2 Types of Copywriting for Business That Every Coach Needs to Know

If you’ve been told that the best types of copywriting include creating great hooks, stopping the scroll, or creating desire, that could be the very thing standing between you and more clients.

As a coach or service provider, you’re using copy every single day. And there’s a good chance you’re using the wrong type at the wrong time. Let’s break down the difference between clear and clever copy, when each one works, and why getting the order right is one of the most important things you can do for your visibility and your business growth.

What is Copywriting, Really?

Copy is the umbrella term for all the words you use in your business. That includes:

• The name of your podcast, offer, or program
• Your social media captions and text laid over videos and photos
• Your email newsletters and sales pages
• Your podcast episodes and blog posts

If you have a business, you’re using copy constantly. Understanding the two types (and when to use each one) can completely change how people find you and what they do when they get there.

1. Clever Copywriting

Clever copywriting is exactly what it sounds like. It is the usage of words that feel emotionally resonant, metaphor-driven, and/or display personality behind it. There’s a story behind it. It feels good, maybe aligned, it feels like you. Your existing audience loves it.

The catch is that it requires inside knowledge to understand it.

Here’s a real example. My podcast was once named Thirst — as in, desire. Owning your desire and letting it lead your business decisions. To me, it felt deeply aligned. My existing audience got it immediately.

But then when new people searched Apple Podcasts and typed “thirst,” they weren’t finding me. Why? Apple Podcasts had no reason to reward me with a high-ranking. Those going there and typing in “thirst” weren’t looking for the value I bring to my show: business support.

That’s clever copywriting for business working against you.

2. Clear Copywriting

Secondly, Clear copywriting is what someone can type into a search bar with zero knowledge of you and still find you. The search engine can be Google, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or an AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Claude.

Every day billions of people are searching the internet. They have a pre-existing problem. They have a pre-existing desire. And more importantly, they have a pre-existing way of describing it that they are now going to use in their search. Clear copywriting understands that pre-existing search and your words meet them exactly where they’re already searching. No inside knowledge required.

Clear copy builds the roads that lead new people to your business. If you’re still growing your audience, filling your offers, and wanting to reach people who have never heard of you, clear copy is what gets you found.

The Order That Actually Works

Here’s the sequence of using these types of copywriting: clear copy first, clever copy second.

Use clear copy to get found. Use clever copy to become unforgettable once someone has arrived.

Someone finds your podcast or blog because the title clearly describes what they were already searching for. They click. They engage. Now they’re in your world. Now using the metaphors, demonstrating your personality, layering storytelling, can all land differently because they already know what you do. Clever copy at this stage doesn’t confuse people. It connects them to you in a way that’s memorable and distinct.

I use clever copy inside my long-form content (inside episodes, blog posts, communities) once someone has already opted in at some level and that’s what I recommend for my clients to do as well.

The Question Every Online Business Owner Needs to Ask

Are you trying to sound creative too soon?

If you’re in a season of wanting to be found by new people, ask yourself honestly:

Are new people entering your world, and if so, how are they getting there?

Referrals are a gift. But if referrals are your only source of new leads, your copywriting isn’t working as lead generation for your business.

Clear copy is what lets your podcast rank without you reminding your Instagram followers it exists every week. It’s what lets your blog show up on page one of Google without you manually sending people there. It’s what makes your content compound and market you over time while you’re living your life.

You Don’t Have to Choose

Remember that the most effective strategy for business doesn’t between these two types of copywriting. It uses both… in the right order.

Clear copy gets you discovered by people already searching for what you do. Clever copy makes you the unforgettable answer once they arrive. Together they build a visibility engine that keeps working without you having to be on social media every single day chasing leads.

If you want help building your Visibility Engine, identifying the clear copy that gets you found and the clever copy that makes people stay, that’s exactly what we work on together inside House of Allure. Pricing and program details are available here.

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