6 Copywriting Tips: How to Turn Marketing Drivel into Serious Sales Copy

When you talk to potential customers on the phone, you sound genuine, helpful, and frank. No fluff. No marketing drivel. No sleazy sales talk. You give honest advice.

But what happens when you write copy for your brochure or your website? Do you sound as sincere as you do on the phone?

Marketing drivel seems hard to avoid. Most websites are full of it. A dash of sleaziness sneaks into your copy without you noticing it. Creepiness crawls into your brochure just because you couldn’t find the right words.

How can you eradicate the marketing prattle and write honest copy that sells?

Let’s look at 11 copywriting tips that give sleazy sales-ness the middle finger. Follow these tips, and your copy instantly becomes more sincere, more enchanting, and more persuasive. Sound good?

Copywriting Tip #1: Cut crappy phrases

How do you know your copy contains crappy phrases?

Put on your devil’s advocate hat, and ask yourself for each sentence: what does this mean? If you can’t come up with a specific answer immediately, then cut or rephrase until your text is concrete and meaningful.

Crappy: Our world class widgets help you increase email sign-ups Much better: 549,333 websites use our widgets to increase email sign-ups

Copywriting Tip #2: Slaughter marketing claptrap

Words like hundreds or millions may seem specific, but they sound like a marketer exaggerating the truth. Use specific numbers to draw attention and increase credibility.

Marketer claptrap: Hundreds of small businesses use our accounting service to save time Much better: 254 small businesses use our accounting service to save time

Copywriting Tip #3: Stop pussyfooting around

Subtleties and politeness are great (of course!).

But a subtle call-to-action gives people an excuse not to do as you ask. Starting a call-to-action with if, is the best way to give people an excuse. Be bossy and tell people exactly what you expect them to do.

Overly polite: If you’d like to join the Enchanting Marketing newsletter, just add your email address and click join Simple and direct: Add your email address and click join now

Copywriting Tip #4: Give people a reason to do as you tell them

Do you want people to listen to you and follow your suggestions? Just give them a reason why. How are you going to make them happier, healthier, or richer? Which problems, complications, and difficulties will you help to avoid?

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Copywriting Tip #5: Give people a better reason

What do your readers really want?

Try to avoid fake benefits and focus on a benefit your readers are looking for. Most real benefits are related to saving money, making more money, becoming happier, being free from fear and worry, a feeling of belonging etc.

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Copywriting Tip #6: Cut sugary testimonials

You know the type of testimonials that sound like they’re written by a marketer? The sugar-coated words that tell you how wonderful, amazing, and super-perfect a service or product is?

Do you think anyone believes these fantastic testimonials? Well?

Write story-based testimonials that help you overcome objections.

Sugar-coated stuff nobody believes: Henneke is an amazing copywriter. I’d highly recommend her to anyone. Much better: I wasn’t sure about hiring Henneke. She seems a little crazy and she’s not even a native English speaker. But the copy she’s written for my business helped me to win more customers. And she was fun to work with.