In a world cynical of advertising and sales spiel, copywriting has to not only persuade but to build trust. An effective way of doing this is to be able to offer value in exchange for your reader’s time – where value is not giving away coupons, but being entertaining or informative.
People like to do business with those they either like, know or trust. Most will keep their credit card firmly hidden in their wallet if they think they’re being manipulated by clever wordplay and false promises.
Promote your authenticity
Being authentic and genuine would be a good start if you want to persuade people to believe in what you’re trying to sell.
Don’t just tell them why they should use your skip hire firm, but show them. Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in a way that’s useful to the reader, teaches them something new and helps them make a more informed buying decision. Unless you’ve got something to hide of course, in which case your marketing is already in trouble with platoons of online snipers waiting to take you down in the forums if you’re guilty of false advertising or shoddy products.
Unique selling points are not just how long your washing up liquid lasts, but also the people who supply it. Customer service and having a talented backroom team are also USPs. So sprinkle your copywriting with real life examples of your team’s dedication to a high quality service to give it the sparkle of integrity and authenticity missing from the stuffy, robotic corporate copy of your rivals.
Engage with copywriting that offers value
The benefits of marketing that engages with the shared passions of its audience is gaining exposure all the time [link via Engagement Principles’ analysis]. In a low trust world it stands to reason that it’s those offering content of value who’ll garner relationships, rather than those simply shouting one way messages and stamping their feet demanding attention.
Whilst the cost/benefit analysis of engagement marketing might still be missing a few metrics, the nature of value is that you have to be offering it before you can expect any rewards in return.
People now have mental air-raid shelters to resist being carpet bombed advertising messages, but are happy to welcome in those they like and trust.
So aspire to write copy that offers solid value, whether it’s entertainment or education, because it’s what people will be happy to spend their time reading.
Offering value will also build the trust and confidence needed to persuade people to reward you with their credit card details, without them even realising that they’ve just been sold to.
[This post was inspired by a discussion on the Engaging Brand Podcast about the importance of offering value in modern marketing]
Hey, Matt –
Thanks for the ‘valuable’ post. Building trust with clients is the sure-fire way to keep ’em coming back for more.
Building trust is a difficult task, especially on the web. I see so many blogs that try to push their services in every entry, and it can be frustrating because I want the information not the sales pitch. If I come back to you because your content is good, sooner or later I will look around to see what services they offer. If I feel like the site is just trying to sell me something, I’ll move on.
Rebecca – thanks, glad you found it useful.
John – thanks for the back link. I agree that the best way to build relationships is being useful and having something of value to barter for attention. People can click away from your website faster than they can change the TV channel during the ad break.
I love when the podcast inspires people, it is the best feedback to receive. The irony is that we don’t seem to “value” offering “value”!
Hi Anna,
Your Podcasts always provide me with inspiration for my posts, and teach me a few things too. Hopefully I’ve sent you a few more listeners.
Matt.