time, it also means that anyone who does not fit into your target market will know that your offer is not appropriate for them.
A few years ago I was writing copy for a real estate agent who only wanted to deal with properties in the $3.5 million plus category. She didn’t really want to talk to buyers or sellers whose properties were below that threshold but she was spending a lot of time with that sort of enquiries. We changed the copy on her website and advertisements quite radically and introduced a pre-qualifying process which transformed her results. Suddenly, the buyers and sellers of lower priced properties stopped contacting her and she had an influx of inquiries from the very people she wanted to work with. Because she was able to concentrate on the market she loved and the people who were her target market she had time to serve them better.
What changed?
She simply changed the words she used to describe her services and the marketing strategy she applied to qualify prospects… Now, her sellers receive top-dollar for their properties and are able to negotiate the settlement terms they want, her buyers are able to purchase their ideal property at an acceptable price. Her business is more profitable and her hours are more family-friendly.
Your Copy should be Irresistible… to the Right Reader
The words you use… the stories you tell… the offer you make… should be so irresistible that your ideal prospect has virtually no choice but to act in the way you are asking them to act. Whereas anyone who is not your ideal prospect is free to turn the page, delete the email, throw your letter in the rubbish, or exit your website.
Length is not important to the right person. Discovering the details that you have to share about their topic is of crucial importance, though. That is why the copy you write must feed their hunger to learn more, must play on their need to solve a problem, and must show them the next step to take.
Yes, you can simply pour words onto the page until you reach your word goal, throw in some SEO-friendly terminology and hope for the best, (I’ve lost count of the number of businesses who follow this strategy and go out of business). But you can also recognise that the words you choose can transform your outcomes, and choose to write about topics that your target market actually cares about. Try it yourself, or hire a copywriter with experience and see the difference in your results.