I grew up believing that âan apple a day keeps the doctor awayâ because my teacher always said it.
Maybe thatâs why my dad always bought bowls upon bowls of green apples and pink ladies.
But eating apples every day didnât save me from malaria or one embarrassing afternoon when diarrhea almost made me shit my pants in the presence of my dadâs guest. Because, letâs be honest, the âapple magicâ belief is just a myth. A misconception I believed to be true.
Likewise, some copywriting myths have circulated in the marketing industry over the years. Now, everyone and their moms throw these statements around, but that doesnât make them true. Many coaches and service-based creatives hold on to these misconceptions that are tanking their conversions and business growth.
In this guide, I debunk seven of the biggest ones flying around. Youâve heard them more times than you can count, and you need to avoid them like the plague.
1. One size fits all
Some business owners believe that if a piece of copy works for one occasion, it will work in any other scenario. This isnât true.
When it comes to writing copy that converts, there isnât a single, fixed approach. There are varying copywriting formulas. Although these formulas have the same overall concept, their approaches arenât the same. Also, your copy can be long or short-form. And just because one type works for A doesnât mean it will work for B.
For instance, itâs easy to sell a $47 product using short-form copy. But, you will need to make a hell of a convincing story when asking people to join your $6497 program.
2. Great copy always sells
This is another copywriting myth, and it is E-VERY-WHERE.
I know that my job as a copywriter is to create copy assets thatâll increase your conversions and sales. But, in full transparency, copy alone is not enough to guarantee sales. Itâs the penultimate factor.
Do you know what the ultimate sales-determining factor is?
Your product.
No copywriting guruâregardless of the number of sales-magic hats they have or the 17 touchpoint checklists they make when writing copyâcan save a bad or mediocre product.
If a client is dissatisfied, the White House Office of Consumer Affairs found that they will tell 9-15 people about their experience. Negative reviews spread like wildfire. So, put in the work and build a value-led offer that is exactly (maybe even more than) what you claim it is.
3. Focus on the juicy parts
âEmphasize benefits, not features.â
I bet you have heard this statement a hundred and one times (and, perhaps, 25 times out of that was from me)âand itâs true. But this isnât a replacement for âaddressing the challenges your ideal clients face.â People say you shouldnât talk about your audienceâs pain points because itâs negative marketing.
Truth bomb: Talking about pain points isnât negative marketing if done right.
Pain-point marketing is, in fact, ethical. Itâs okay to address your ideal clientâs challenges because, a lot of times, people donât even know they struggle with some unresolved problems that have caused neck-deep pain points in their lives and businesses.
By addressing these, you open their eyes to their reality and help them foresee a life thatâs free of these pain points, and in doing so, you gain a brand positioning advantage.
4. Copy is expensive. Itâs just writing, duh
Many creative âpreneurs get it wrong here and thus miss out on the many good things copywriting can do for their businesses.
When you think copy is just writing, you become free to delegate your âconversion copywriting tasksâ to your virtual assistant, blog writer, or social media manager, who still isnât a copywriter.
But thatâs not how youâll get the results you desire. I know because so much goes into copywriting that not many people know about.
It is not just writing. It is research + sales psychology + creativity + writing + a lot of your personality.
Copy is not just âcontent.â More like âsales content,â yeah? Itâs a messaging bridge that allows your ideal clients to cross from being bystanders to becoming paying clients. And when you hire a copywriter who can get you results (oh hey, thatâs me), itâs never âexpensive.â Itâs an investment because youâll get value for your money.
5. Selling isn’t about you
How many times have you heard that âpeople donât care about you; they only care about what your offer can do for them?â
Iâm betting itâs a lot more than you can keep track of. Now, thatâs affecting how you market your offer because you believe you shouldnât be talking about yourself.
The statement, âSelling isnât about you,â helps you shift your message from being self-centered to audience-centric. It isnât to banish your experience or brand story to the background.
For example, instead of saying, âIâm a copywriter who knows how to write words that sell. Iâve written copy that has gotten my clients $X.” Youâre able to shift your message to, âYou want to sell with your words, and that is precisely what I help you achieve. You, too, can get $X every time you launch, just like some of these other clients.â
But, heyâ
Your ideal clients give plenty of sh*t about you. Plus, humans are drawn to backstories and crave a deeper connection that goes beyond your colorful âbuy nowâ button.
So, selling is about you. Your experience. Your story. Your mission. Your values.
Start inserting yourself into their story. People will buy if they are in sync with your brand vibe. So, donât be less of who you are because you think itâs cringeworthy, selfish, or boring. Itâs not, I promiseâand if you need someone to tell it for you, letâs work together.
6. “My niche doesnât need copy”
I promise you NEED copyâand so do Felicia, Christine, and Annabelle. Every business does.
Copywriting for businesses doesnât always have to be in the form of SEO website copy, sales pages, or launch sequences. There are many other ways creatives use copy to improve their businesses. Many of what you may not even refer to as âcopy.â
Some of these copy assets include:
- product descriptions in e-commerce stores
- pre-launch social media content
- weekly newsletters to nurture subscribers
- sales emails for evergreen funnels
- scripts for YouTube and brand videos
- ad copy on social media
- micro-copy such as lead-gen popups, banners, and quick cool words in website footers
- copy for quiz funnels.
Whether you sell digital products, coaching programs, one-on-one services, or subscription-based offers, you need conversion copy.
7. A copywriter can read your audienceâs minds
But, can we?
Nossir. Weâre not psychic (even though sometimes I wish I were).
As a copywriter, what I do is create conversion-driven copy based on your (and my) research. So, it boils down to you knowing exactly who youâre trying to reach. Who is your ideal client?
And this goes beyond their gender or age range. You need to know what makes them âtick.â Their interests, main challenges, pain points, and desires.
I created the Customer Voice Research Guide, complete with templates and an Ideal Client Development Workbook, to help you come up with content and offers your audience will be thirsty for.
With this information, youâll be able to create bingeworthy copy that puts your brand at the forefront of their minds.
Avoid these 7 copywriting myths
Youâre amazing at what you do, but does your brand copy reflect this? If not, let go of these copywriting misconceptions already. Theyâre holding you back from scaling your business.
The truth is, you need great copy thatâll stop your ideal clients in their tracks and get them to gush over the amazingness of what you offer.
Looking to collaborate with a copywriter who can make this happen for you? Letâs talk about your project. Or, if youâre looking for helpful DIY copywriting templates, check out the spicy hot resources in the SO shop.