Here’s something that may come as a surprise…your audience does not equal everyone. Often when a prospective client arrives in my virtual office with a landing page or a sales page that isn’t converting I can find the problem pretty quickly – They are trying to appeal to everyone who might possibly use their service at some point, and in doing that, they miss the opportunity to appeal to the very specific market segment who might be ready to buy what they’re selling right now.
Are you guilty of this copywriting faux pas?
Here’s how you can tell:
Read through your landing page and ask yourself – Can I clearly picture the person that I’m speaking to? Is this a castable character?
What do I mean by castable? Well, if you’ve ever had the opportunity to read through casting breakdowns (the info that is put out to agents and managers when a movie or TV show is casting actors) you’ll see that they are very detailed, sometimes almost offensively so. I’m looking at you – “ mid-30s, under 5’5”, attractive in a quirky way, not a model.”
The thing is, you can read through those descriptions and right away know whether you or your client is a fit for the role. The same thing should apply when someone reads your landing page. Can they see themselves in the role? Is it a quick, “yes this is me!!!”, or is it a vague and noisy “open call” meaning everyone and their sister should show up at 6am and stand in line for a wristband (usually a big waste of time by the way).
Even if you’ve never dabbled in the world of acting, hopefully this point makes sense. You can’t expect someone to drop everything and sign up for your SaaS or download your software if they can’t actually see themselves playing the starring role of “user of your product.”
If there’s a problem, you can solve it
The great news is that this is an easy fix (not quick, but easy!)
First things first – you need to know exactly who you’re talking to. For example, if you have customers already. then you know who you’re talking to – you just need to study them. Talk to them. Find out what makes them tick. What do they need? What words do they describe when talking about the problem you solve? What words do they describe when discussing your solution?
Only when you have a clear picture of who it is you’re actually trying to reach can you create copy that is truly compelling. And this step is going to take time. Don’t rush it! It’s truly the make or break moment for your copy. Cast the wrong character and you may find yourself on the copywriting equivalent of this list: Films considered THE WORST
Cast the right character and watch the magic happen.
Of course, there are other steps involved in writing compelling copy that converts, but if you start with your ideal audience (the real and very detailed ideal audience) you’ll be heading in the right direction.
Do you have any questions about how to reach those perfect match customers with your words? Feel like you could use a hand creating compelling copy? Good news – this is exactly what I do!
Fill out the form on my contact page and we can set up a time to discuss how I can change your landing page from a snooze fest to a best seller 🙂
Oh, and by the way – MY audience is tech/SaaS companies who have a fun and quirky brand personality, and improve people’s lives one app or SaaS at a time. Is that you? I’d love to hear from you!