Your website copy is some of the most important content your audience will interact with.
It’s got a tough job on its shoulders too! It has to simultaneously engage, inform, and encourage action from your reader.
Because it’s such a crucial feature of your website, many businesses make the mistake of avoiding emotions in their copy, thinking it will negatively affect their image and result in a customer losing confidence in them. Quite the opposite is true because emotive copy is a powerful way to build trust in your brand.
Does this mean you need to write the next big melodrama? Absolutely not. You don’t need to go over the top; instead, you need to connect with your reader through relatable emotions.
How do you write emotive copy? Well, we’re going to go through five steps you can take to start writing copy that connects.
Know your audience – First, there’s no point in launching into a copywriting session if you have no idea who you’re writing for. Different audiences will respond to different emotions. Make sure you know exactly who your ideal customers are and what would appeal to them. Ask yourself what they would identify with. Are your customers into the outdoors? Rugged nature lovers? Or do they love nothing more than staying indoors with the finer things in life?
Use stories – Stories are one of the easiest ways to write with emotion because you’re already creating something that will resonate with your reader. Stories are easy to identify with, especially when catered to a specific audience. You create a stronger connection with your audience when you include relatable emotions within that story.
Present a problem and a solution – Telling a story that features a problem and solution that will appeal to your customers is a fantastic way to use the power of emotive writing. For example, your story could detail a customer struggling to find the right paint for their living room because there’s a big event coming up, and people will be judging the decor. That customer feels the urgency to impress their guests (stress and mild social anxiety), but your company sells custom wall paints that allow them to find the perfect color, so the day is saved! (relief, confidence, and excitement)
Combine positive and negative – The best way to create a narrative that your audience will identify with is to present both positive and negative emotions throughout. Your brand can be associated with positive emotions, while the negative ones are connected with parts of the journey where the customer hasn’t discovered your brand yet, or has tried others and still found no solution to their problem.
Use relatable subjects – When you know your audience, you know what they like. For example, maybe you sell eco-friendly camping gear. Your customer base tends to be environmentally aware and respect nature. If your story includes elements from nature, they’re far more likely to find it more engaging.
