Writing For Fitness Industry

Consider Promoting vs Restraining Forces When Persuading. When attempting to change a behavior or attitude, you must consider the action forces that promote and inhibit the change you are pursuing. Most persuasion efforts focus on promoting forces by explaining why you should make the change being suggested: Eat this broccoli because it will make you strong. Invest in this company so you can make great future returns. Drive this car so you can impress a prospective romantic partner. Promoting forces represent the benefits, incentives, or avoided negative outcomes of enacting the change. Most advertising promotes change. However, promoting forces are not always enough to effect change. You must consider the inhibiting or restraining forces that prevent someone from changing. In the broccoli battles I had, my kids understood very clearly the benefits of eating their greens and they were even excited by the elaborate rewards I concocted (e.g., each bite of broccoli translated to two bites of ice cream). However, they could not get beyond the texture and taste. These visceral responses prevented them from consuming the broccoli. With a little culinary cover up (e.g., dipping sauces and ice cream sprinkles), I was able to remove the restraining forces and achieve victory. Failing to address inhibitory forces can actually decrease the likelihood of behavior change. People can get very frustrated if they desire the change you are promoting but can’t get beyond the forces restraining the behavior. For example, consider a typical campaign to get sedentary people to exercise more. The promoting arguments are clear and desirable – greater health, more energy, etc. However, the lack of time and potential pain that comes with new exercise regimens can prevent people from starting. People bombarded solely with promoting messages might begin to resent those trying to help them be healthy since they are unable or unwilling to exercise. A more complete and effective campaign would focus not only on the benefits of exercise, but one developing less strenuous and less time consuming workouts.

A year ago, I was that guy—writing copy that sounded like a university thesis. Buzzwords, jargon, and enough fluff to fill a pillow factory. My readers? Confused. My conversions? Nonexistent. Then I stumbled upon brands like Moosejaw and BarkBox. Their copy felt like a friend texting me, not a robot pitching me. That’s when I realized: conversational copy isn’t just “casual.” It’s strategic. It builds trust, makes you memorable, and (most importantly) gets results. Here’s how brands like these taught me to write copy that clicks with people: Conversational copywriting is all about writing like you're talking—no jargon, no sales-y pitch. But how do you nail it? Here’s a guide based on brands that get it right. Thread 🧵 1/ Moosejaw Fun and quirky copy that hooks you instantly. Examples: ✔️ “We love NFTs (Nacho Fun Times).” ✔️ “Remember to season your concrete after shoveling snow.” ✔️ “No, our website isn’t powered by hamsters in wheels… yet.” Takeaway: Don't be afraid to let your personality shine—it’s what makes people remember you. 2/ BarkBox What do they sell? Adorable joy for dogs. ✔️ They use relatable humor + 100% satisfaction guarantees. ✔️ They speak their audience's language—dog parents, not just dog owners. Takeaway: Know your audience. Write for them, not at them. 3/ Innocent Drinks Natural products, natural tone. ✔️ They use ultra-specific details like “botanical” to emphasize quality. ✔️ They lean on transparency to eliminate buyer anxiety. Takeaway: Be real, and get specific—your audience will trust you more. 4/ OkCupid DTF? They redefine it. ✔️ Their copy flips expectations. ✔️ They invite users to define their version of dating. Takeaway: Play with cultural norms to create an emotional connection. 5/ Gymit Copy that feels like a casual gym chat. ✔️ They make gyms approachable—not intimidating. ✔️ The honesty in their tone makes them relatable to everyone, not just fitness buffs. Takeaway: Use language that removes barriers for your audience. 6/ Lego Timeless yet relevant. ✔️ Nostalgia meets values. ✔️ One ad paired a retro toy with a modern message about equality. Takeaway: Tie your brand’s history with current values to create powerful storytelling. Conversational copy isn’t magic—it’s empathy. Think: What would your audience actually want to hear? Then say that.

Persuasive writing doesn’t mean putting a gun at the reader’s head. Or… If you directly tell the reader to do, to buy, or to click with no valid reason first, they’re instantly out. I see a lot of content just focusing on the “do it” part. Well, I as a reader would think: ”Why should I do it? Is it good enough? If yes, tell me how. Is it a solution? If yes, tell me what for. Has it helped someone? If so, tell me who.” Readers don’t care if you say “do” a hundred times. It doesn’t move them an inch. (Unless you’ve already convinced them) What move them are: 1/ Talking about their pain People notice and act when they see what relates to them. It can be a problem they have. Or the solution to that. A pitch after a pain point is most likely to work. 2/ Describe and let them connect the dots It’s less convincing to tell them your offer is good and they should buy compared to telling them a story of someone who liked it and letting them decide themselves. 3/ Show more. Talk less. What? Let the reader imagine it, rather than just read it. For example: ✖︎ “You’ll love how energetic this snack is.” ✓ “You’ll feel like having steel arms when you eat this snack.” See the difference? 4/ Say it like you don’t care Not actually saying “you don’t care.” But showing (in your writing) that it’s their benefit if they buy/act and their loss if they don’t. The bottom line: People don’t buy because they’re just told. They buy because they’re given a reason. So give them that reason. Do you persuade with force or reason? PS. You can learn about writing with AI in my newsletter with a FREE weekly email. Join here: https://lnkd.in/eb7XjHdz

I've been writing copy for 11 years and studying the best performers for even longer. Here’s 18 copywriting principles that actually move the needle: 1) Your headline has one job Get people to read the next line. That's it. Bad: "Revolutionary AI-powered email platform" Good: "Your emails are probably going to spam" 2) Sell the outcome, not the process People don't want a gym membership. They want to look good naked. "Advanced fitness tracking technology" => "See your abs in 90 days" 3) Make it scannable Most people don't read. They scan. So write for scanners. Use short sentences. Like this. And this. Break up long paragraphs. 4) Address the elephant in the room If people are thinking it, say it first. "Yes, another project management tool" beats pretending you're the first one ever made. 5) Use the word "you" more than "we" Count them in your copy. You should win by a landslide. "We help companies scale" => "You can scale without losing your mind" 6) Write like you're texting a friend Forget "professional" copy. Real language wins. "Leverage our solutions to optimize" => "Here's how to fix this mess" 7) Lead with the problem, not the solution People need to feel the pain before they want the cure. "Advanced CRM features" => "Your deals are falling through the cracks" 8) One idea per sentence If you can add "and" to your sentence, it's probably too long. Split it up. 9) Use numbers (but make them believable) "Thousands of customers" sounds made up. "2,847 customers" sounds real. 10) Test your copy on your mom If she doesn't understand what you do, rewrite it. 11) Delete every "very," "really," and "quite" They weaken everything. Your product is either good or it isn't. 12) Start with the biggest benefit Bury the lead in journalism. Lead with it in copywriting. "Save time, reduce costs, improve efficiency" => "Cut your workload in half" 13) Use power words (sparingly) Free, new, proven, guaranteed, instant. But don't sound like a used car salesman. 14) Write buttons that continue the conversation "Submit" tells people to stop talking. "Show me how" keeps them engaged. 15) Create urgency without lying "Limited time offer" is played out. "Price increases next month" is honest urgency. 16) Show, don't tell "User-friendly interface" => Screenshot of the actual interface "Fast results" => "Results in 24 hours" 17) Use "because" to justify anything Harvard study: People will do almost anything if you give them a reason. "Buy now because..." always works better than "Buy now." 18) End with one clear next step Don't give people 5 options. Give them one obvious choice. Multiple CTAs = confused customers = no sales. TAKEAWAY: Good copy isn't about being clever. It's about being clear. Clear wins every time.

When copy only talks features and benefits, it’s boring. It sounds like every other brand out there. People scroll past it. People who feel like they’re being sold to? (99.9% of the time, they'll hate it) And that’s totally fair. It’s human instinct. “Being sold to” often feels like being taken from. (No one likes being robbed off.) But that only applies when the offer lacks real value. Not when you know your product or service can truly help. When you're confident in what you bring to the table, you earn the right to do this in your copy: Support your audience’s dreams. Skip the surface-level benefits. But dig deeper. Talk about the hidden benefits. The ones tied to the dream outcome. The real transformation they want (even if they don’t say it out loud). Your copy becomes a mirror for their aspirations. Here’s what it looks like: From features > to hidden benefits > to dreams. Services: Courses: teach you → open the path to freedom Coaching: guide you → help you build a healthy, sustainable life Writing: attract clients → turn words into income Products: Weight loss supplements: help lose weight → support a confident lifestyle Clothing: clothe you → empower you to express who you are Journals: a space to write → a tool to manifest your goals Support the dreams they don’t say out loud, but feel deeply. The version of themselves they’re wanting badly. Let them see it through your words. In the end, they make the choice. But you’re the guide who showed them what’s possible. Support their dreams intentionally in your copy. And just watch what happens. P.S. I'm drawn to places that offer a good Amaretto drink, that's probably them supporting a lil dream of mine. lol

Quick(ish) copywriting tip for you. Here's a simple 3-step process for writing copy that gets the reader to say, 'that's me!' All you need to start is one customer win—written as a tiny story. Break it into 3 parts (under 100 words): 1. Problem – What wasn’t working? 2. Struggle – Why didn’t their attempts work? 3. Breakthrough – What changed after choosing you? To find it, scan testimonials or surveys for phrases like: “I used to…” (problem) “…but / because / when…” (struggle) “Now…” (breakthrough) Here’s a real example from a client project for a fitness studio ↓ Before: “I didn’t have a gym I wanted to go to consistently. And when I did, I used poor form, which led to nagging injuries.” After: “Now I look forward to workouts. I feel progress every week, and the trainers and community make it easy to keep going.” It’s not long. It’s not hyperbole. It's human. Not only is this a great testimonial, but it can also be the foundation for great headlines. And to get potential customers to say, 'that's me.' Headline examples: You’re not behind. You’re just getting started. Not just stronger. More confident. You don't have to do fitness alone. Go from skipping workouts to being sad you missed one. If you found this tip helpful, I'd love if you liked this post. Share it with a friend, follow ya homie for more copy tips and stories about writing words in this crazy world. #copywriting

𝗔 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲: “Do I really need different copies for the same offer, just for different audiences?” Well, 100% YES. No doubt about it. Let’s say you’re selling a fitness program. Sounds simple, right? But your audience might look like this: - 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 - 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 - 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 Same product. Three different mindsets. So what does that mean for your copy? ↳ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.  ↳ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘺.  ↳ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺. If your message speaks to everyone, it resonates with no one. So no, one-size copy doesn’t fit all. And it never has. 𝗣.𝗦. Have you ever tried segmenting your message like this? Did it make a difference? Found this useful? Follow [+] Utkarsh Jaiswal- Copywriter for more insights on conversion copy, buyer psychology, and marketing that actually works.