I got my start in marketing by writing for life coaches. It was highly emotional and aspirational copy. When I transitioned to B2B copywriting, I assumed I’d leave that emotion at the door. But since joining Haley Marketing, I’ve been amazed at the overlap between writing for coaching clients and writing for staffing buyers.
Staffing buyers are practical, but they’re human. And most humans want to:
- Be seen.
- Be heard.
- Believe their circumstances can improve.
- Take action toward improving their circumstances.
Staffing websites have an opportunity for emotion-driven copy that treats the buyer not as a figurehead but as an individual who wants the things above. And by positioning your agency as a vehicle for achieving those things, you can convert more buyers.
Here are four steps to show you how.
Create a mirror. People — including business buyers — want to see themselves reflected in the brands they engage with. So, one of the first things your website copy should do is identify your target buyer.
Since these are business buyers, highlight the personal attributes that allow them to be great at their jobs. Describe not only what they do, but how they feel. A healthcare staffing webpage might say:
As a leader at your hospital, you’re an ambitious multitasker with one goal: providing the best possible patient care while staying on budget.
If a buyer looks into the mirror of your copy and sees their reflection, they’re ready to move on to the next step.
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Acknowledge frustration. People want to feel not only seen but heard — to have someone take their grievances seriously.
Business buyers want professional success, and if there’s something that keeps them from doing their job well, they become frustrated. If you can identify that frustration in your website copy, you can earn trust.
Try to frame the pain point not as a generic business challenge but as an obstacle that stands in the way of the buyer’s personal achievement. To continue the example above, you might write:
Chronic understaffing forces you to spend valuable time searching for qualified nurses instead of improving patient care.
This section of your copy should make the buyer say, “Yes — this is the thing I keep saying we need to fix!”
Imagine the future. Don’t twist the knife for too long — now is the time to give your buyer hope.
Invite the buyer to imagine how their circumstances could improve. Paint a clear picture of a future that the buyer may not be able to see themselves.
And here’s the important piece: Don’t say anything about your services yet. Right now, you’re giving the buyer something to want — you’re not telling them how to achieve it.
This might look like:
Imagine you had a team of experts to staff your hospital quickly, strategically, and at minimal cost. With that off your plate, you could fully devote yourself to delivering quality care.
Present the solution. You’ve created a gap between where the buyer is and where they could be. Now it’s time to tell them how to bridge that gap — by using your staffing services.
This is the hardest step to accomplish gracefully. If you suddenly transform into a used car salesman, you’ll lose your buyer’s trust as well as their interest. The key is to center the buyer even as you’re describing your services.
Follow up each selling point with a reminder of how the buyer will personally benefit:
Our team has recruiters on call 24/7, so you can get the support you need even if it’s the middle of the night shift.
Continue emphasizing the difference between the frustrating present the buyer is currently experiencing and the improved future they now believe is within reach:
Our recruiters are experts at identifying top candidates. No more wasted time sifting through unqualified résumés — you can devote yourself to the things that matter.
By following these steps, you can appeal to staffing buyers’ emotions. But that won’t help if your website isn’t optimized for conversion. A free website review from Haley Marketing can help your buyers convert at the moment they’re ready.