Let’s talk about copywriting for lead generation. This isn’t just any old marketing strategy – it’s a secret weapon you can use to convert strangers, into leads, appointments and clients in your business.
Good copy can literally make or break your digital marketing campaign!
After 15+ years of helping business owners create high converting copy for their landing pages, ads, follow up emails, video scripts + more…
Here are my top lead generation copywriting tips for increasing your conversion rates.
Let’s jump right in!
How to write persuasive copy to generate leads, appointments and clients
Here’s a break down for our top 10 tips to maximize the amount of leads you generate.
These tips can be applied to your:
- Landing pages
- Video sales letters
- Follow up emails
- YouTube videos
- Blogs
- Ads
And anywhere else, you need to use words to communicate and motivate people to take action.
1. Talk about them
Creating persuasive lead generation copy must always involve talking about your potential clients. Not you.
Too often, I review clients’ ads, landing pages, video scripts and so on, and I see them use the word “We”.
For example, they’ll say:
- “We do this”
- “We do that”
- “Our company has done xyz”
Blah blah blah.
No one cares about you or your company.
They care about what’s in it for them!
So, in all your ads, videos, outreach messages, cold email campaigns, follow-up emails, and so on, use the word “You” instead of “We” or “I” as much as possible.
Now as a quick disclaimer: That’s not to say you can never talk about yourself. You can. But it must be done AFTER you discuss what’s in it for them. And the focus (at least 80% of your content) needs to be about them.
As a real-life example, take a look at how I present my free Masterclass training.
In the video, you’ll see that 80% of the content is all about YOU, and only 20% (towards the end) talks about what we do to help you.
2. Solve specific problems
If you want to generate as many leads as possible from your marketing campaign, it’s important that you solve a big, painful problem in your copy.
And best of all…
When you solve big painful problems, you can generate leads without giving discounts or trying too hard to convince people to buy from you.
They’ll want to work with you because you can solve their problem.
It’s important also to be specific when solving a problem.
For example, if you can help someone with their marketing, don’t just say “We help business owners with their marketing”.
That’s too broad.
You need to solve a specific problem in order to get better conversion rates.
So, for example, that’s why in my business (even though I do help businesses with their marketing) I offer something more specific and tangible, which is “Learn how to get 10, 15, 30 or more high quality appointments each month with your ideal client”.
You can see an example of this in action here.
3. Write at a 5th grade level
A simple way to get more conversions with your content is to write at the level of a 5th grader.
Avoid using fancy words and complicated sentences.
Consider this example of a confusing message:
“Our company utilizes state-of-the-art technology to deliver top-tier, innovative solutions that cater to your complex business needs.”
While this sentence might sound impressive, it’s heavy on jargon and light on specifics. It doesn’t give the reader a clear understanding of what the company does.
You can simplify your writing by:
- Using simple words
- Add bullet points whenever possible
- Write short sentences and paragraphs
- Avoid jargon
If you use AI copywriting tools you can ask them to write content at a 5th grade level.
You can also use this free tool to test the reading level of your writing.
4. Use the right language
Understanding your audience is crucial to writing compelling copy. Listen to the words and language your audience uses to describe their problems.
Then use those same words when explaining your solution to that problem.
For example, when helping financial advisors generate leads, here are some of the words I use to resonate with them:
- “Clients” instead of “customers”
- “high quality leads” instead of “more leads”
- “Grow your assets under management (AUM)” instead of “grow your business”
The better you speak in your potential clients language, the higher the chances are they will resonate and trust what you say.
5. Keep it conversational
The best copy sounds like it’s written from a friend to a friend. It sounds informal, relaxed and conversational.
It doesn’t have to be perfect.
I’ve seen great copy full of typos, grammatical errors and mistakes convert a lot better than copy that sounds professional and too formal.
Keeping it real helps build authenticity and trust in your content.
6. Be different
One of the best ways to get results in your marketing content is to be different. Look at what your competitors are offering and ask yourself: How can I provide something even better?
I know a lot of business owners struggle with this one.
So here’s a simple way you can do this:
Step 1: Talk about other alternative solutions.
These could be competitors or strategies your potential clients have tried in the past.
Step 2: Then explain the problem with these alternative solutions.
To be transparent, you could list the pros & cons of these options.
Step 3: Explain why your solution is better than those alternative solutions.
If you do this, you’ll be able to stand out as different from what else is out there.
7. Share stories
Sharing stories in your content helps capture people’s attention and keep them engaged.
Let’s take a fitness app.
You could say, “Our app has workouts and tracks progress.” Or, you could tell a story.
“Meet Jane, a busy mom who thought fitness was out of reach. Then, she found our app. Now, she’s not just a working mom; she’s a working mom who owns her health and fitness.”
That’s the power of storytelling.
If you don’t have any stories to share, than using illustrations are also a great alternative.
You could say the phrase “it’s kind of like…” and then illustrate what you’re talking about.
Using stories and illustrations makes your product or service easier to understand and more memorable.
8. Provide 10x more value
One of the best ways to get people to take action when generating leads is to ensure that the value you provide is 10 times greater than what you’re asking for.
For example, if you are promoting a lead magnet, be sure it provides 10x more value in return for someone’s name & email.
To do this, you can:
- List the specific tangible result they’ll get from the lead magnet
- Talk about the benefits
- Explain how much value this is (in real dollar amounts)
This principle applies to all aspects of marketing, including selling services. Always make sure the price you’re selling the service for provides 10x more value in return.
The idea behind this tip is to make it a “no-brainer” to work with you.
9. Use scarcity
Another way to generate more leads is to use scarcity in your copy. This works really well because we all naturally have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
So if you can offer something for a limited time, you’ll be able to get more people to take action.
For example, some of my clients who want more sales appointments, offer a free book (or ebook) if someone books a call right now. You can even use this tactic when reaching out to new leads with AI lead generation tools.
You can also use scarcity when selling a service by offering people a small discount or a payment plan option if they take action now.
At the same time, you want to be careful with this one. If you do this too often or in the wrong way, it can also come across as salesy or pushy.
So it’s important to strike the right balance and not go over the top with this one.
10. Highlight feelings, not features
Instead of just listing features, highlight the real-world benefits your customers can expect. For example, a financial planning app’s copy could change from:
Before: “Our app offers budgeting tools and expense tracking.”
After: “Dreaming of owning a home? Our app’s budgeting tools and expense tracking can turn your dream into reality by helping you save.”
Do you see what differs in the two messages?
It’s not just about stating the features of your product or service. Rather, it’s about showcasing how those features translate into real-world customer benefits.
11. Include social proof where possible
Using social proof helps build trust with your audience. Your company’s credibility is boosted by sharing real customer stories and testimonials. This encourages potential customers to act.
We often look to others when making decisions. When your audience sees others benefiting from your product or service, they will likely see your offering as valuable.
This can increase their trust in your brand and motivate them to engage with your business.
So, show off your successes and satisfied customers. Case studies, client testimonials (see ours for an example), or social media shout-outs can be a game-changer for lead generation.
11. Do the opposite
One way you can stand out with your copy is to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.
For example, a few years ago, everyone was running fancy Facebook & TikTok ads with high end video editing, graphics and so on.
To stand out, I ran ads for my company which were purposely simple.
And the ads ended up getting more leads, appointments and clients than my previous campaign with more “fancy ads”.
12. Get help from copywriting experts
Still not seeing the lead generation results you want?
Other factors may be influencing your lead generation results.
That’s where working with a lead generation specialist comes in.
At Skyline Social, we understand that effective lead generation is a complex process involving more than great copywriting.
We believe in a holistic approach to lead generation.
This means we look at every aspect of your marketing strategy to identify potential areas for improvement.
We offer two primary services to help you improve your lead generation:
Consulting
If you’re a DIY type who likes to take charge of your marketing, our consulting services might be just what you need.
We offer comprehensive training in all aspects of digital marketing, including copywriting, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and more.
And best of all you get private 1-to-1 support to help you improve the copy of your ads, landing pages, video scripts, and so on.
Learn more about our consulting option
Done For You Lead Generation
If you’d rather focus on running your business and leave the marketing to the experts, our Done For You Lead Generation service is the perfect solution.
We’ll handle every aspect of your lead generation campaign, from crafting compelling copy to promoting your sales funnel to generate more leads, appointments and clients.
This allows you to focus on what you do best – running your business – while we generate leads.
Summary
Successful lead generation copywriting hinges on several key elements. It’s about creating persuasive copy that speaks to potential customers and compelling offers they can’t resist. It’s optimizing landing pages, leveraging social proof, and conducting in-depth research.
It’s about simplicity in messaging and continuous improvement through testing and feedback.
By incorporating these strategies, you’re on your way to creating impactful copy that drives results and supports business growth.
Feeling inspired to take your lead generation to the next level?
Why not take the first step and watch our free masterclass?
It’s packed with actionable insights and strategies that can help you supercharge your lead generation efforts.
Don’t miss out!
FAQs
Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, Ash has been helping business owners with lead generation. Ash specializes in helping businesses get high-quality leads, appointments and clients each month with automated digital marketing strategies. Learn more about the author here.
