6 Mistakes That Are Holding Back Your Brand’s Copy, Content and Results

When you write about your business or brand, you’re choosing how your customers interact with and perceive your products or services—and the action they take next.

No pressure, right?

To write content that generates actual results, you should be aware of the mistakes you might be making. When you know what not to do, you can turn out copy that connects with customers and leads to conversion and engagement.

As a freelance copywriter and content consultant, I often see the “before” copy or rough drafts my clients come up with. And, whether it’s a landing page, email campaign, social media ad or print media, there are 6 mistakes that I see people making again and again.

Unfortunately, I’m certain these mistakes are costing them leads, engagement and sales.

Here are 6 mistakes I see brands making—and how to fix them.

Mistake 1: They choose length over brevity

We live in an era of text messages, tweets and short attention spans. While long form content has its place, when in doubt: choose brevity over length.

While there are exceptions to this rule, when it comes to emails, landing pages or content your audience is skimming, it’s generally better to go short. 

As proof, the average person spends just 51 seconds on an email newsletter so you need to prioritize your most important content.

Mistake 2: They talk about themselves, not their customers

Do you remember pre-COVID and pre-social distancing when you’d chat with someone at a party and think: I cannot wait to get out of this conversation.

Maybe it was their overindulgence in the garlic hummus—or maybe it was because the entire chat was about them.

Whether it’s a backyard barbecue or a homepage, talking only about yourself is more than rude… it’s boring, uninteresting and unengaging.

When it comes to your copy and content, don’t just talk aboutyour brand. 

Yes, you do need to tell your reader about your offering, what makes you unique, why you’re better, and what’s behind your technology, but it also needs to connect with your reader.

You need customers to see why your product or service matters to them. You need to show how it impacts their lives. You need to help them connect with your mission or brand. You need to help them picture themselves using whatever you sell.

Here are a few examples that don’t work all that well:

“Our accounting software is really simple.”

It is a benefit, but why is that unique or helpful to me? Aren’t most accounting softwares easy? And is that the only benefit? Is it too simple for my needs?

“We’re so excited that our new titanium dive watch has 500M water resistance and a helium escape valve.”

I’m glad your brand is excited about it, but why do I need those features on my watch? Help me dream about this watch! I’ll never need these features, but make me think I might...

“Our customers love this vegan tofu wrap.”

Great, but I’m not that invested in your customers' opinions. Why would I choose it?

Here are a few improved examples that work better:

“When you need accounting software to make payroll a breeze, we can get you up and running in just 5 minutes.”

So, this accounting software makes payroll easier—my main challenge—and I know exactly how much time it takes to get started? Sign me up.

“With 500M water resistance and a helium escape valve, you’ll always know how much time is left on your dive—and have the confidence you can dive into the deep blue.”

Now, I’m picturing diving in the Adriatic Sea and I actually need these features—kind of. I can see the watch on my wrist as some bluefin tuna swim past. I’m a cross between Sterling Archer and James Bond. Suddenly, I want this watch.

“Whether you’re eating plant-based for the earth or your health, you’ll love our 100% vegan tofu wrap.”

If I’m committed to a plant-based diet for causes I care about—including my own health—this resonates with me, even more than its flavor or what other customers think.

To begin understanding if you’re committing this self-centered sin, review your copy and notice: how many times are you using words like our, us or we?

And how many times are you using words like you or yours? If this skews towards talking about yourself, think about how you can make the switch from our/us/we to you/your language. 

Or, ask yourself after every sentence: is this about me or my customers? Who cares about this, my customers or me?

Mistake 3: They only focus on pain or pleasure

One thing I see brands doing is focusing solely on pain or pleasure—but not both.

For some products or services, that singular approach makes sense. Typically, it works to focus on the enjoyment, leisure and luxury of a 5-star resort.

Or, that life insurance helps you avoid the pain of being unprepared should a lifetime of daily Wendy’s Frosties catch up with your cardiovascular system.

The caveat is this: in some cases, yes, it’s pain or pleasure that works.

However, particularly if your brand messaging doesn’t seem to be working, you’re in a new industry or starting a new business, providing a mix of pleasure and pain in your content may reveal opportunities.

For example, a medication relieves actual, literal pain—but what pleasure does it bring? Pain relief is huge, but so is being able to go for a hike, enjoy hobbies and be active. Tune in to any pharma ad on TV and you’ll see this approach.

Or, a car maker may show off the fun, dynamic suspension in their new roadster, which makes every roundabout a riot. However, they may subtly include the fact that it helps you respond quickly to prevent an accident, making the copy about pain or pain avoidance, too. 

In practice, we can borrow our accounting software example from earlier:

“You can quickly process your payroll in minutes instead of hours—without worrying about compliance or tax issues later on.”

See? In this one statement, there’s the pleasure of saving time matched with painful concerns of compliance and tax problems.

The next time you need to write content, try this mixed approach. Or, if you usually skew positive/negative in your content, change it up. See if you notice a difference in your results.

What resonates (or doesn’t resonate!) with your customers is going to take research, testing and time, however, you can get a good feel for what to write by avoiding this next mistake.

Mistake 4: They don’t speak their customers’ language

This tip is especially helpful if you’re going through a rebrand or just starting out and have no idea what to write. 

When I write copy, I investigate my clients’ reviews, customer testimonials, competitor content and, if they can provide it, transcripts of phone and email conversations they have with clients. By looking at the language their customers use, it helps me understand whether I focus on Benefit A or Benefit B—and what tone to use.

Whether you look at Facebook group discussions your customers are likely part of or your competitors’ online reviews, analyze the subtle differences between what you say and what your customers actually say. 

Do your customers call your product a fluid or a serum? Do they call your IoT invention a device or a gadget? Do they talk about wanting a quaint getaway cabin far from it all or a modern, warm lodge near the ski lift? Are they using informed jargon or plain, common language?

And, when they talk about the problems you solve, how do they talk about the problems? Are they focused on relief, excitement or novelty? What problems do your customers most often talk about wanting to solve?

When they talk about the benefits of your product, are they mentioning the price, the design, the ease of use or the quality? Do they share why they choose Product A over Product B? Take note!

Notice the tone your customers use. Are they formal, eloquent writers—or casual writers? Are they using emojis, slang and sentence fragments, or is it like reading your 9th grade English teacher’s syllabus?

It can be helpful to put together a spreadsheet and note the number of times a certain word or phrase comes up, though you can generally spend an hour or two reading content and get a sense of what customers care about, how they speak and an appropriate tone.

This practice works well for connecting with your customer—and avoiding some of your own preconceived ideas or language.

Mistake 5: They write for people who are not their customers.

You cannot write for everyone, so write for the people most likely to become your customers.

(If you’re uncertain about who your ideal customer is or you don’t have an established “buyer persona”, check out this resource from HubSpot.)

If you look at most content, it’s clearly meant for a certain type of buyer. Even products or services that anyone can buy tend to “niche” down in individual campaigns; you’ll see it in Millennial-focused insurance ads or cruise ship commercials for adventurous, healthy seniors.

So, once you really understand who your ideal customer is, what they want and why they buy what you’re selling, let your copy reflect who is buying.

If your product and customers are all about quality and craftsmanship, fast turnaround times or low cost don’t need to be mentioned, even if the majority of mass market shoppers care about speed and cost. Your customers don’t.

If you’re the economical SaaS option, price and simplicity should be prioritized over how comprehensive your product is. Your customers are looking for a deal and ease of use, not the most powerful solution.

If your podcast is for coffee connoisseurs, you probably don’t need to mention in the description you also review teas, bourbon and beer on occasion in the hopes you’ll draw in new (but poorly matched) subscribers. Your over-caffeinated listeners may balk at the very idea of tea.

To put this into context with a few specific, real world examples, Ferrari doesn’t broadly advertise their fuel efficiency or the cost-effectiveness of their maintenance; their customers probably don’t glance at the total when they pay for their gas or oil change with an AmEx Black Card.

Robinhood, the trading and investing app, doesn’t mention executing complex, intricate trading strategies in their messaging; they know their customers have no or minimal experience in trading, so approachability and a simple interface are what they highlight.

If you have some trusted customers or brand advocates who seem to reflect a typical customer, it never hurts to interview or survey them. See what you can learn about why they love your brand, what first attracted them and what would turn them off from your company’s messaging. 

Mistake 6: They don’t make the next step obvious

Especially vital for conversion-focused copy in emails, landing pages or social media ads, you need to tell your customers what to do next.

Otherwise, they’ll definitely do something else, including closing out your email, scrolling past your ad or bouncing from your landing page.

It might sound a bit QVC-ish in an “Order Yours Today” sort of way, but those ads with 3 easy payments of $19.95 had clear calls to action for a reason: they work.

Take a look at your customer journey or sales process. What do you want the reader to do next: like, comment, set up a demo, call, buy now, or get in touch? 

Make sure it’s clear and don’t be afraid to bluntly say what you want them to do next.

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Now that you’ve learned what not to do with your brand’s copy, start writing and, if you can make only one consistent change to your copy let it be this: always keep your customers in mind.

If you have a question about your brand’s content—or a different way to approach copy you’re working on—leave a comment or get in touch at [email protected]