Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

When I was brainstorming potential podcast guests, one of the first people to come to mind was Emily Conley from Emily Writes Well. She’s an amazing copywriter, and in this episode, we talk about all things sales page copywriting! Creating a good sales page can feel super overwhelming, but it’s the number one thing you’ll need to sell your course. A lot of people copy/paste whatever’s worked for them before or what they’ve seen everyone else doing, but that’s not always the best choice! Emily and I chatted about how to figure out what works for your unique product and audience to create amazing sales pages.

 In this episode, we talked about…

• Tips for DIY copy
• Finding your brand voice
• Brand voice vs. your personal voice
• Sales page copywriting
• Writing a sales page that converts
• Writing killer headlines
• Editing testimonials

How to DIY your own sales page copy

Working with a copywriter is amazing, but it’s super normal to write your own copy for your first few years in business – and there are a few tips and tricks to getting pretty good at it!

Find your brand voice

Most people start by choosing three descriptors that give them direction, but you’ll need more than that to really nail your brand voice. You’ll also need to think about your brand values: what matters to you as a business owner and who you serve. Who’s your ideal client, what are they looking for, and how do you show up for them? 

Next, think about how your brand will sound (and get specific). What types of things do you say? What would you never say? What kind of pop culture references and gifs do you use? Deciding these things ahead of time helps you write with consistency, whether you’re working on a sales page or an Instagram post.

Brand voice is different than personal voice

For most people, their brand voice is close to how they normally speak, but slightly more refined and edited. That said, don’t get caught up in what you think you sound like or how you think you should sound. When I sat down with Emily for a VIP copy day, she didn’t want me to tell her my brand voice; she listened to how I talked and figured out my brand voice based on our conversation. You can do this for yourself, too! Record yourself chatting about your offer, then listen to it and see what you notice. Of course, you’ll want to edit and polish what you’ve said, but talking helps you articulate thoughts better than you might be able to in writing.

Sales Page Copywriting Tips

Even though everyone’s sales page will be slightly different depending on their offering and their audience, there are some tools anyone can use to write better sales pages.

Don’t over-focus on features

Exhaustive lists of every single thing people get can be overwhelming to read. Plus, people buy benefits, not features. In other words, they want to know about how your launch will help them and the results they can get – not the name of every single module in your course. Five to seven features is a good number to shoot for.

Leave plenty of white space

Walls of paragraphs and paragraphs of text are intimidating, and no one is going to read them. Don’t worry about using flowery, pretty language to sell. Just focus on telling people the truth about the benefits of your course or product as clearly as possible!

Write for someone who has no idea what you’re talking about

After working in online business, we all talk a certain way – we use the same shortcuts and abbreviations and talk about the same topics on repeat. It can be challenging to back up and get a sense of how well we’re communicating. Get out of the box and pretend you’re telling someone outside of online business about your offer. Would they understand what you’re talking about?

Writing a sales page that converts

The number one thing we all want a sales page to do is convince people to buy your course or product. Here are Emily’s tips for writing a sales page that converts.

Write killer headlines

Too many people choose something that sounds catchy but is ultimately meaningless. Boil things down to one core promise at the heart of your offer. Write your headline to focus on that promise, then make it catchy.

Calls to action

Place CTAs on your sales page early and often. Don’t let people scroll and scroll on a super long sales page, but hide the sales button in just one or two places. Make it super easy for people to buy when they’re ready.

What’s the value and benefit to buyers?

They’re just as important as the nuts and bolts of your offer, because they tell people why it matters that they buy from you. Dig down to find the “benefit of the benefit” and what’s at the heart of why people would want to make this purchase.

 It doesn’t have to be super long

Sure, lengthy sales pages are the norm and it’s what we usually see…but not everyone needs the same thing. Only use the amount of copy you need to help your client understand their problem, agree that you’re the solution, and convey what they’ll get from your product.

Edit your testimonials

Did you know that you don’t have to use testimonials exactly as they were typed? You can’t change the meaning or emphasis of what someone says, but you can edit testimonials for length, clarity, and grammar. As long as you keep the intended meaning of a testimonial intact, you’re allowed to edit and condense them. Think of your sales page like a conversation with a potential customer and sprinkle the testimonials in wherever they make the most sense.

Have you mastered the art of sales page copywriting?

While writing a sales page that converts seems overwhelming at first, it’s something most people can do with a little work (and some good tips and tricks 😉) Listen to the episode to hear my full conversation with Emily and hear all the amazing nuggets of copywriting wisdom she shared.

Want to hear more from Emily?

You can always find her on her website and Instagram. She’s also launched The Copy Party, her own course for copywriters, as well as The Copy Party Workshop Series where anyone can learn core copywriting skills through monthly live workshops. (Sidenote, I love the model Emily came up with where she offers both a comprehensive course and a bite-sized monthly learning model). And don’t miss out on her amazing freebies (I use them all the time in my business) – start with the Brand Voice Guide!

Links mentioned

• Connect with Mara on Instagram
• Subscribe to Create a Better Course on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to Create a Better Course on Google Podcasts