Copy-Cat-Copywriting

My ezine readers have been invited to send questions related to website copy -- from a full site to a page or even a paragraph.

For the first example, see
Challenge #1

We looked at copy for an ebook about a special way to overcome clinical depression.

After reading my comments, website owner Robin said, "I knew a lot of what you said. But I'm not sure my target audience will respond to a direct sales letter."

My response: Go for it!

I felt the same way when I revised my career site,
Midlife Career Strategy

To my surprise, my own personal and professional friends approved the changes. "Finally you're thinking like a marketer!" they said. "Now I realize you're serious about your business."

You have 2 issues here:

(1) As Robin recognizes, those who know her may differ from those who arrive on her site as strangers. She may need a more direct approach to reach the visitors. Personally, I would experiment: people who don't know Robin may benefit even more from her approach than those who know her.

(2) As I say elsewhere, your copy sounds gentler to your target market than to you or your friends. Over and over, clients who show my copy to their own clients are surprised. What you, the website owner, see as a "hard sell" actually comes across as warm and friendly to the target market, if it's done right.
See my article on copy shock.

Labels: client attraction, clients, copy challenge, copywriting, internet marketing, website marketing