In this post, we’re continuing the eight-week series to help all business owners sharpen their copywriting skills. Throughout this series, I’m so excited to be sharing my best tips on effective copywriting. My ultimate goal from the series is to make sure that you’re equipped with the knowledge and tools that you need to write your copy effortlessly and with the confidence that you’re going in the right direction.

This is week five of the series, and we’re tackling the idea of writing authentic copy. There’s a different meaning of this term for everyone, and I really want to dig into what it means to show up authentically in your copy.

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How Does The Idea of Authenticity Get in the Way?

Sometimes people become so zeroed in on the idea of writing “authentic” copy that it actually gets in their way. I’ve heard people say they’ll never outsource their copy because they don’t think a copywriter could adequately capture their authentic voice. Then there are others who are hesitant about using copy templates and frameworks because they think it will remove any uniqueness or authenticity from their writing.

Refusing to either outsource or to leverage proven frameworks and templates actually makes things more difficult for ourselves, because it means that copy will have to be written from scratch every time. Which truly isn’t the best use of our time, when there are so many valuable resources out there.

The double whammy is that the copy also may not be as effective! When we ignore best practices for the sake of sounding more “authentic”, we’re often hurting our conversion rates and our ability to connect with our readers.

So, how do we overcome these (valid) hesitations and learn to write “authentic” copy while also introducing more ease to our writing process and ensuring we’re doing what we can to boost conversions?

The Desire to Write Authentic Copy

Where does this drive to write “authentic copy” come from? What does it mean to us when we say that we want to sound more authentic in our copy?

From what I’ve seen, when people say they want their copy to sound more authentic, they mean that they want it to sound like it was written in their voice and is reflective of their values. 

But when it comes to selling (and, let’s face it, most of copywriting is related to selling), we’re often extra aware of how ‘authentic’ we sound in our copy, simply because so many of us aren’t always comfortable with selling.

For example, I see a lot of business owners hesitate to talk about their clients’ pain points out of fear that it will make them sound inauthentic, when in reality it’s because they haven’t found a way to address their clients’ pain points that makes them feel comfortable. 

It’s important to remember that this is a crucial part of selling our offers, and it’s SO important to get comfortable with this. 

Defining Authenticity for Yourself 

So what’s the fix for this? Well, it starts with getting clear on what authenticity means to us, as it’s one of those subjective terms that’s going to mean something different to everyone.

Think about the idea of going out in search of your dream home. You can’t find your dream home without knowing what that dream looks like to you. What does the kitchen look like? How many bedrooms would the house have? What added features are you hoping for? It’s the same thing with authenticity. You have to know what it actually means to you. 

• Does being authentic mean you’re writing from the heart? 
• Does it mean you’re writing in first person instead of third person? 
• Have you had a negative experience reading or writing that felt inauthentic? What about it made you feel that way?
• What would it feel like to write authentic copy?

When we look at this way, we can see that our feelings of inauthenticity in copy usually has little to do with the words we’re using or the copywriting process — it’s often our approach to selling and running a business in general. 

Many times, when we feel like we’re being inauthentic in our copy, it’s because we’re trying to fit into a box or a method of selling that’s been defined by someone else and that doesn’t feel comfortable to us.

To solve that, and to sound and feel more authentic in our copywriting, we often have to look beyond the copywriting process and get back to the roots of our businesses processes, our approach to selling, and how we want to communicate with our audience.

Taking Your Customer On a Journey Through Your Copy

Your copy is there to support you, and it should guide your customers and readers on a journey that fits the way you want to work and sell. And when you come from a place in building your business that’s authentic to you, authentic copy will follow. 

As you begin writing your copy, ask yourself – how do I want this page or document to work for me and my business? Ignore all the should-haves and must do’s that you see thrown out there in the business world. Commit to building your business in an authentic and aligned way, and suddenly writing authentic copy becomes so much easier.

Remember — selling is just a conversation. You’re having a conversation with your reader and encouraging them to take a certain action. Ask yourself:

• If I was having a face-to-face conversation with my reader, what would I say?
• How can I make sure this is coming through in my copy? 
• How can my copy help them to make an informed decision?

Today’s Copy Break

For today’s copy break, I want to complete a journaling exercise. If you’ve struggled to sound authentic in your writing, think about why that is. Maybe there was a selling tactic that you felt pushed by or you were trying to fit in a box. Whatever it is, write about it and think about what it means for you to show up authentically for your business and how your copywriting can support that.

Thank you for reading! If you love what you learned, be sure to connect with me over on Instagram and share your biggest takeaways. I’d love to hear from you! 

And don’t forget – The Copy Template Shop Black Friday 2021 Sale is coming soon! Don’t forget to add your name to the waitlist so you can be the first to receive ALL the juicy details.

See you back here in the next post — and remember, I’m rooting for you, always.