Write Good Copy with ai
Write Compelling Copy with AI
Headlines, bios, offers, and sales messages that convert. Stop talking about yourself. Start speaking to your customer.
"The number one mistake most businesses make with their copy? They talk about themselves while the customer is thinking about themselves."
Why Most Business Websites Fail
They make it all about themselves. The About page reads like a resume. The homepage opens with "Welcome to our company." Nobody cares.
Here is the uncomfortable truth: your customers do not care about your story until they believe you care about theirs. When your homepage opens with "We are a leading provider of..." you have already lost them. They are not on your website to learn about your founding year or your mission statement. They are there to solve a problem.
The data backs this up. Copy that leads with features instead of benefits, that fails to answer "What's in it for me?", and that uses weak verbs consistently underperforms. One copywriter analyzed hundreds of business websites and found the same pattern: the more "we" and "our" on the page, the lower the conversion rate.
The 5 Fatal Copy Mistakes
Leading with features, not benefits. "500GB storage" means nothing. "Store 50,000 photos" resonates.
Making it all about you. "We are passionate about..." Nobody asked. They want to know what they get.
Weak verbs and vague claims. "Improve your business" vs "Transform your business." Choose power.
No proof, no specificity. "Better results" is noise. "25% more leads in 30 days" is proof.
Ignoring mobile readers. 70% of Nigerian e-commerce is mobile. Short paragraphs. Scannable text.
Do This Now
Open your website. Count every "we," "our," and "us." Then count every "you" and "your." If the first group is bigger, you have a problem. Rewrite the opening paragraph to start with the customer's pain point, not your company history.
Flip the Script: Customer-First Copy
AI can help you make this shift — but only if you prompt it correctly. The secret is not asking AI to write about your business. It is asking AI to write about your customer's transformation.
Homepage: "Welcome to Naija Bakes. We are a leading bakery in Lagos founded in 2018. Our mission is to provide the highest quality cakes and pastries using only the finest ingredients. We are passionate about baking."
About Page: "Naija Bakes was founded by Adeola Johnson, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris. With over 10 years of experience, Adeola has won multiple awards and is committed to excellence in every product."
Offer: "We offer custom cakes, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and pastries. Our prices are competitive and our service is unmatched."
Why this fails: Every sentence starts with "we" or "our." No customer benefit. No emotional hook. No reason to buy.
Homepage: "Stop stressing about your event cake. In 48 hours, we'll deliver a custom cake that makes your guests ask for the baker's number — or your money back."
About Page: "You need a cake that arrives on time, looks exactly like the photo, and tastes better than it looks. That's what we built Naija Bakes for. No last-minute disappointments. No dry sponge. Just cakes that make your event memorable."
Offer: "Custom Event Cakes from ₦25,000. Delivered across Lagos in 48 hours. 200+ five-star reviews. WhatsApp your design today, get a mockup by tomorrow."
Why this works: Every sentence answers "what's in it for me?" Specific numbers. Clear promise. Easy next step.
3 Copy Formulas That Convert
You do not need to reinvent persuasion. These frameworks have worked for decades. AI just makes them faster to execute.
Problem → Agitate → Solution
Best for: Email sequences, ads, social posts. Makes the reader feel the pain, then offers relief.
Before → After → Bridge
Best for: Case studies, testimonials, transformation stories. Shows the journey.
Attention → Interest → Desire → Action
Best for: Landing pages, sales pages, long-form emails. The classic framework.
Choose Your AI Writing Tool
Not all AI tools write the same. Claude sounds human. ChatGPT is creative. Copy.ai is structured. Pick based on what you are writing.
| Tool | Best For | Strength | Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Long-form, tone control | Sounds most human. Best for brand voice. | Yes |
| ChatGPT | Brainstorming, variations | Fast, creative, 80% market trust. | Yes |
| Copy.ai | Short copy, ads, emails | 90+ templates, tone matcher. | Limited |
| Notion AI | Docs, SOPs, notes | Integrated into your workspace. | Paid |
The Nigeria Stack
Claude (free tier) for long-form copy + ChatGPT (free) for brainstorming + Google Docs for editing. Total cost: ₦0. Claude's "Styles" feature lets you save your brand voice so every output sounds like you, not a robot.
Write a Homepage Headline That Stops the Scroll
You have 0.05 seconds. Your headline must answer three questions: What is this? Is it for me? Why should I care?
Copy this into Claude or ChatGPT. Replace [brackets] with your details:
"Act as a conversion copywriter. My business is [what you do] for [target customer]. Their biggest pain point is [specific problem]. Using the PAS formula (Problem-Agitate-Solution), write 5 homepage headline options. Each must be under 15 words. Include one specific number or time frame. Avoid words like 'revolutionize,' 'unlock,' 'seamless,' 'delve.' Write like a human, not a press release. Tone: [confident/friendly/urgent]."
Example Output (Event Catering, Lagos)
"Stop worrying about your event cake. In 48 hours, we'll deliver a custom design that makes your guests ask for the baker's number."
"Last-minute cake disasters ruin events. We've fixed that for 200+ Lagos parties — with a 48-hour guarantee."
"Your event deserves a cake that arrives on time, looks perfect, and tastes better than the photo. We do exactly that."
Do This Now
Pick your favorite headline. Read it out loud. If it sounds like something you would actually say to a customer in person, keep it. If it sounds like a billboard, rewrite it.
Write an About Page That Sells
Your About page is not about you. It is about why the customer should trust you to solve their problem. Lead with their pain, not your resume.
Copy this into Claude. The BAB formula keeps the customer as the hero:
"Write an About page for my business using the Before-After-Bridge formula. Before: describe the customer's painful current reality with [specific problem]. After: paint the ideal future where that problem is solved. Bridge: explain why my business is the bridge — include one specific story, one number, and one customer quote. Business: [your business]. Target customer: [who they are]. My unique story: [one sentence about why you started]. Tone: [warm/direct/funny]. Keep under 250 words. No corporate jargon."
Example Output (Fashion Boutique, Abuja)
Before: You need an outfit for an event tomorrow. The mall is crowded, the tailors are booked, and the online stores show photos that look nothing like what arrives. You have wasted money on clothes that do not fit, do not match the photo, and arrive two days late.
After: Imagine opening a package that fits perfectly, looks exactly like the photo, and arrives the same day in Abuja. You wear it. People ask where you bought it. You feel confident, not stressed.
Bridge: That is why I started Zara's Closet. After three personal disasters with online orders, I built a boutique where every item is photographed on real Nigerian bodies, sized for our frames, and delivered same-day in Abuja. "I ordered at 10am and wore it to my sister's wedding at 4pm." — Amaka, Wuse
Do This Now
Find one real customer quote. If you do not have one, ask your last three customers: "What would you tell a friend about us?" Use their exact words. Real customer language beats marketing speak every time.
Craft Your Core Offer
Your offer description is not a list of features. It is a promise with a price, a deadline, and a guarantee. Make it stupidly easy to say yes.
This prompt forces specificity. Vague offers get ignored. Specific offers get bought:
"Write a core offer description using the AIDA formula. Product/service: [what you sell]. Price: [exact price]. Target customer: [who]. Their biggest desire: [what they want]. Their biggest fear: [what stops them from buying]. Include: one specific number (time saved, money made, quantity), one risk reversal (guarantee or trial), one urgency trigger (limited slots, deadline), and one clear CTA. Format: headline (under 10 words) → 3 bullet points of benefits → price → CTA button text. Under 120 words total."
Example Output (Social Media Management)
"Get 30 Days of Content in 24 Hours"
- ✓30 posts designed for Instagram, WhatsApp Status, and Twitter — ready to publish
- ✓Captions written in your brand voice, not generic marketing speak
- ✓Content calendar included so you know exactly what to post and when
₦45,000 one-time
Only 5 slots per month. Next batch starts Monday.
Do This Now
Add a "risk reversal" to your offer. A money-back guarantee, a free revision, or a "pay only if satisfied" clause. It sounds scary, but it increases conversions by 20-40% because it removes the customer's fear of wasting money.
Write a Welcome Sequence in 30 Minutes
Welcome emails have a 16.6% CTR benchmark — 4x higher than regular campaigns. A 3-email sequence turns subscribers into buyers while you sleep.
This sequence builds trust before asking for the sale:
"Write a 3-email welcome sequence for new subscribers. Business: [your business]. Lead magnet they downloaded: [what they got]. Email 1 (immediate): Welcome + deliver the lead magnet + one personal story. Email 2 (Day 2): Address their biggest objection + one customer success story with numbers. Email 3 (Day 4): Soft pitch of core offer + urgency + clear CTA. Each email: under 150 words, one subject line option, one CTA. Tone: [warm/direct/funny]. Avoid: 'delve,' 'unlock,' 'seamless,' 'revolutionize.'"
Subject: "Here's your [lead magnet] + one thing nobody asks"
"Hi [Name], here's the [lead magnet] you requested. Quick question: when I started this business, I made every mistake. The biggest? I thought customers cared about my story. They don't. They care about results. Here's what actually works..."
Subject: "The #1 reason people hesitate (and why they shouldn't)"
"Most people who contact us ask the same thing: 'How do I know this will work for me?' Fair. Here's how Amaka from Wuse felt before she bought — and what happened 48 hours later..."
Subject: "5 slots left for March — here's the link"
"I've held 5 spots for new clients starting next week. If you've been thinking about [solving problem], this is the window. Reply to this email or WhatsApp me directly. I'll respond within 2 hours."
Do This Now
Set up a simple autoresponder. If you use WhatsApp Business, save a "welcome message" template. If you use email, Mailchimp and Brevo both have free tiers for under 500 subscribers. The sequence does not need to be fancy. It needs to be sent.
Edit Like a Human, Not a Robot
AI drafts. You decide. 90% of AI-generated copy needs tone adjustment. Human-edited AI copy performs 2-5x better than raw output. Here is your editing checklist.
✕ Kill These Words
These words appear in 90% of AI output. They mean nothing to your customer. Delete them. Replace with specific verbs: "fix," "deliver," "save," "build," "earn."
✓ Keep These Checks
Read it out loud. If you stumble, your customer will too. Rewrite the sentence.
Count "you" vs "we." "You" should outnumber "we" by at least 3:1.
Replace every adjective with a number or a time frame. "Fast" → "in 24 hours."
Check for passive voice. "Mistakes were made" → "You made mistakes." Active voice sells.
Add one customer quote or specific result. Real proof beats generic claims.
Nigerian Tip: Your customers use WhatsApp voice notes. They speak in Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa. Your copy does not need to sound like a BBC presenter. It needs to sound like a trusted friend explaining something clearly. If your mother would not understand it, rewrite it.
Your Day 3 Deliverable
Website-ready copy for your homepage and about page. Plus a 3-email welcome sequence. All human-edited. All customer-first.
Homepage Headline + Subheadline
PAS formula, under 15 words, one number
About Page (250 words)
BAB formula, one customer quote, one number
Core Offer Description
AIDA formula, price, guarantee, urgency, CTA
3-Email Welcome Sequence
Ready to paste into Mailchimp, Brevo, or WhatsApp Business
Editing Checklist
Kill list verified, human tone confirmed, mobile-tested
Quality Check
- Every headline answers "what's in it for me?"
- "You" outnumbers "we" by 3:1 minimum
- Every claim has a number, time frame, or customer quote
- Zero corporate jargon from the kill list
- Read aloud test passed — sounds like a real conversation
Rewrite Your Bio 3 Ways
Take your current bio. Run it through three different AI prompting styles. Compare the outputs. Pick the one that sounds most like you — then edit it until it sounds exactly like you.
The Story Prompt
"Tell the story of why I started this business. One pivotal moment. One failure. One lesson. Under 150 words."
The Customer Prompt
"Write my bio from the perspective of my happiest customer. What would they say about working with me? Under 150 words."
The Rebel Prompt
"Write my bio as if I'm calling out everything wrong with my industry. What do others do that I refuse to do? Under 150 words."
Complete this lesson
Mark as complete to track your progress