How can you write persuasive copy without being spammy?

The adage “if you build it they will come” is untrue. The way to get an audience/community/brand forth following is to speak with not at your audience and to hold space for them to share their ideas, opinions, views and experience. You build rapport by doing this, and can get people looking forward to your content. This is such an uncommon approach yet that it’s still highly effective.

Use common sense. Put yourself in your target's shoes, walk around for a mile, and speak to them from their perspective. Yes, this is the difference between speaking to them versus talking at them. This is paralleled with the safest assumption any marketer/advertising can make: Whatever you're selling is at best a distraction and at worst an annoyance to your audience. That humbles you right quick and creates the respect for your audience that is necessary to connect with them.

As mentioned below, there are old marketing adages that should be considered but not necessarily applied. One, however, that continues to stand as true is the power of testimonials. Integrate testimonials and quotes from both experts and your audience; real-life and non-constructed quotes that read as authentic and enthusiastic, and are NOT overly edited so that they read as "perfect" continue to be a viable way to persuade audiences to the value of one's product.

YMMV, but as someone who is bombarded with text from the moment I wake up every day, the first question I ask myself when writing is "would I actually read this?" If I can't say anything more than "maybe," I have to ask myself what's causing doubt, and then address that. It's important to remember that everyone's time is valuable. That's also care!

You should also make sure that you be genuine as you write copy for your target audience. You want to avoid exaggerated claims or false promises; maintaining honesty and integrity in your messaging is essential in keeping your audiences trust. It is also important to be clear, concise with your copy. Avoid using a lot of jargon or overly complex language or you may risk disengaging your target audience.

“Focus on benefits” is an oversimplification. Focus on what your most lucrative target audience wants. Sometimes the feature itself is the benefit (ie a longer-lasting battery, extra room, a new color or fragrance…). If you can’t drill that far down, focus on a feature or benefit that competing offers don’t have. If you’re really stumped, be creative and focus on a benefit nobody else is talking about yet. You can #differentiate by writing about features and benefits that are new, unique, or unknown.

This is inaccurate. The David Ogilvys of the world like to categorize and define what works and the Features/Benefit question is a great question. But one person's feature can be another person's benefit. If you're firmly planted in your audience's shoes, a feature like Four-wheel drive instantly becomes the benefit. Sure, you can argue that the "benefit" is "getting out of a ditch." But good luck narrowing it down to something that everyone in your target audience will say, "That's right" to. Don't fall on the Features/Benefits sword. Just make sure that you make a persuasive point.

Focusing on specifically what your demographic and audience needs is a solid tip for all writing. The goal is to always connect and engage with the reader, and make the prose feel personal. This happens when the writer can master crafting copy that directly speaks to the needs and desires of the reader or consumer.

Pathos is most effective tool in communication where audience relates their selves with products or occurences. Highlighting the benefits during copy writing strikes the emotions which help in branding most.

"Features" are the proof. They tell a story about the product. "Benefits" tell a story about their lives. Stories that INVOLVE your product. Lead with benefits.

This may have been accurate at some point. But in these days of influencers and paid promotion audience are more sophisticated in their understanding and less likely to trust testimonials unless it's trust pilot validated, which still carries a little sway Ask yourself the last time YOU bought something based on a random person saying what a great product it is?

Also inaccurate. Yes, 'other people have used it' can be compelling. But that only goes so far. Your audience is very prickly about not being grouped in with goofy people gushing about your product. Humans, particularly Americans, have a major hangup with Following/Leading. No one wants to be a follower and no one wants the responsibility of leading. So, if you push "social proof" too much, it feels like following. Ultimately consumers always want to feel smart about their decisions, smarter than their friends and neighbors. So, tread softly with the social proof.

With the proliferation of, let's say, "social," it's hard to judge what or who is real and what or who isn't. (And now, "Ta-dah! I present to you artificial intelligence.") Social proof should be used cautiously and generously qualified by stating exactly how it was gathered, etc. I fear social proof is diluted with so much questionable content, folks have become immune. We may have to go back to the old direct survey where gushing comments are harder to come by.

Social proof, such as testimonials or reviews, can reinforce your claims, providing evidence that others have benefited from what you're offering. While crafting your message, be wary of overusing caps and exclamation points as they can detract from your message's professionalism. It's also wise to avoid overused phrases that might sound cliché or insincere. Establishing authority is essential. Support your claims with relevant data, facts, or your expertise in the field.

We see this in E-commerce and Retail: Limited-time offers (e.g., flash sales, daily deals). Low stock notifications ("Only 3 items left in stock!"). Countdown timers indicating the end of a sale. This is just one example of how urgency and scarcity can be used in the E-commerce industry to prompt faster and more decisive actions. The key is to create a genuine sense of urgency and scarcity while maintaining transparency and fairness in your strategies.

This is probably the worst bit of advice here. There's a major difference between conversion and customer loyalty. The holy grail is to create a fan out of your target audience, ideally an evangelist. Most people see right through this tactic and feel used by the faux urgency/scarcity. To put it bluntly, it's like the difference between casual sex and a long-term relationship. Just because you get conversions, you make the sales curve rise, are those true converts? Have you created a rapport with your target that will last for repeat business/customer loyalty? Urgency can be fine, but scarcity is amateur hour.

Urgency and scarcity has a time and a place. There is risk of overusing this and having your marketing comms turn into a tone of constant cold selling - people don't want that. Despite your sales team aggressively demanding more leads, people who will convert need clear information, multiple touchpoints, time to mull it over and a good understanding of what value your company will provide them. Sometimes, you've just got to answer the question "what's in it for me?" and sometimes the answer is because there's a limited time offer of quick selling items, and sometimes it's actually because you, as a customer, mean more to us than just how much money you can give us quickly.

Using these techniques is good, but it should not become an addiction! In fact, all copywriting techniques should be used at the right time and in the right amount. Excessiveness will reduce the effectiveness of our copies.

Marketers should be careful following this advice as a way to sound less spammy. Creating a sense of urgency and scarcity is one way to easily sound spammy. "Don't miss out on this great opportunity!" "Last chance to get this deal before it expires!" These sound spammy, and are 100% creating urgency and scarcity. I would say that the tip to create urgency and scarcity is better advice for how to achieve sales goals than it is for how not to sound spammy.

This is super basic. However, it suggests an interesting thought exercise. You want your marketing, not just your copywriting, the whole thing, layout, images, colors, etc. to be persuasive. So, is your messaging so persuasive that if there were NO CTA your audience would reach out to you anyway? Can you be so persuasive that they'll go out of their way to find your website, contact info, or physical address to shove money into your hands? A CTA is an obvious last step. But don't pat yourself on the back for having one.

The best calls to actions are timely, appropriate, and relevant. You need to understand where your target audience is in their journey and meet them halfway. Consider if a hard call to action or soft call to action is right for your audience - sometimes you want immediate action (do this NOW, etc), while other times trying to start a conversation is called for (thoughts on this?, etc).

a CTA is simply being clear on what you want your audience to: - think - do - feel on reading your copy. it could be all three or it could be one. But identifying what that is, is paramount or you could be wasting your time

There are so many 'call to action' and sign-up now offers around the internet that most audiences have grown numb to it, or even worse have become skeptical. The key is to craft copy that offers perceived value and insight that makes them desire to either know more or create a sense of attachment to the product or service. This is a very delicate area, and offering something first in the form of valuable information is crucial.

Calls to action (CTAs) are undoubtedly an important part of persuasive content, as they guide the audience to the desired response. A curious fact is that several studies have shown that people react better to CTAs when they resonate with their interests and real problems. For example, for common problems such as stress or lack of time, a CTA such as "5 simple steps to be calmer" can be more effective than one that is too generic.

Everyone is juggling a million priorities these days. Being honest and ethical is important and helps build trust with your audience. Readers appreciate it when you can get right to the point. Try putting the most important information at the top of your communications. Lead with what's needed, and the context can follow. This help's people sort through their inboxes and they'll be more likely to remember you the next time you send any communications.

"Respect is earned." In reality, respect is given, freely. Imagine someone I don't know is walking towards me and because of these words of wisdom I'm going to withhold my respect for them because they haven't earned it yet. Does that make any sense at all? Whereas, reaching out to connect with respect to complete strangers is the first step in any communication. "Hi! How are you?" I can hear marketers complain that advertising doesn't have time for pleasantries like "Hello." But that's their mistake. That's why a layout looks the way it does, the headline is set in a particular typeface, or the "tone & manner" is a certain way. That's the first level of "reading" and the "Hello" of the conversation.

Do not write copy or scripts that spend 5 minutes touting how much a product or service is revolutionary and how it has changed your life without adding something significant and concrete for the reader, listener, or viewer who is sacrificing time on the ad. So much ad copy will just make bold claims without even giving a nugget of the wealth of knowledge the person supposedly has. Less hype and more value will stop people from zoning out and being more willing to engage with your copy.

The method of all communication should be simple: tell the truth really, really well. Gimmicks erode trust. From the brand to the product, speak and act consistently according to your brand values and you'll earn trust.

Do not resort to clickbaits. Misleading or sensationalized headlines or promises can break trust. Your copy should deliver on its promises, and your audience should feel that their time and trust are respected.

Include the power of the story. Genuine, emotional stories do more than pluck at our heartstrings. They captivate us, making it almost impossible to look away. And the best part? A compelling tale isn't just a solo experience. We naturally want to share a good story with others when it resonates.

Use personal stories that resonate with your audience. It comes off as spammy when there is no developed connection. If you can find a way to showcase your expertise and create rapport so that your audience understands you, then you've established a connection that automatically makes the content feel less spammy.

Being a contrarian here, I think the advice in this article is very obviously powered by AI because it doesn't capture the nuance of how to write copy without sounding spammy. It's really quite simple. Be genuine. Be authentic. Be human. Tell a story, but be concise. Use video and imagery to help tell the story. Answer for your readers "what's in it for them". Know your audience, know their lingo, know their goals, wants, needs and desires. Write simply, be engaging.

To reiterate the importance of authenticity, and knowing your audience, I believe it is imperative for your copy to center the needs of your audience on stage. A great resource I recently found that agrees on this point is Tamsen Webster's book "Find Your Red Thread," - writing persuasive copy without being spammy involves understanding your audience’s needs, experience, and curiosity and effectively threading a story that builds on their experience. By knowing your audience's desires, fears, and beliefs, you can tailor your message to resonate with them. Crafting a clear concise narrative that connects with their aspirations ensures that your copy remains engaging and valuable so you avoid the spammy perception and build trust.