"Make more 💰 with your words" makes me want to hurl.
It's not because I think my approach to copywriting isn't compelling.
It's not because I don't think my writing results in sales. (It does.)
It's not even because I think the real reason copy fails to convert is that most business owners aren't driving enough people to their websites or email lists for the copy to have a fighting chance to do its job. (A.K.A. You're not doing enough marketing.)
It's because…I. don't. care. if you make more money. 😱
I don't.
I mean, I want you to make more money. More money is, generally, a good thing. And I am going to position you to be able to do that.
But here's what's really happening:
Too many businesses think, "What can I sell to people?" not "How can I help people?" And they center their copy—their entire identity—around the transaction.
And that's exactly why your copy sounds like everyone else's.
Don't misunderstand me, I am not telling you a business should only exist to save the whales. I like money. I have enough financial trauma in my past that there will never be enough money. And yes, copywriting is connected to money because it falls under the marketing umbrella.
But the reason I've always struggled to say my copy will help you make more money is because to me…nothing is more frustrating than poor communication. That's a problem I'm good at solving.
You making money doesn't motivate me to get up in the morning. The fireworks show my neurons put on when I figure out how to Tetris together a bunch of ideas that communicate the info you need to know AND manages to make you smirk? 😏 Ecstasy.
When copy comes from that place of genuine excitement about solving a problem, it converts better.
But we're not supposed to talk about that.
Sales copywriting bylaws state that one must write what their audience wants to hear. But always writing what you think your audience wants to hear and never what you want them to hear, or know, or understand about the person they may potentially hire or buy from, is extremely limiting.
It's how you end up with generic copy. It's how we all end up sounding alike. It's why we tune out 99.9% of sales emails and funnels.
Because we've heard it all before. And we're. Bored. As. Hell.
So what if you freed your script?
Come at me with your spicy hooks. Come at me with your BIG PICTURE PURPOSE. Not the shiny version of your purpose. The real real. What if you were brave?
If you're a marketing director in my audience, and you think you're constrained by "what's always been done" or what will get approved…I got a parental leave policy designed and approved at a mostly-male startup when I was 3 months pregnant with my first child, as the only non-technical, non-engineer at the company, by writing it into existence. Try me. The corporate rules were meant to be (are begging to be) broken.
If you want to create a memorable brand, you need a voice and personality that actually says or stands for something meaningful.
If you're a solopreneur or micro-agency owner and you have no idea what your voice even is and you've got too much mind drama to articulate the brand living inside your head…stop answering brand questionnaires like you think the online business celebrities do, and answer like you. You're creating your messaging, not theirs.
If you're like, um, I'm just here for the vibes, and it's Monday, Courtney, calm down, my point is:
The reason you get up in the morning and do your job probably isn't the same reason someone seeks you out.
And that kind of trips people up when they have to write their copy or get it approved. We think we have to tie our skills, our products, our services back to ROI. All. The. Damn. Time.
But what if you gave yourself permission to not make everything about ROI?
What if, instead of starting with "How will this make them money?" you started with "What am I actually passionate about solving?"
Would that make writing your copy a little easier? Would that help you feel a little less imprisoned by what you think people want to hear? Would that make your seasonal promos feel catchier and your launches fresher?
If you could break the rules and just say what you wanted to say, what would that be? Start there.
People want your weird, your quirky, your nerdy, your passionate, your purpose, your values, your reason you get up in the morning. When you offer the same products and services as a million other businesses, those facets give you the edge over your competition.
People want to know your goods & services are a good investment, but not all the damn time. Open up and be real once in a while and see what happens.
Your copy will be more memorable. Your voice will cut through the noise. And yes, you'll probably make more money—because you'll finally sound like someone worth buying from.