Your clients and patients are searching for answers - how do you address the questions and issues they care about most?
A great approach is to consider their pain points.
When we refer to “pain points” in copywriting, we’re talking about the specific problems or challenges your audience face that cause them pain. These are the kinds of things that keep them up at night or the problems and issues they’re super eager to solve.
In holistic health, we know that these pain points often involve physical discomfort, emotional distress, or a sense of imbalance in life.
Things just feel… OFF.
Addressing these pain points in your copywriting is really important for connecting with your ideal audience. But guess what? It’s even more important to do so in an ethical and compassionate way.
Using pain points in copywriting, can be powerful but comes with an ethical responsibility. There’s a need for balance in highlighting your customer’s struggles. The goal should always be to help your audience, not to exploit their struggles for your benefit in making a sale.
Ethical copywriting (especially in holistic health) means acknowledging the pain without amplifying it. We don’t want to create fear!
This is about offering real, genuine solutions and empowering your audience to take positive steps toward better wellness and a healthier life.
Understanding Your Audience’s Pain Points
To write ethical copy for your holistic health website, you have to first fully understand the challenges that your target audience is facing. It’s okay to have some assumptions, but you’ll want to validate those and get to know the struggles your clients face.
Their pain points may be physical pain, stress, exhaustion, dissatisfaction with their body image or mental state, or an imbalance in their emotions. You can use client feedback, surveys, polls, and even in-person discussions with your clients to determine these pain points.
A common pain point in holistic health is chronic pain that doesn’t seem to improve despite everything they have tried. Your clients may be looking for alternatives because they feel discouraged or hopeless.
Ongoing anxiety and stress are also common pain points, and many are looking for natural solutions to find more balance or serenity in their life.
Once you have identified and understood these challenges, you can focus on crafting mindful marketing messages that your intended audience will find compelling. Putting yourself in their shoes, you might think about what they actually need to hear from you at this particular moment.
Is It Ethical to Use Pain Points in Holistic Health Copywriting?
We believe in addressing pain points with compassion.
Once you’ve identified where your audience might be experiencing pain points, the next step is to address them… carefully. Now is the time for compassion!
Ethical copywriting is about acknowledging these struggles - making people feel seen and heard - without exploiting their challenges. This means avoiding language that sensationalizes the pain or makes the problem seem worse than it is.
You’ll want to use empathetic, caring language to show you understand what your audience is going through.
For instance...
Instead of saying something like this:
"Are you tired of living in constant pain?”
You might consider phrasing it like this:
“We understand how challenging chronic pain can be, and we’re here to help you find relief.”
This approach recognizes the pain but doesn’t amplify it. We don’t want our clients and patients to feel even worse! You’re there to support them, not pick at what they’re already feeling poorly about.
It's extremely important to present the problems in a positive, solution-focused way. Instead of focusing on the issue, consider the benefits that people can receive from you and your service.
For instance, you could direct attention to the harmony and balance that your holistic therapies provide rather than the detrimental effects of stress. This addresses the pain point as well as empowers your audience to take action.
Try a little tenderness. Your clients will see that you truly care, which makes them more likely to engage with what you have to offer.
Providing Real Solutions and Empowerment
Ethical copywriting doesn’t stop at acknowledging pain points in a compassionate way. After gaining insight into people's challenges, the next step is to present useful solutions.
Once you've addressed your target audience's hurdles, you can show how your product or service can truly benefit them. Here's where you can emphasize the advantages and benefits of your services.
Let’s say you’re a holistic health practitioner; maybe you provide therapies for stress or chronic pain. Rather than just talking about the issue, concentrate on how your approach relieves symptoms and enhances quality of life. You could share stories of people who have found success with your treatments or explain the science behind why your specific methods work.
Another essential component of ethical copywriting is empowerment. Rather than positioning yourself as the only solution, encourage your audience to take control of their own wellness journey.
You could offer advice, resources, or suggestions that they can use on their own. By doing this, you gain their trust and demonstrate that you care about their long-term wellbeing rather than merely making a sale.
For example, if you offer a stress-relief program, you might offer free resources like a meditation guide or breathing exercises that your audience can try right away without needing an appointment with you. This would allow them to begin changing for the better even before they decide to use your service.
Avoiding Fear-Based Tactics in Your Copy
In traditional copywriting, fear-based tactics are often used to create a sense of urgency. While this approach can be effective in the short term, it’s not super ethical—especially in the holistic health industry, where trust and integrity are kings and queens of the castle.
Fear-based tactics often involve exaggerating the consequences of not using a product or service. For example, you’d be tapping into fear if you said something like, “If you don’t address your stress now, it will lead to serious health problems.”
This kind of phrasing plays on your audience’s insecurities and can make them feel pressured to buy from a place of fear - not the best vibe or state of mind you want people to be in when interacting and purchasing from you, right?
Keep in mind that this type of marketing and copywriting also impacts the public image of your brand and company.
Instead of using fear, focus on building trust and offering value.
Consider using language that is reassuring, kind, and supportive. For instance, you could say something like, “Managing stress is important for your overall health, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.” Taking this approach still communicates the importance of the issue but does so in a way that is all about empowerment rather than terrifying someone.
Another ethical alternative is to use testimonials (if you're permitted to!) and case studies. These provide some solid social proof and show real-world examples of how your service has helped others without resorting to scaring someone or pressuring them to convert.
Sharing success stories helps build confidence in your offering and shows that positive results are achievable.
By avoiding fear-based tactics, you can maintain the integrity of your brand and build a strong foundation of trust and confidence with your audience.
Clients are much more likely to engage with a brand they feel respects and supports them and feel safe with rather than one that tries to manipulate their emotions.
Building Relationships Through Ethical Copywriting
Ethical copywriting isn’t just about selling a service. It is about so much more!
Taking this approach means creating a positive, supportive relationship with your audience. When you prioritize compassion and integrity in your messaging, you build a brand that clients can trust and rely on.
Marketing is really all about relationship building.
If you need support in crafting the perfect message that captures who you are and speaks to your audience, please reach out. It’s one of our favorite things to do!
Liz Pittman
Virtuwell Balance Copywriting Specialist
P.S. We have a WEEKLY RESOURCE for Clinicians and Practitioners who are seeking genuine yet effective ways to market their business.
If you're ready to transform your marketing approach to align with your values, stay ahead of trends, and join thousands of like-minded practitioners who are learning to market their business in a way that FEELS GOOD, click here to join us!