But Does Love-Based Copywriting Work?

Before I answer that question, let me dig into a little of the history of Love-Based Copywriting and how it came to be birthed into the world. (As a quick reminder, copy is writing promotional copy for businesses, not to be confused with protecting intellectual property or putting a copyright on something.)

Back in the early 2000s, when the Internet was coming into its own, a group of smart marketers and entrepreneurs immediately saw the possibilities. Many (if not all) of them were men, and nearly all of them had cut their teeth on direct response copy and marketing strategies (think direct mail and infomercials).

They took direct response tactics that had worked into those other mediums and applied them to the Internet.

The result? Massive, high conversions for very little cost. (The problem with direct mail and infomercials is that there’s a pretty high cost associated with mailing the letters and packages, or to shoot and edit the television commercials, but that cost didn’t exist in the early days of the Internet.)

As you can imagine, using the Internet this way to make money didn’t remain a secret for too long. Lots and lots of marketers and entrepreneurs started jumping on board the gravy train.

At the same time, the Internet opened the door for entrepreneurs to start a business for little to no cost. It was suddenly pretty easy to work out of your home with only your phone and your computer, and start making money selling your coaching, consulting, or how-to programs.

That opened the doors to lots and lots of women starting their own businesses. Until then, most business owners and entrepreneurs were men (I think partly because there was a pretty high investment required to start a brick-and-mortar business). But, because it was so easy and cheap to start a coaching business from your home, it became so much easier for women to jump in … particularly, women who wanted to stay home with their kids and still contribute financially to their household.

Now, I talk a lot about how traditional direct response copy, which was pretty much the only type of copy out there at that time, can feel pretty hype-y and sales-y and inauthentic. (That’s because it’s based on triggering fear-based emotions.) Well, for many women, especially those interested in building a business based on healing, or in helping the world, using that type of copy and marketing just wasn’t going to work.

The response they got from those smart “traditional” marketers? Suck it up. It works. Put on your big girl panties and quit complaining about it.

(Truly, they meant well. Because it DOES work. And they did want to help other entrepreneurs make more money.)

But that wasn’t the response many of those “conscious” entrepreneurs were looking for. So they asked other copywriters (like me) to come up with a different solution.

Which I did — in 2014, the entire Love-Based Copywriting philosophy was downloaded into me.

When I released the first Love-Based Copywriting book in 2014, I got a huge response. Conscious and heart-centered entrepreneurs simply loved the philosophy. It gave them so much hope and relief. Finally, they could market themselves and their business in a way that felt authentic and true to them and their values.

There was only one problem.

Did it actually work?

We all knew that traditional direct response copy, which tapped into fear-based emotions and used fear to persuade, worked. But was it possible to tap into love-based emotions and sell with love?

Well, I’m here to tell you that YES, it does work.

Before I get into the results I’ve seen myself using Love-Based Copywriting and Marketing, let me share some science-based research:

Years ago, researchers wanted to find a way to encourage more elementary school children to brush their teeth.

They divided the kids into three groups:

Group 1: Researchers basically told the kids to brush their teeth twice a day, because “it’s a good thing.”

Group 2: Researchers described conditions like tooth loss and gum disease, and told kids that the best way to avoid those diseases is to brush their teeth twice a day.

Group 3: Kids were shown graphic, disgusting images of teeth falling out due to terrible gum disease.

So, which group do you think changed their teeth-brushing habits most?

It was the second.

The third group, the one with the kids you might think would be most motivated, did NOT change their habits.

Researchers found if you’re too “fear-based” (although they didn’t use that phrase), your mind is designed to forget and soften.

It’s a survival mechanism, to help us cope.

So, the best, most effective way to encourage people to take action and change their habits is to do precisely what I teach as part of the love-based philosophy: respectfully acknowledge your ideal client’s pain (because they truly ARE in pain, and to ignore that is like a spiritual bypassing), without ever agitating the pain and turning it into suffering (which is fear-based).

Now, back to the question: Does it actually work to sell products, services, and program?

Well …

My Love-Based Copy and Marketing Company has helped sell nearly $50 million dollars in products, programs, and services using love-based copy.

Some of highlights and case studies include:

• Lisa Sasevich: When she first came to me, she was making a little over $100K a year. Eight months later, she ended the year with over a $2M business. That was the start, and we continued doubling and tripling her business, for years.

• Dr. Venus Opal Reese: I started working with her as a brand-spanking-new entrepreneur (believe it or not, her first clients were old white men, which I know may be hard to believe since she’s now taken a huge stand for Black Women Millionaires). I taught her the basics of love-based copywriting, and she was able to turn around and grow a seven-figure business. (Over the years, I’ve continued working with her off and on to grow her business and massively increase her reach.)

• Melinda Cohan: Melinda is the founder of The Coaches Console, and she brought us on to help her with her first launch, which was a big success. We’ve continued working together and have helped her generate over 2.5M just in her launch campaigns.

Love-based copywriting can help entrepreneurs who are just starting out, too. For instance, we helped one new entrepreneur with a small list generate over $12,000 in her first product launch.

In short, yes, Love-Based Copy really does work.

If you’d like to start infusing your business with love-based copy, I’d love to invite you to check out my Love-Based Copy School. This is an online virtual school that walks you through the fundamentals of writing love-based copy. It also includes the opportunity for you to submit your copy for direct critique and feedback from myself and my copy coaches.

(I’ve packaged it all into a really affordable price, and I’ve even thrown in some super-juicy bonuses.)

If you’re ready to sell more with love, just go here to get all of the details.