8 Copywriting Tips for Contractors

What are “Customer Gains”? With these copywriting tips, you will learn what they are and be able to write the copy that helps your website sell.

Customer gains are what they get by doing business with you.  This is how you write your website pages, your posts captions and any other marketing messages you use.

They should go hand and hand with your companies unique value proposition.

Gains describe the outcomes and benefits your customers want. Some gains are required, expected, or desired by customers, and some would surprise them. Gains include functional utility, social gains, positive emotions, and cost savings.

Copywriting Trigger Questions

Use the following copywriting trigger questions to help you think of different potential customer gains:

Copywriting Tip 1

Which savings would make your customers happy? Which savings in terms of time, money, and effort would they value?

Example:  (Roofing Contractor)

“We show up on time, everytime and will until the job is done.”

Good if your prospects are used to no-shows or afraid of a long drawn our project.

Copywriting Tip 2

What quality levels do they expect, and what would they wish for more or less of?

Example:   (Electric Contractor) 

“We walk you through all the breakers on your new service panel. Then label them in case you forget.”

You have to tell your prospects what to expect from your service.

Copywriting Tip 3

How do current value propositions delight your customers? Which specific features do they enjoy? What performance and quality do they expect?

Example:   (Deck Builders)

“We care about the environment, uses only recycled composite decking, each board looks the same. Unlike a wood deck”

Two bird with one stone here.  You touch of social delights and a quality aspect.

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Copywriting Tip 4

What would make your customers’ jobs or lives easier? Could there be a flatter learning curve, more services, or lower costs of ownership?

Example: (HVAC Services) 

“We send you a voicemail or text message twice a year. You won’t have to remember your scheduled maintenance, so your heater will last longer.”

This line does three things, makes their lives (Remember), Lowers the cost of ownership (Lasts longer) and offers more services (Which is a win-win for everybody)

Copywriting Tip 5

What positive social consequences do your customers desire? What makes them look good? What increases their power or their status?

Example:   (Landscaping Contractor)

“For a yard the neighborhood will be talking about…in a good way!”

There are four phase of the human mind.  People normally have a major and minor.  Those phases are Ego, Pleaser, Authoritative and Principle.  If you have an Ego as a buyer persona, this line above will work well.

Note:  I am a principle/pleaser for the record.  What are you?

Copywriting Tip 6

What are customers looking for most? Are they searching for good design, guarantees, specific or more features?

Example: (Painting Contractors) 

“We show up on time and clean, leave a mess, but your home will be spotless.”

This is a good play on word.  Makes them read it twice (leave a mess)!

Copywriting Tip 7

What do customers dream about? What do they aspire to achieve, or what would be a big relief to them?

Example: (Hardscape Contractor)

“You work long hours, vacations can’t come soon enough.  Take a staycation every weekend… at your home.” 

Here you understand your customers work stresses and offer a solution to eliminate that problem.  Hint:  Look at vacation ads or spa ads to swipe from.

Copywriting Tip 8

How do your customers measure success and failure? How do they gauge performance or cost?

Example: (Remodeling Contractor) A strong visual here would do volumes to help.

“Five years later, our after pictures still look the same.”

Follow up this line with a review where a past customer used your service again.  A successful business relationship, with the repeat customer.  Shows you value to warrant your costs.

What would increase your customers’ likelihood of adopting a value proposition?

• Do they desire lower cost,
• less investment,
• lower risk, or
• better quality?

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Copywriting Services for Contractors