3 Things Fairy Tales Can Teach You About Copy That Sells

“Once upon a time there was a business owner, and they were smart, tall and handsome.

He seemed happy, but really was not, for he had never made a sale since he began his business.

Then one day he met a fairy copywriter who told him about 3 things he should do in order to finally make a sale and gain his entrepreneurial bliss...”

Guess who the fairy copywriter is? If you screamed “Rosie” you’re right!

After a recent trip to a museum dedicated to H. C. Andersen, author of many of our favorite stories (The Little Mermaid anyone?), I thought it would be interesting to share with you 3 copywriting tips that can be learned from fairy tale writers and that’ll help you improve your conversions straight away

Mirror Mirror on the Wall… allow your business to be a reflection for your audience, and a guide that’ll get them where they all want to be. 

🧜‍♀️ Strong Beginnings

The classic ‘once upon a time…’ is a great example of a strong beginning; it draws the reader in and creates an immediate connection to what’s happening. If you think of a compelling sales page, a good headline and intro paragraph are key to setting the story (what can your audience expect going forward? what’s the story about?) and introducing the characters (you, your services/products). By focusing on that, you won’t need flashing prices, wild FOMO tactics, or big time alerts going off; all you’ll need to do is start off strong to get your audience excited about what you’re selling and familiar with you and your brand.

🧜‍♀️ Make your Motivation Clear

Characters in fairy tales are simple and have straight-forward motivation, eg. The prince wants to save the princess. Wondering why? Well, because motivation and action go together! So if you want your audience to actually buy, make clear what drives you and share it on your platforms. Even better if you can take it one step further and link it to your audience inner motivation (what’s behind their wish to solve their current problem/challenge?) OR to the benefits your service/product will bring to them. Magic’s done, my friend!

🧜‍♀️ Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark Side

Classic fairy tales are actually pretty dark, sad and explore the mind of crazy villains, monsters and other unknown elements. Psychologically speaking, the “dark side” refers to the negative experiences or parts of human personality -- and don’t we all have a dark side? 

There's a level of comfort in knowing you are not alone with your problems, regardless of the level of negativity it holds. As a brand, when we spell it out and expose it, we can build a bridge to develop close relationships with an audience. We can immediately connect and be driven to take action. So don’t be afraid to share those downsides, behind-the-scenes and negative parts of business or life (or of the niche your services focus on) with your audience. We all have those dark moments or have faced challenges, and letting your audience know can build deeper trust, meaning they will be more likely to eventually buy from you.

Also, writing about struggles your audience is experiencing can be a way for you to show that you have great understanding of where they are and that your services (or you) can support them in what they are facing. The key is not to be manipulative. There's a difference between being persuasive and being manipulative. It boils down to how you leverage those negatively charged experiences and the emotional subtext around it. With good intentions, wanting to create an authentic trusting connection and using the right words will lead (and keep) you on the right path.

People find it relieving when they read or hear about what others are dealing with, and it's even better when someone does that, while also offering a genuine solution.

And so there you have it, even in the magical subtext of fairytales, we can find useful tools to help us in our everyday reality!

“... And the fairy copywriter helped the handsome business owner, so he made many sales and lived happily ever after”

If you are looking to gain more perspective on writing copy, crafting a message or creating a persuasive marketing strategy that truly supports your business, don’t wait for a fairy godmother to arrive… reach out to book a call with me today!

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