8 pieces for writing copy that converts

So many business owners know how impactful their offer is but have a hard time communicating that value to their prospective customers. This guide shows you eight places to improve your copywriting, clearly articulate the value to your customers, and get more conversions.

As someone who has written dozens of websites and reviewed hundreds of pieces of content, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t when it comes to copywriting. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing an email, a website, or a social media post – these principles will apply. Two puzzle pieces make up conversion copywriting: Messaging and Form.

Messaging Part 1: The Problem 

Your first step is to fully name or visualize the problem your ideal clients experience. This means you know exactly who your ideal client is and how this problem shows up for them. 

Many solo and small business owners skip this step because they don’t want to harp on the problems or make people feel bad. Plus, they’re excited about the solution and want to share how they can help. But skipping to the offer too quickly can be like moving too fast in a relationship. 

Imagine your best friend came to you and was venting about a problem. The first step isn’t skipping over the problem and telling them how to fix it. The first step is actually validating their experience. It’s the same with your clients. 

You want to take a minute to acknowledge what their lived reality is – it shows that you understand where they’re coming from. 

Messaging Part 2: The Assessment 

This step is where you build urgency and authority around the problem.

You speak on why these problems matter and why they even show up in the first place. You might talk about other solutions your prospective clients have tried and why those solutions didn’t work for them. 

Talk about patterns you’ve noticed as an expert in the industry and how they might show up for them. 

This is where you go into why your reader should take action and why now.  Why is this something they should take care of rather than continuously moving it to the bottom of their to-do list? What will keep happening if they don’t take action? 

Messaging Part 3: The Solution

Now that you’ve talked about both the problems and assessed why now is the time to take action, it’s time to talk about the solution. 

This doesn’t mean introducing your offer yet. It means describing the transformation and the desires your prospective clients want. You’re showing them you understand their goals and where they want to go. 

Just like when you’re talking about the problem, you want to get clear and specific about how this shows up for them. What will it look like when they solve the problem? How will they feel? Tap into that and show them what’s possible. 

Also make sure the solution is clearly tied back to the problem. You want there to be a thread that carries through your copywriting. 

Messaging Part 4: The Offer

After going through the problem, assessment, and solution, you are ready to introduce your offer as the bridge between the problem and solution. At this point, your reader knows what the solution is and wants to understand how your offer will help them get there. Think about what the big promise of your offer is and all the benefits your prospective clients will get out of it. 

What are common mistakes when talking about offers? 

The most common mistakes are when people focus too heavily on the deliverables inside the offer rather than why those deliverables are included in the first place. Instead of focusing on what’s included, focus on how each piece helps your clients get the intended transformation. 

Messaging Part 5: You

This is your chance to show your brand story, your voice, and why you’re the right choice for this client. You might share stories and lessons you’ve gathered. You might talk about the different types of clients you’ve had and how you’ve been able to help them. 

Lean into the reason why clients have already chosen you – and put it into your copy.

How much of my brand story do I share? 

You don’t need to share your entire life story on any piece of content– find the right balance that shows how your background and expertise helped you become a leader in your industry and how you support clients. You don’t need to overdo it – find a way to be genuine, approachable, and still connect with your ideal clients. 

Form Part 1: Flow

This is the piece I see Copy Classroom clients struggle with the most when they first start. After you write your piece of content – does the idea flow from beginning to end? Is there a thread that connects the entire piece of content? Does it flow logically from top to bottom? 

This is where you put your editing lens on and think about things like transitions between ideas and whether your headlines are interesting enough to keep your readers interested. 

You not only need all the right pieces, but you also want them structured to keep readers hooked. 

Form Part 2: Readability 

One thing to watch out for is not using industry terms because while you are an expert in what you do, your readers are not. Instead, think about how your readers talk about these issues and reflect their language to them. 

Another thing to look out for is sentence structure. 

Don’t overdo short and choppy sentences. You also don’t want sentences that are so long your reader feels like they just picked up a heavy textbook.  You want to vary the cadence. This helps people skim your copy better.

Form Part 3: Storytelling

Inside good copywriting, there is a story you’re telling. Your clients should see themselves in the story and get something out of it by the time they’re done reading it. 

Every story is an opportunity to build trust, offer value, and make the reader feel seen and understood.  You want to be strategic, but you also want to be empathetic, human, and engaging.

Get all 8 steps in your Copy Conversion Rubric

Use this diagnostic tool to help you understand what kind of copy problem you’re dealing with and how to fix it. 

It’s all eight steps listed in this guide in a helpful one-pager that you can easily reference.

This conversion check is designed to help you understand why your copy might not be converting and what to do about it. It’s the exact rubric I use when reviewing copy with Studio clients and inside the Copy Classroom.

Download your free guide here: