Conscious Copywriting: The New Way to Sell with Integrity
Copywriting is one of those areas of marketing that can be a challenge for conscious business owners because there is a subtlety to translating your heartfelt values into copy that feels purposeful without also feeling overtly sales-y.
We’ve all read those sales pages and course descriptions that set off our internal alarm bells, that make us feel just a little icky inside. You know the ones.
Those pages that make us feel manipulated, pressured, that push urgency, urgency, urgency, that flash “buy” buttons and countdown timers at us and give the impression that the choice to buy is a life or death decision we must make NOW.
But as high-conscious entrepreneurs, we don’t want our audience to feel like that. We want to serve. We want to connect. We truly believe in our work, and we want our potential customers to experience that transformation without any buyer’s remorse.
On the other hand, we have to make money in order to survive this thing called capitalism.
So how can we communicate the value of our offers and grow our businesses successfully without resorting to high-pressure, manipulative sales tactics that make us feel like we need a shower afterward?
Here at Team MG, we like to take a “Conscious Copywriting” approach to our copy and content writing. Conscious Copywriting is based on understanding and integrity, not pressure, fear tactics, or leaning into “pain points.”
The choice is not between manipulation and success. Instead, it’s a matter of honest and clear communication with your audience steeped in a desire to share directly from the heart and truly connect.
It’s also important to note that many tenets of copywriting (and marketing in general) are based on psychology and can actually be used responsibly. There are ways to write to get our reader’s attention and help them feel seen and understood. We can also use copywriting to help our would-be clients overcome any concerns or objections they have to working with us. Copywriting can help make the decision to buy a no-brainer, and that’s what we want! We want the transaction to be as satisfying and easeful as possible for our audience and for us.
Those techniques only become a problem when they swing too far to the extreme end of the spectrum and become devious. It’s worth it to know the basics of copywriting, but keep the following principles in mind and listen to your gut. If you get an icky feeling, you might have swung too far in the wrong direction.
Here are a few principles of Conscious Copywriting:
Mindset
I’ve found that mindset is everything when creating for and interacting with your audience.
If you go into copywriting with the intention to serve your audience, to connect them with an effective solution for their problem, and to engage in a mutually beneficial energy exchange with them, your copy will reflect that.
Whereas if you sit down to write your sales page with a mindset of fear, lack, or scarcity, of doubt in your ability or offering, or with the question “How do I GET them to buy?” your copy will reflect that as well. And for many people, especially those of us who can easily spot those age-old shrewd marketing tactics, that’s a turnoff.
Take some time to come to a place of abundance, service, and love before writing your copy. You’ll naturally lean toward more honest, kind words instead of pushing your reader to hit the buy button.
Understanding
We all want to be understood, especially when we’re looking for solutions to our problems.
When you truly understand what your audience is struggling with and can communicate that to them, you’ve started (or continued) your relationship with them on the right foot.
Take the time to really understand what your audience is dealing with and how you can help them. Talk to them. Ask questions. If you are in the early stages of building an audience, talk to people around you who may be in the same boat or who is the type of person you’d like to help. And really LISTEN.
After you’ve listened and taken some notes, notice the words your audience uses to describe their problems and wish for solutions, and use those words in your copy. While this is a standard copywriting technique that can be taken to an extreme, it is also a way to show your audience that you are listening. You hear them. And using their words helps them understand you and the solutions you are presenting, and your words will resonate deeper.
Clarity
Clarity in all stages of copywriting is crucial.
For starters, you must be clear on what solutions you are offering and what benefits your audience will most likely experience by working with you. You must be clear on your value and how you help others. Clarity starts in your own mind, so seek that first.
When you clearly understand the problem you are solving and the solutions you are offering, your goal is to communicate that to your audience in an equally clear way. Often, this is the biggest challenge we face in copywriting. If you’re struggling, go back to understanding your audience and put in the work to understand your unique position in your market so you can communicate that to your audience so they can make the decision to work with you with all the information they need.
Instead of rattling off features and benefits and burying your humanity in buzzwords, state your intentions plainly, clearly, and with compassion. Write as if you were writing to a friend you truly want to help. Give them all the information they need and answer any questions they may have about the buying process, working with you, and whether this solution is right for them.
In that same vein, a powerful component of clarity in the copywriting process is also discerning who might not be the best fit for you and clearly stating so rather than attempting to persuade someone who is NOT the right fit or not yet ready to buy. Conscious Copywriting means choosing integrity over the easy sale.
When you are perfectly clear about exactly how you can help, there’s no need for manipulation.
Possibility
Paint a picture of possibility for your audience.
This is another technique that can be taken to extremes and used in manipulative ways by making outlandish claims or promising results you can’t actually guarantee.
Be truly honest about how you can help and the difference this can make in your audience’s lives, and don’t be afraid to get descriptive. There’s nothing wrong with invoking positive emotion with your copy. Yes, uncomfortable emotions like fear, insecurity, and sadness can motivate someone to buy, but these feelings are often preyed upon by skeevy marketers and leave buyers with a bad taste in their mouths, even if the product does deliver on its claims.
Lean into possibility instead of preying on fear, and everyone will approach the transaction feeling seen, supported, and satisfied.
The Golden Rule
At its heart, Conscious Copywriting (and mindful marketing in general) is about treating folx with kindness and respect. Treat them like you care about them, like they are your beloved friends that you want to help and serve, not like ATMs or numbers on a sales report.
As an added bonus, YOU will also feel so much better about your marketing efforts when you know that you’ve acted with kindness and integrity. And your audience will see and resonate with that as well.
Want to explore how to infuse Conscious Copywriting into your work?
Want to infuse your business with Mindful Marketing resources?
Explore these other blogs — each with its own complementary workbook to support your growth.
This post was co-authored with McKella Sawyer, an incredible copywriter I am beyond fortunate to work with frequently. Our rounds of creative ping pong as we take ideas from disjointed thoughts to comprehensive content never fail to light me up—reminding me just how powerful it is to have creative partners you can trust. Learn more about her (and my other amazing team members!) here.