4 Common Errors of Direct Response Copywriting and How to Avoid Them

How to Avoid Common Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Conversion Rates

You’re not a multibillion-dollar company that focuses more on branding than marketing. Your sales copy is critical. Good copywriting can sell rocks, but bad copywriting can’t sell free gold. The quality of your copy has a direct impact on whether you sell nothing or whether you can’t keep up with demand from your customers.

Common mistakes that kill conversion rates

Even when people understand this, there are common pitfalls that even “professional copywriters” fall into. Whether you’re writing the copy yourself or approving someone else’s work, I’d like to share the most common copywriting mistakes that will hamstring your conversions and stifle your growth.

1. Targeting the wrong audience

The first mistake on our list is fundamental. It’s a common mistake, but one that’s relatively easy to remedy. Even if you’ve got perfect copy with a great marketing and sales team, if you’re targeting the wrong people, you may not sell a thing. To fix your sales copy, make sure you have a clear understanding of who your perfect prospect is.

Imagine them in your mind. Create a profile on paper of your perfect prospect so that they become real enough to imagine a conversation. Consider their demographic and psychographics. Use tools like Google Analytics, data brokers, ad networks, advertising plugins, and surveys to gather relevant information about your prospect.

Invest in the necessary tools. Use a customer relationship manager to understand what makes your customers tick and compel them to take action.

2. Neglecting your copy

In copywriting, there is always room for improvement. Keep testing, editing, practicing, and trying new things to achieve better results. Two issues to avoid:

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Outsourcing to save money. Saving pennies on your sales copy isn’t worth it if it leads to lost sales. Ensure your copy is uniquely tailored to a specific prospect that you have in mind.

Quantity over quality. The bare bones of sales copy are minimal and direct. The most essential quality of your copy must be clarity. Your copy must be clear and simple.

3. Talking about the wrong things

Talking about the wrong things is still possible even if you know your target audience. Some examples:

Vanity copy. Focus on what you do for your prospects, not on how great your company is.

Product exposition instead of prospect conversion. Discuss your product in relation to its impact on your prospects’ lives.

Too much and too little. Irrelevant copy will make you lose your prospect’s interest. Less is more, but the more you can show how their life will be improved, the more interested they’ll be.

4. Speaking the wrong language

Focus on your brand’s personality in your copy. Reflect your business and customers’ expectations. Avoid these issues:

Devoid of humanity. Buying and selling is a deeply human interaction. Write in a way that makes your prospect feel like an individual has written to them.

Too technical/shop talk. Avoid filling your copy with technical details unless it’s necessary. Boil down complex ideas to meaningful expressions for your prospect.

Selling apologetically. Be clear and powerful in your calls to action. Remove burdens, create urgency, and provide a fool-proof call to action.

Nailing copy takes time and testing

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Sales copy is an art with a scientific aspect rooted in human psychology. Master the psychological elements of salesmanship to craft a message with timeless principles. Avoid common errors in sales copy to set yourself apart and open opportunities for growth and success. Go out there and sell.

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