"When you fall into the trap of thinking your audience knows just as much as you do, you end up selling what you know the problem is, ignoring your audience's current reality."

02. Debunking 11 Copywriting Myths That Are Costing You Sales

In today's episode, we’re talking about 11 copywriting myths. The problem with believing many of these myths is that they negatively influence your messaging and how you communicate about your programs.

Tune in as we debunk the myths and misconceptions floating around our industry. You'll write more effectively, connect deeper with your audience, and convert higher.

Topics discussed:

• Should you "sell the benefits, not the features"?

• What does it mean to meet your audience where they’re at and how you can bridge the gap between awareness and action?

• How to use sales psychology ethically to establish authority and drive demand for your offers.

• Is talking about pain points unethical marketing or is this crucial for building credibility and connection.

• Now that attention spans are shrinking, should you be writing long-form copy?

• How to use copy to form connections with your audience.

Resources Mentioned

The 6-Figure Sales Page Outliner

How to write a buyer psychology structured sales page so you stand out, drive engagement, and increase conversions while activating the subconscious decision-making process of your audience.

Connection Cure

Write copy that actually converts. Get 45+ proven voice of customer and market research questions to find the words that connect with your audience, boost authority, build trust, and create demand for your programs.

If you’ve been in the online business world for more than 2 minutes, you’ve likely heard and bought into at least one of these copywriting myths.

The problem with believing a lot of these myths is that they influence your messaging and how you communicate about your programs and that’s costing you sales.

In this article, I’m busting the top 11 copywriting myths and misconceptions floating around our industry. By debunking these, you'll write more effectively, connect deeper with your audience, and convert higher.

Ready to set the record straight? Let’s go!

Myth #1: Sell the benefits, not the features

This statement is all over social media. Hey, I even say it myself… And if you’ve ever had a lousy launch or run a killer webinar but only got a handful of sales after, it’s my bet you went straight for the, “But I emphasized the benefits”.

And this is true. You 100% DO need to emphasize benefits, but this doesn’t replace the need for warming up your audience to bridge the "gap" between your ICAs current awareness level and what they need to know to take action.

One of the BIGGEST mistakes I see coaches and course creators making with their sales copy is jumping straight into the offer.

This is what us marketers mean when we say, “Meet your customers where they’re at”. How deeply do you understand your dream client's awareness of their problem and the solution you're offering?

When you fall into the trap of thinking your audience knows just as much as you do, you likely just sell them what they need (aka your solution – thinking they’ll jump at that chance and recognize the value). This actually comes across as salesy and fails to prime your audience for the sale.

Think about it. How many times have you bought or booked a call, when directed to a checkout page before being given any info? Likely zero.

Here’s what you need to do instead…

Start by understanding the awareness level of your dream client. Create a detailed picture of their current situation, the problems she’s facing, and the mistakes she’s making trying to fix the problem. Use this understanding to bridge the gap between their current awareness and the solution you offer before introducing your offer.

This brings me to the next myth…

Myth #2: Sales psychology in copywriting is manipulative

You’re an expert at what you do and you’re 110% confident in the programs you sell, right? You’re putting out amazing content and have built a great audience, but you’re still not getting the sales you’d hoped for.

Sales psychology in copywriting isn't about manipulating people—it's about being strategic.

Did you know that 95% of the buying process happens subconsciously? That's why understanding how the human brain works when making buying decisions is super important for increasing your sales.

It's about learning to tap into the feelings and emotions that drive those decisions.

MANY things influence sales psychology – I could have an entire blog dedicated to this topic, but for this myth let's chat about using sales psychology to influence authority.

Here’s the good news. Becoming the expert is the hard part – now it’s time to learn how to adjust your messaging to connect to the subconscious buyer emotions.

When you trigger the subconscious, the mind perks up and says, “Hey, she gets me! I want to know more” – before you’ve even announced your offer. And that’s the goal, to create demand for your offers.

Robert Cialdini says there are 7 Principles of Persuasion. One of these is authority. This is the idea that people listen and buy from folks who they think know their stuff.

Here’s how you can tap into it to create more sales.

Start by talking about the stuff your dream clients are dealing with in their everyday lives. What problems are they facing, and what have they tried that hasn't worked?

What is the solution? Remember, you haven’t introduced your offer yet. Instead, showcase your authority of how you discovered the solution and why someone should believe your way is right. Include stories, analogies, and examples. This is a great place to introduce your unique selling point and differentiators.

This will position you as a subject leader and the subconscious, “she gets me” meter will fire up.

Do you want to learn how to structure and outline a sales page using sales psychology? I have a FREE guide. Click here to get the sales page outliner.

Myth #3: Talking about pain points is unethical marketing

This one gets the biggest rap in our community. Do you believe pain point marketing is unethical?

“Bro marketers” have given pain points a bad name. But on the other end of the spectrum, ignoring pain points can leave your audience feeling like you don't really understand what’s happening or how experienced you are in dealing with their problems.

You want to be somewhere in the middle. You want to acknowledge the real-life problems your audience is facing to build credibility and authority—without making them feel like you're just trying to guilt them into buying your product.

Great messaging that gets conversions accurately describes your reader's situation and creates that “OMG she’s in my head” connection.

But to do this effectively, you can't just skim the surface of their problems. When I’m auditing copy, almost every review suggests digging deeper. As a business owner, it’s your job to know your ICAs fears and desires inside out.

One great example is the famous quote by Harvard Business School Professor Theodore Levitt: “People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!”

That's spot-on, but it doesn't stop there. As Seth Godin says in This is Marketing, the real problem might be that they need a shelf on the wall, or that their space feels cluttered and embarrassing, or that they want to avoid the hassle of hiring someone to do it for them.

None of this is about rubbing pain points in someone's face—it's about showing empathy and connection with what your audience is going through. That's why market research and mining the voice of the customer (VOC) are so crucial—you need to uncover those deeper desires and fears to truly connect with your audience.

To gain a positioning advantage, steal 45+ of the exact questions I use when performing VOC research for my clients.

When you know your audience on a deeper level and address their real concerns, you'll create copy that maximizes connection, stands out, and sells better.

Myth #4: No one reads long-form copy – My readers like it when I get straight to the point

If I had a penny…

There’s always someone who will tell me that long-form copy is dead. That attention spans are shrinking and that shorter is better.

Sound familiar?

I might be biased, but I KNOW long-form copy works. Copywriters like me use long-form copy to rake in millions billions of dollars every year for our clients. Why does it work? Because copy needs to trigger the subconscious drive (see myth #2) and for there to be enough information for the reader to make an informed buying decision.

Sure, a $9 impulse buy might not need a thesis-length sales pitch. But when you're dropping $15,000 on an international retreat, you’re going to want all the details to feel confident in your choice.

Yes, attention spans are shorter, and standing out in a crowded market is tough. But here's the thing: standing out isn't the same as keeping attention. Whether it's a tweet or a novel, if it's boring, it'll flop.

Combined with great design, long-form copy can be easy and fun to read. Breaking up the text with visuals, headlines, and formatting tricks keeps the reader engaged and interested.

Long-form copy isn't just a sales pitch – it's a story, it’s memorable. Because our brains are programmed to remember stories. Your audience isn't just reading – they're hooked, invested in your ideas, and hungry for more (hello, sales).

Myth #5: I know my business really well, I can write my own copy

That’s great! If you're confident in your ability to craft compelling copy and understand your business and ideal clients inside out – then you, my friend ARE the best person to write copy for your business.

But… that’s a big difference between someone who knows their business well but struggles to effectively convey its value and communicate how amazing their offers are.

As you should be gathering from the myths above, there’s a lot more to copywriting than putting some pretty words on a page.

There’s one test to find out if your copy is working…

Does your copy make sales? And I’m not talking about one or two… I’m talking about consistently hitting your sales targets.

If your copy isn't delivering the results you want, don’t feel bad about this. I’ve dedicated my entire career to mastering the art of persuasive writing, diving deep into brand research, understanding buyer psychology, and crafting stories that convert.

This is how my mission was born – to simplify the copywriting process so you can earn more and live your biggest life WITHOUT having to become a copywriter in the process.

If you’re in a position where you have the foundations of your brand nailed down but aren’t hitting your sales goals or standing out then click here to see how we can work together.

Myth #6: Copywriting and content writing are the same

While I love an elaborate story, I’ll keep this one short and sweet.

Copywriting and content writing serve different purposes…

Copywriting is strategic words used to persuade or sell to your target audience.

Copywriting is all about strategic messaging used to persuade or sell. It's a combination of brand and competitor research, sales psychology, creativity, and connection to compel someone to take action.

Content writing focuses on creating engaging, informative, or relationship-building content. Think blog posts and social media captions that don’t necessarily push someone to buy something.

Each caters to different goals and understanding the difference will help you craft the right message for the right occasion.

Myth #7: Editing is easier than writing

I work for an agency, and they love getting the client to take a spin at something before they give the project to me. Thinking less hours…

Someone will say, "Can you just quickly edit this?" or "Make this sound a bit better."

Gahhhhh…

Editing is hard AF! And it’s not that simple. Myths 1-6 above. Case and point.

When I’m writing a piece of copy I have a very specific process. I start with a detailed copy questionnaire followed by a 90-minute strategy call to extract the necessary information from the client BEFORE doing any research or writing.

When it comes to editing, it's much harder if I don’t have the same foundational understanding of their brand. Like knowing the ICA, the problem being solved, or the unique solution and offer details. And sometimes, if the original copy isn't well-written, it can be harder to edit than having a clean slate to start from.

This is why I only started offering audits this year and charge $697 for them – I put in hours of before I hop on the 1-hour video review. Which if you’re interested in getting my eyes on your sales page. Click here to learn more about my sales page audit services.

So, just know that editing is far from simple. It's a skill that requires just as much—if not more – attention and expertise as writing.

Myth #8: The goal of copy is to force the reader to do something

Most people approach copy with the wrong mindset. You’re not trying to manipulate or force someone to buy something against their will. This will only lead to buyer's remorse and poor client satisfaction.

When you write copy with the goal of “trying” to get the reader to do something, it adds an extra layer of stress to the copywriting process and puts you into defense. Like, hey you, buy my offer, buy my offer, buy my offer.

When your goal is to form a connection and provide the necessary information to make an informed buying decision, the result will be increased sales.

This immediately flips you from defensive “trying” to get someone to buy to an authoritative, expert who backs her shit and is inviting the reader to take the next steps.

Have you ever followed an influencer on IG who you absolutely loved? But as their popularity grew and they started getting more paid collaborations, it started to feel like every post was trying to sell you something. Eventually, you unfollowed them or stopped interacting with their content.

But back when they were sharing their lives authentically, you felt a genuine connection and found their content engaging. If they used a product (and weren’t obviously trying to get you to buy it), you were more likely interested in what they were using and probably bought it.

The same goes for when you’re writing copy. When you ease off the hard sell and focus on building connections and sharing values, you'll find that sales naturally increase.

Myth #9: Standing out and having personality means being the most extroverted, loudest person

This is a common misconception that to stand out you need to have the biggest, loudest personality. But this belief will be a disservice to you.

If you're naturally quiet and reserved but try to show up online as outgoing and extroverted, it’ll create three issues:

1. You’ll come across as inauthentic.

2. Showing up will start to feel hard.

3. Your programs won’t sell as well.

If you have a personal brand it should be a reflection of you.

You know when someone isn't being genuine. And when you’re trying to sell coaching or courses with access to you, your sales won’t be as high as if you were being yourself.

In this booming coaching world where so many people are vying for attention and everyone seems to offer similar services, your unique personality will be one of your most valuable assets – no one can replicate that. Lean into your brand voice. If you're practical and reserved, let that shine through in your copy. If you're a hopeless romantic, go all in.

Your dream clients are people who connect with your personality and values. You'll attract not-perfect-fit students if you’re acting like someone you’re not.

I dedicate over 2 hours to uncovering and creating a brand voice guide for my DFY clients. I encourage you to put aside in the coming week or two and make one for yourself. This guide should cover everything from values, tone of voice, brand words, phrases, metaphors, and analogies, to how you would say certain things, the emojis you use daily, and parts of your lifestyle that make up your personality.

Myth #10: Selling isn’t about “you”

How many times have you heard, “Make your copy about your audience, not you”, or “People only care about how you can help them”?

The problem with this is when taken too literally copy comes across as clerical and cold – it lacks any personality, stories, and life.

People buy from people. Just like we spoke about above, in saturated markets YOU are a key differentiator that no one can replicate. Your audience connects to your quirks, stories, mission, and values. You want to weave your story into your copy.

Now, don't get me wrong… Writing to your one reader is a key copywriting skill and one of the easiest tweaks you can do is switch out “we” or “I” for "you". This is more persuasive and helps create a sense of connection and relevance.

Here’s an example of how I worked with a client to transform their copy. We replaced the original phrase:

“We guide designers to outsource the essential but non-creative aspects of their projects, allowing them to unlock exponential growth while staying firmly in the creative lane where their skills truly shine.”

With: “Focus on what you love most – designing and growing your business. We get it. You'd rather be picking out fabrics than drowning in a sea of invoices. But someone has to do it… Let us. Now, get back to your creative zone.”

See how the tone changes when you shift the focus from "we" to "you,"? Use this hack to transform your copy.

Myth #11: A copywriter won’t be able to capture my voice

Justin Blackman said it best, “You hire writers because they can bring your words to life without making it obvious you didn’t do it yourself”.

A good copywriter will be able to capture your unique voice. I’d argue that nailing my client's voice is up there in one of my top 3 work priorities.

I follow a very clear process to “voice hack” and surprise surprise, it comes from a lot of research.

But I get this is a valid concern and some copywriters aren’t as skilled at this. I was once a client’s 3rd copywriter because the first two failed to capture her voice. And safe to say, that my first draft came back with a request for “just a small tweak”.

Before working with a copywriter do your research, check out their portfolio, and even chat with them about their process for uncovering your brand voice.

And if you’re looking for a copywriter with a track record of capturing your voice perfectly, click here to explore my services.

“Capturing someone's voice is one of the most challenging services that we offer our clients. Erin has the ability to embody each person and truly capture their words, their story, and the essence of their brand.” – Easy Scaling

“Erin took the time to really understand me, my audience, and my services. She did research, met with me, and incorporated my voice into the copy she wrote for the landing page and email sequence. I had a great turnout to my event largely due to her emails.” – Rima Z

“So on point! It was for my client and she felt it perfectly encapsulated her personality, language and spoke directly to her client avatar” – Breana P

And that’s it! 11 copywriting myths that are likely getting in the way of you writing better copy, connecting with your audience, and making more sales. Get out there and crush your copy!

If you need more help with using these strategies to increase conversions and wish someone else would do it for you, click here to learn more about my copywriting services.