Podcast Episode: The Power of Great Copy: How to Make Your Words Sell with Kelsey Loflin

I’m about to tell you something that might hurt a little: if your offers aren’t selling, it’s probably not your marketing strategy, your price point, or your timing. It’s most likely your copy.

I know this because I’ve earned over $2 million online, and until recently, I never once considered that copy was the missing piece to the next level of my business. That changed when I met Kelsey Loflin, a copywriter who doesn’t just write words – she creates conversion machines disguised as sales pages.

Since working with Kelsey, my conversion rate has tripled. Not doubled. Tripled. And today, I’m breaking down exactly why copy is the difference between browsers and buyers, and how you can fix yours starting today.

The Organic Chemistry Drop-Out Who Became a Copy Queen

Kelsey’s journey to becoming a copywriter wasn’t exactly linear. She went to college planning to become a vet, which is hilarious considering she describes herself as “bad at math and science” and still has nightmares about organic chemistry.

After graduating with a science degree that made no sense for her, she bounced around temp jobs – including manual data entry for Total Gym – before randomly landing at a PR firm. That’s where people started noticing something: she had a gift for taking thoughts and turning them into words that actually worked.

“I was born with this gift, but I was born with no other gifts. So it’s okay to say I’m good at copywriting because I can hang my hat on nothing else.”

The lesson here? Sometimes your biggest strength isn’t what you planned for. It’s what naturally emerges when you pay attention to what people keep asking you to do.

What Makes Copy Great vs. Just Good

Most people think good copy is just well-written sentences. But Kelsey broke down the real difference for me, and it changed how I look at everything in my business.

Good copy does its job. Great copy creates a feeling.

Kelsey describes great copy like a movie you don’t want to take a bathroom break for. You’re invested. You feel seen. Something lights you up because the words create a physiological response – even just the tiniest twinge that makes you pay attention.

But how do you actually create that feeling? Details.

“The difference between boring copy and great copy is details. Being so specific that only one person can get it. If you can write something to your best friend with all the inside jokes and quirky details, that will make great copy.”

Instead of saying “getting coffee,” tell me it was an iced oat milk latte with brown sugar syrup. Instead of “working from home,” tell me you’re sitting in your wardrobe in your pajamas with your laptop balanced on a pile of laundry.

The specificity is what hooks people. It’s what makes them either love you or hate you – and both reactions are way better than indifference.

The Conversion Rate Game-Changer

Here’s what most entrepreneurs don’t understand about copy: it’s not just about pretty words on a page. Great copy serves two crucial functions that directly impact your bank account.

Function 1: Faster Decision-Making

When your copy is specific and clear, your audience knows immediately whether your offer is for them or not. If it’s not, they bounce. If it is, they convert faster because there’s no confusion, no gray area.

Function 2: Forced Clarity

This is the part most people miss. Writing great copy forces you to get crystal clear about three things:

• What is your offer?
• Who is it for?
• What’s the main benefit?

If you can’t answer these without thinking, you have a messaging problem.

And here’s the thing – most entrepreneurs think they can answer these questions, but when you dig deeper, their answers are vague as hell:

• “I sell a course”
• “For people who want to make money”
• “So they can make money”

That’s not specific enough to convert anyone.

The Specificity Test That Changes Everything

Kelsey taught me to keep asking “but why?” until you can’t ask anymore. Let me show you what this looks like:

Surface level: “My course helps people make more money.” But why do they want more money? “Because they’re not making enough.” But why aren’t they making enough? “Because they’re in an industry with a salary cap.” But why is that a problem? “Because they went to school for something they didn’t want and recently found their passion.” But why does that matter? “Because they’re stuck in a career that doesn’t fulfill them and they see their peers living their dream lives.”

See the difference? That last answer creates an emotional connection. It paints a picture. It makes someone reading it think, “Holy shit, that’s exactly me.”

The Sales Page Mistake That’s Killing Your Conversions

Before working with Kelsey, I made a classic mistake on my sales pages. I’d put the name of my product at the very top – “The Rookie Course” in big, bold letters.

Kelsey immediately called this out: “People don’t have the wherewithal to give a shit about your product name yet.”

Instead, great copy takes your reader on a journey. It makes them care about the problem before you ever mention your solution. It builds desire before it reveals what you’re selling.

This one shift alone probably contributed to my conversion rate increase. People weren’t bouncing immediately because they didn’t understand what “The Rookie Course” meant. Instead, they were getting hooked by the story and the problem before ever seeing the product name.

Why “Say More With Less” Is Bullshit Advice

One of my favorite parts of this conversation was when Kelsey went off about the worst copywriting advice she constantly hears: “Say more with less.”

“I hate that writers everywhere have preached ‘write less.’ If someone’s going to buy into you and buy your offer, they need information. You need to write them stuff.”

This advice keeps people stuck because they’re trying to create the perfect five-word headline instead of actually communicating what they do and how they help people.

Kelsey’s alternative? Say more with more quality shit. Write everything down. Get it all out. You can always refine it later, but you can’t refine nothing.

Your audience needs to know what you have to offer. Don’t be so afraid of length that you sacrifice clarity.

How to Diagnose If You Have a Messaging Problem

If something isn’t selling in your business, here’s how to know if it’s a copy issue:

The Three-Question Test:

1. What is your offer?
2. Who is it for?
3. What is the main benefit?

If you have to think about any of these answers, you likely have a messaging problem.

But remember – vague answers don’t count. “A course for people who want to make money so they can make money” isn’t specific enough.

You need to dig deeper:

• What specific transformation does your course create?
• Who exactly is your ideal client? (Get specific about their daily life, their frustrations, their dreams)
• What’s the real reason they want this transformation?

The Investment That Changed Everything

When I asked Kelsey about her best business investment under $1,000, her answer surprised me. It wasn’t a template, a course, or a tool. It was a call with a messaging coach.

“Even if you’re good at something, you still want to talk with somebody else about it. That particular call gave me clarity, energy, and new purpose to move forward.”

This reinforces something I’ve believed for years: mentorship and guidance from the right people can make or break a business. The key is finding someone who’s actually done what you want to do, not just someone with good marketing.

The Bottom Line for Every Digital Entrepreneur

Copy isn’t just about pretty words. It’s about creating a straight line between you and your ideal client. When your messaging is unclear, that line meanders all over the place, taking forever to reach its destination – if it ever does.

But when your copy is specific, clear, and detailed enough to make someone feel seen, you create a direct path from “I’m curious” to “I’m buying.”

Here’s what you need to do right now:

1. Answer the three questions without thinking: What’s your offer? Who’s it for? What’s the main benefit?
2. Get specific by asking “but why?” until you can’t anymore
3. Add details that paint a picture instead of using vague, generic language
4. Test everything and refine based on results

Remember: if you can write something so specific that only one person could relate to it, you’ll attract exactly the right people. And those people convert.

Your copy is your messaging. Your messaging requires clarity. And clarity converts browsers into buyers.

Stop trying to appeal to everyone and start speaking directly to someone. That’s where the magic happens.

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Ready to dive deeper into building your digital empire? Subscribe to Beyond the BS and follow me on Instagram @the_no_bs_newyorker. Want to see Kelsey’s copy in action? Check out my sales pages at vickipollock.com. And if you need a copywriter who gets it, find Kelsey at kelseyloflin.com or on Instagram @kelsey.loflin.copy.

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