Want to write copy that converts, faster, and with less stress? Use this skill you already have.

Maybe you have trouble figuring out where to start…

Maybe everything you write feels a bit “off”—a little bit too sales-y, too similar to what everyone else is saying…

Maybe you actually think your copy is alright, but when you put it out in the world, the response you get is… nothing …

So you know you there’s a disconnect somewhere between the words you’re using and the words your ideal clients need to hear to buy.

And you wish there was an easier way to write copy that connects & converts… without having to read all the books and take all the courses.

I’m not going to tell you that copywriting isn’t a skill worth acquiring (or hiring out to a talented pro * ahem *.

It's both an art and a science you could spend a lifetime learning. 

But one of the most powerful tools you have when writing conversion copy isn’t a technique you need to learn…

It’s an innate ability you already have. 

I promise.

What’s the secret?

Empathy.

If you’ve ever struggled to say what’s special about your product or service because selling yourself in your copy feels sleazy or inauthentic, this simple shift in your mindset should help you write better copy faster, and with less stress:

Writing copy is an act of empathy.

Let’s take a closer look at what that means.

Grab The Sales Page Power Hour to get your hands on:

• My RCA Sales Page Flow (incl. a Google doc template that makes it easier than ever to make my flow your own)

• My system for repurposing your sales page content— without sacrificing freshness or platform relevance

• A pre-publication sales page checklist that covers your copy, your design & your tech (and so much more!)

Whenever you're trying to be persuasive on a page, the easiest way to make sure your message will achieve its goal is to put yourself in your reader's place and ask:

"What do they need to hear from me in order for this decision to feel easy, safe and irresistible?"

When I review someone’s copy in the course of one of my Free Copy Reviews, I often feel like my role is to act as an advocate for the reader.

I try to stand in their corner and see things from their point of view.

Because the people who land on your page need your help.

But if you make it difficult to actually take the next step (or, worse, figure out what that next step’s supposed to be), they're more likely to hit that back button than stick around.

Which doesn’t solve their problem OR get you the sale.

If you're nodding along right now, thinking:

“I desperately want to help my clients already—HOW do I actually put this into practice to write copy that converts?

Here are my 5 top tips to help you write more empathetic copy that converts:

1. Do the deep research

Interviews, surveys, message mining, the works, should all be part of your regular business activities (or ones you hire out to a copywriter like me) so that you can stay on top of what your ideal buyers are thinking and feeling in relation to the problems you solve.

2. Demonstrate how intimately you know their lives

The deep market research you did for Pt. #1 should give you incredibly valuable insight into the problems your ideal clients are facing, how those problems manifest in their lives, the deeper impact of those issues, and what it’s like to live in their reality.

Now that you have that intel, it’s time to put it to good use: not just in terms of their problem, but in terms of what their lives look like:

If your readers are busy moms, and you’re trying to sell them a meal planning course, show them you know what it feels like when they wake up in the morning.

Make it clear you understand:

…the tiny stresses that come with the school run
…the frustration of food going off before it’s used
…the exquisite pleasure of everyone being out of the house at the same time, so that they can enjoy a quiet and solitary pee.

Reflecting your reader’s experience back to them in your copy will help you build credibility as someone who understands their situation, and, as a result, who can be relied on to solve their problem.

3. Make it all about them

If you've ever doubted that this is key, just imagine how you'd feel if you were at the dentist for an emergency surgery and instead of helping, she just kept talking about the mimosas she drank at bottomless brunch over the weekend.

Remember: Even when it's about you, it's still about them.

Your bio shares the events in your past that qualify you to help your prospects today, the personal tidbits you include are things that you know they'll relate to, and the success stories you highlight demonstrate how you've solved this problem for other people just like them.

"But what about telling stories?" 

Excellent question—This point applies more specifically to copy that's conversion focused than, for example, an email to your list in which you're teaching a lesson, building your relationship, or encouraging a mindset shift.

4. Don't make them work—at all

Remember how the people who land on your page are genuinely suffering?

You want your copy to ask them to do as little work as possible.

Specifically, that means that when you tell them something important, you tell them why it's important.

When you're describing a benefit of working with you, describe HOW that benefit will serve them. So they can effortlessly see themselves enjoying that ideal future, and move on to the next step:

Doing whatever it takes to work with you.

The key phrases you're gonna use to do this are things like:

"This means that..."
"...so that you can..." and
"so you can... without..."

Help your reader understand what you mean and why that matters to them and they're much more likely to actually hear what you're trying to say.

5. Re-read your copy from the perspective of someone in who’s struggling with the problem you solve:

And as you do so, ask the following questions:

• Based on what you know of your target audience, is this copy going to make them feel seen, heard & understood?

• Without your expert insight into the topic, is your meaning still clear? 

• Are your sentences short and clear enough that your reader can follow without having to re-read to figure out what you mean?

• Is your text scannable so that your reader can find what they need as easily as possible? 

• Is the font big enough / Is there enough negative space that reading's not a chore?

Writing copy that converts isn’t about misleading your reader, or spinning your offer in such a way that they are deceived into thinking it will help them.

Your most powerful tool is your ability to learn about the problems your ideal clients are facing and then imagine what it feels like to experience life in their shoes.

Ready to put these tips to use on the sales page for your signature offer?

Check out my free sales page template that’s alllll about empathy: