Read This Before You Follow Any Sales Copywriting Tricks!

It’s a typical Tuesday during peak time (3PM-5PM) so you’re checking Facebook, scrolling past pictures of Grumpy Cat and selfies of that girl-you-barely-knew-in-highschool. An ad catches your attention:

“This One Weird Trick Will Melt 7 Pounds of Fat Away in Only Three Days!”

A picture shows an overweight brunette who you totally relate to (Before) and a healthier, happier blonde (After) who is wearing a bikini to proudly show off the transformation. You want to relate to the girl on the right… she looks nothing at all like her previous self.

A description confirms that there is no need to exercise on this program… and you can eat whatever you want. Awesome!

Finally… it’s the solution you’ve been looking for. So you click the ad and grab your credit card, ready to buy {whatever it is}.

Before you roll your eyes, understand that those ads exist because some people actually do fall for it. The weight loss industry is one of many that rely on shady sales copywriting tricks. From the hyped-out headlines to the (obviously fake) testimonials proving that this “miracle solution” is the real deal… those tricks are for suckers.

And you can disagree if you want, but people are smarter than that. Following “tricks” (because they obviously work for other people) is just a symptom of being so half-assed that converting traffic/closing leads is a requirement…

Because of money.

But what if describing yourself as a “serial entrepreneur” is just an optimistic excuse to focus on customer acquisition and skip the effort it takes to retain customers?

For some industries, perhaps the product itself is just there for profit. The whole setup is a twisted game… you’re promising something that just isn’t realistic.

(Routine exercise, a healthy diet, and burning more calories than you consume will help you lose weight in a realistic way. Popping a pill with some mystery root/plant/flower isn’t going to transform you from the girl on the left into that other girl on the right… but it will keep the trend alive if you buy it.)

Before you follow any sales copywriting tricks—ask yourself if you want to build a sustainable brand (that customers will ultimately be loyal to and maybe even refer friends to) or if all you want to do is convert traffic… even if a large percentage of those sales leads to canceled orders, returns, and negative feedback.