This article is part 3 in a series called, “How Web Copy Mirrors Therapy and Healing.” In the first article, I defined the term copywriting and then illustrated how compelling web copy can benefit both you and your healing or therapy clients.
In part 2 in this series I discussed the role of empathy in compelling web copy and how it is similar to empathy in your work with your clients.
In this 3rd article, I will show the importance of building hope in your web copy and how this also parallels the healing or therapy relationship.
Once your web copy has shown some understanding and empathy for the suffering your web visitors are experiencing, it’s time to help them build hope that their situation can improve–to show them that it’s possible to move away from pain and suffering.
By the time people arrive at your website, they may have been struggling for a long time and may have tried other methods attempting to find relief with limited, or no results.
Your job at this point in your web copy is to help build hope that may have been lost, or perhaps never existed in the first place. It’s important to mention here that you are *not* making any promises or guarantees that people will feel better if they see you. You are simply helping them see that change is possible.
Why is building hope important? Because if your potential clients don’t have hope, it is less likely they will choose to get help and therefore unlikely that they will become your clients. Furthermore, if they don’t become clients, they are less likely to get the help they need.
So how do you build hope in your web copy?
Just like you do when your clients show hesitancy, doubt or feelings of hopelessness when they come to see you.
You begin by acknowledging their skepticism and doubt, and again show empathy for these feelings.
As you would with a client, you let your web visitors know that it’s natural to feel some hesitancy about seeking help, especially if they have tried unsuccessfully in the past to resolve their problems.
You then reassure them that their life can be different.
By using case studies or testimonials you show them that others have found a way out of their pain, which helps them realize that they can possibly find relief as well.
You build credibility by showing you have the experience, skills, and methods to help them. You use statistics and other evidence to prove that you, or your techniques, have been successful in the past.
You provide whatever information you have that might help them be more receptive to help.
Gradually as you address their fears and concerns about seeking help, their worries begin to melt away.
They will become more receptive to therapy or your healing methods and perhaps be ready to contact you –or at least they will be more likely to remain engaged in your copy and stick around to read more. Perhaps they will even sign up for your newsletter.
Once you have sufficiently built hope, you want to start addressing the specific benefits of working with you. Part 4 of this article discusses how to write about benefits in your copy.
To start reading at the beginning of this 5-part article series on how web copywriting mirrors therapy, click here.
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