• About
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Content Marketing
      • Social Media
      • Blogging
      • Email
    • Copywriting
    • Inspiration
    • Freelancing
      • Home Business
  • Content Marketing
    • Free Resources
      • Content Library Membership
      • Branding Self Assessment
      • Quick and Easy Copywriting Course
      • 54 Weeks of Content Triggers
    • Content Marketing Strategy
    • Buyer Persona Discovery
    • Blog Writing
    • Video Scripts and Webinar Outlines
    • Landing Pages & Sales Pages
    • Social Media Posts
  • Your Home Business
    • Health and Lifestyle
  • Writing Portfolio
    • Jen McGahan’s Writing Portfolio
    • Hiring a Copywriter
    • Need Content?
  • Member Login

My Team Connects

Engaging Customers and Building Community with Copywriting and Content Marketing

Copywriting Credibility Crash Test

August 23, 2012 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Copywriting Credibility

If you don't want your copy to crash and burn, you need Credibility. Tweet this.

 

Your copywriting sets the standard for your customers' expectations. Yes, the words you use in your emails and blog posts constitute "copy." They have an awesome duty. 

Credibility bolsters your believablity and moves people to connect with you. Tweet this.

 

If you raise the bar (and you should strive to do that), first make sure you are honest and able to deliver on your claims.  

Then, employ some techniques to show you are worthy of your customer's trust. You'll need to work harder than just stating outright, "Hey, you can believe me!"

How do you prove that your products and services are what you claim they are?

  • By illustrating that they do what you say they can do, you make the customer receptive to your message.
  • By showing real-world examples of how you solved a problem for  a customer, you spark their interest in solving their own similar problem. 

But did you know that customers also want to know more about you? 

This is where credibility comes in. Credibility is the second believability factor in Mark Joyner's book The Irresistible Offer. 

Credibility. Many customers receive your offer with a "yes" if you share your personal and business credentials. Use a variety of sources:

  1. Endorsements. Consider the value of having a famous or well-respected person associated with your product. If someone stands by your product and gives an authentic recommendation, the effect can be phenomenal.  
  2. Customers with high status. Just imagine you created an app that helps students make flashcards. (My daughter just found one she likes.) imagine what would happen if a bunch of teachers in a single school district began referring parents and students to your flashcard creation app? Think how you could leverage that information to increase believability in prospective customers. A satisfied group of high profile customers is bar-none your best credibility booster.
  3. Qualifications. Does your industry have some sort of certification process? A test that verifies your professionalism? Years of experience are important, but a simple certificate of achievement validates your ability to serve.
  4. Awards and recognition. Bragging rights belong to the victor, but don't overdo it. Provide a humble blog post on your website, a simple press release, or a logo sitting quietly on your marketing materials. These will exert the pull of believability without you trumpeting your award at every touchpoint.

You're in business to make the connection with the right people so that they become your customers and clients. While there's no magic method for making them receptive to your offer, you can work to achieve believability in your copy. A credible voice sure helps!

Filed Under: Copywriting Tagged With: awards, believability in copywriting, blogs, clout, copy, copywriting, credibility, emails, endorsements, Mark Joyner, online marketing, qualifications, reputation, small business

The Secret To Writing Copy Your Customers “Receive”

August 21, 2012 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

receiving your copy loud and clear

The messages that have the most impact are those that are received with openness. If your customer doesn't really believe you, they will not receive your copy, your words or your message.

You may as well try to staple jelly to a wall.

Receptivity is built on the foundation of believability. A whiff of doubt prevents the inner transformation required purchase. That's why your copywriting needs to dispell any suspicions about you or your products. Your copy is what escalates belief that you are who you say you are, and your products or services do indeed live up to the promises you make about them. 

Believability is the quality in copywriting is what makes someone say,

" I think what you're saying can be trusted. I have a smilier way of judging truth. You are speaking my language."

Your copy (the words you use) sets the standard for your customers' expectations. First, make sure you are honest and able to deliver on your claims, especially if you raise the bar in an established industry standard.

Then, employ some techniques to show you are worthy of your customer's trust. (You can't just state outright, "Hey, you can believe me!") 

In Mark Joyner's book The Irresistible Offer, he shows how believability is harvested through proof, credibility and logic.

Let me explain some of the ways to encourage customers to become receptive to your irresistible offer. Proof in copywriting lays the foundation. 

Proof. It's how you get your prospects to buy in to your offer. There are three ways copywriters prove value.

  1. Social proof. We've talked before about testimonials. Use pictures and web addresses so customers can see with their own eyes who has benefitted from your offer. Invite people to follow you and interact freely on social sites. Because one of the most powerful ways to earn believability is to be transparent and helpful online.
  2. Technical proof. Does your product have a track record that speaks for itself? Has it been tested by an outside study or source? Even survey results or feedback you've acquired help document value to someone who's considering buying from you. Make sure you accurately portray data, especially those documented by other people. For example, if you've proven that your tutoring has increased test scores of your students by 30% show it with a compelling infographic (try Visual.ly) or a create a downloadable free detailed report.
  3. Factual proof. Cite studies that show potential clients you understand the reality or extent of their problem. Just being throughly acquainted with  your industry implies you have the knowledge and understanding to solve their problem. Revealing little known "backstory" facts not only creates a need they may not have considered before, but also proves you know how to satisfy their expectations. For example, if your website sells high quality backpacks, you might state the average weight of textbooks an 8th grader carries. Facts (even magnetic morsels of useless trivia) delight curious consumers and make them receptive to your message.

Today the copywriter's job is to not only sell stuff. It's to resonate with your customers and prospects, establish common ground, and provide helpful information. When you get to the place where your reader say, "I get what you say. It squares with what I already believe is true;" then you are speaking to your ideal client. They have ears to hear and eyes to see your offer. 

If your customers "believe," then they will "receive."

Looking for ways to make a quick connection with your email subscribers? Get the free report Outstanding Connections and begin building real relationships with your ideal clients today.

Filed Under: Copywriting Tagged With: belief in copy, believability in copy, copy, copywriting, factual copywriting, infographic, irresistible offer, Mark Joyner, proof, receive message, receptivity, social proof, technical proof

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Show Posts by Category

Free ebooks and more…

Join our free content library and get business-building resources created BY and FOR freelancers and solo-preneurs!

Health and Wellness Come First!

Your success flows from within. Make sure you're building your business on a solid foundation... YOU.

Find Your Ideal
Clients eBook

eBook Find Your Ideal Clients: The Secret To Irresistible Free Opt In Offers

Book reviews of "Find Your Ideal Clients"

"The author hit a grand slam when she said our inbox is the #1 real estate on the net...She is definitely an expert in her field."

"Jen gives me everything I need to know in order to craft the perfect marketing piece."

"Jen McGahan's wisdom, experience, and gifted communication style will leave you with the impression that she wrote this book just for you. A definite must-read for anybody whose task is to make connections."

"This book made me realize how important an opt-in mail list is for the success of my online healthcare information site."

"Great aid to list-building!"

"Like sitting down with an expert over coffee…"
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
  • Need Content?
  • Take the Quiz
  • Affiliate
  • Contact

Copyright © 2016 MyTeamConnects.com | 12400 St. Highway 71 W. Suite 350-225, Austin, TX 78738 | Privacy | Terms of Use

My Team Connects, 12400 St. Highway 71 W., Suite 350-225, Austin, TX 78738