Does your website look like this?
Screenshot of MrBottles.com
That poor, poor website. I would feel bad for the visitors, but I feel even worse for the business owner.
Why? Because after that interesting photo of all those colorful bottles, the wall of words that sneaks up on you is an absolute headache to read.
In fact, I didn’t even finish reading it. I’ll bet you did the same (and if you didn’t, you must love torturing yourself).
The site does have potential for a niche audience. How could this site be improved?
Here’s the most important method: use a personal story and make it the highlight.
There are many other strategies such as breaking up paragraphs, making it search engine friendly, and other technical mumbo jumbo the average person wouldn’t understand.
Your business is run by people, not robots
Surely, you don’t want to market yourself to those “frakking toasters” from Battlestar Galactica. So why do businesses continue to write dry, boring copy on their websites and marketing material?
I’ll stop calling you Shirley and tell you why.
Copywriting is a science; superb copywriting is a damn art form
Anybody can write copy. It’s storytelling that elevates copywriting to the next level of awesome.
Average copywriting is like asking out a guy or girl you like by saying, “I’m funny and adventurous, I enjoy long walks on the beach, and I’m a great listener.”
Storytelling is like asking out the same person by saying, “Hey, have you ever been to Little Sister Coffee Maker on River Avenue? I hear their coffee is the best in the city. Do you want to grab a cup with me this weekend and hear a funny story about how I accidentally caused a drunk stranger to enter my house in the middle of the night?”
Which one do you think will stand a better chance of getting a “hell, yes”?
Show, don’t tell
People don’t like being sold.
I’m sure you don’t like it either when some random telemarketer calls you at home to hard sell you on a product you don’t need. How did they even get your phone number in the first place?
When you sell your services that way, people find it sleazy. If you’re doing that yourself, you need to stop doing a disservice to both your customers and yourself.
This is where the “show, don’t tell” advice comes in. I see this line from top business marketers, and it holds true in effective copywriting.
Don’t just tell people that you are the best in your field. Show customers why. Tell them your story.
The ones that relate to you will love you for it. And showing them what you do will have them gladly giving you their wallets without you even asking.
Storyteller first, copywriter second
See that smiling chap? That’s me, rocking a bow-tie and thinking it’s cool to do so.
My name is Yawhann, but my name is just too darn impossible for most English speakers to pronounce properly. So, I decided to tell everybody just to call me Hann, like Han Solo from Star Wars.
I’ve told stories all my life. From creative fiction I used to share with my friends in high school to convincing myself I was going to be fine after eating days-old, blue-colored, cold cut meat.
Words have always been my tool of the trade, and even when I worked in other industries, it was always the stories that got me the sale, the discount, and the waiving of that pesky bank fee that I totally deserved because I didn’t read the fine print.
I’ve always been interested in other people’s stories too, and adapting those stories through my writing, photography, and film have made me better suited to telling compelling versions of their stories.
Sharing your story will make your business more relateable
So let’s talk about you! Shoot me a message by clicking here, and let’s have a conversation.