Case Study: How I used a $50 copy audit to build trust and optimize my sales funnel
I’ve been hearing it everywhere: the summer of 2024 brought a dip in sales for many membership and course creators.
Don’t panic — it makes sense. Back in 2020, people were buying courses left and right.
But now, in 2024? We’re a little more cautious.
We all have a graveyard of incomplete courses haunting us from the bookmarks bar.
actual footage of my "unfinished courses" bookmark folder 👆
But this does not mean courses and memberships are dead.
It just means people might take longer to buy from you.
“But, Nicole, what if I don’t want it to take a long time for them to buy?” you ask.
Simple: add a trust point.
It’s the best way to speed up the buyer’s journey from “curious” to “conversion.”
Still not convinced?
I tested it myself! Read on to see the results. 👇
Why I chose to do a $50 Copy Audit
Here’s the deal: trust has always been the backbone of a successful funnel, but right now? It’s more important than ever.
How you build trust? Totally depends on your business.
Since I’m the guinea pig here, let me give you a peek behind the curtain:
I’m a service provider, so most of my income comes from working 1:1 with clients. Usually, I’m juggling one big funnel project and a couple of smaller ones. So, I only need about 2-3 clients a month to hit my revenue goals.
Because clients work so closely with me, I wanted to create a trust point that gives them a taste of what it’s like. Enter: the $50 copy audit. (à la Lindsay Maloney’s Dream Client Code — not an affiliate, just a fan).
Here’s how it worked:
People could send me any kind of copy (most sent sales pages), and I didn’t pitch them on anything else.
I kept it simple: build trust, deliver value, and hope that when they need a copywriter, they remember me. :)
Doing good work has been my best marketing strategy to date.
Your trust point might look different depending on your biz structure. An audit worked for me, but here are a few other options I’ve seen work well:
A private podcast
A trial period inside your app
A mini course that ladders up to your bigger offer
Alright, enough theory. Let’s get to the numbers! 👇
The Quick Wins Copy Audit by the numbers
Here’s the rundown:
Launch: A 4-day, email-only sale offering the $50 copy audit.
Audience: My modest email list (under 500 subscribers).
Results:
Open rate: 56%
Conversion rate: 6%
Percentage of audit receivers who asked about bigger projects, unprompted: 33%
Most popular copy type submitted: Sales Pages
Honestly? I’m thrilled with these numbers and what I’ve learned.
But the real win? This little offer turned out to be a trust-building powerhouse. I’m confident it’ll pay off over time — whether that’s through direct bookings, referrals, or just staying top of mind.
I got to show my expertise in a concrete way, and clients walked away with clear, actionable steps to improve their copy fast.
Here’s what people have been saying:
The audit helped Britt “believe in the value” of what she offers and “feel more confident about selling it.”
Jenine said “the process was very easy and fast!” and watched her video multiple times.
Amelia was impressed with the easy-to-implement advice that was both “incredibly valuable and deeply values-aligned.” (i.e. no icky sales tactics!)
Kyle said that “it took the guesswork out of making my updates.”
Lauren was able to “stop ruminating” over her sales page and make edits that actually drive action.
Pssst… want to see the EXACT emails I used to get these results? Drop your email below and I’ll send them right over!
What I learned from this experiment
Hypothesis confirmed! Trust points are incredibly valuable.
There’s often a lot of mystery around what service providers actually do and why it matters.
A quick demo like this clears that up fast.
I’m not great at delivering “quick wins” 😆
Meaning: it was tough not to go all in when I saw things that could be improved. So yeah, the $50 price tag ended up being way lower than the value of what I delivered.
I knew this going in, but now I’m left with the question: Should I raise the price? And if I do, is it still a “trust point” or just another offer?
Still mulling that one over. 🤔
What I do know? Doing these all the time isn’t sustainable for me, but having “launch periods” for this type of offer during slower times could totally work.
I got really great Voice of Customer data!
As a conversion copywriter, client research is everything. And thanks to this experiment, I now have a treasure trove of insights into what my favorite business owners struggle with most in their copy.
These takeaways are already sparking new ideas for how I position myself and what I’ll offer next.
What you can take away:
If your funnel isn’t converting like you want, it might not be broken — it might just need more trust points.
Dig into your numbers.
Where are people dropping off? Where could a trust point make a difference?
Offer something small, but valuable: Give people a way to experience your services without a big commitment.
Even if you’re not a service provider, you can still create a trust point that acts as a mini demo of your bigger offer — get creative.
Big takeaway: funnels aren’t linear anymore.
(Side note, they don’t have to be automated!)
Every buyer is going to take a different amount of time to decide. Build a funnel that gives them the space to do that.
Ready to build trust into your funnel?
Great! You have options.
Option 1:
Take the strategies I’ve laid out here and give it a go on your own. These aren’t completely new and revolutionary strategies — SaaS companies have been offering demos forever.
You have the roadmap laid out before you, and with some effort, you can absolutely figure out where in your funnel to build trust points and what kind of trust point is needed.
Then, you can draft a sales page, a few emails, and see what happens!
Going the DIY route? Grab this sales page checklist! - I created it from the top fixes I suggested during copy audits.
Option 2:
If you want a little extra help (and to save your time for your core work), we can work together 1-on-1 to get everything set up for you!
Here’s what that looks like:
We’ll review your current funnel and see where a trust point could make the biggest impact.
We’ll refine your messaging to speak directly to your audience’s needs and desires.
We’ll help you craft each email so that it flows seamlessly and encourages conversions.
We’ll finesse (or write from scratch) your sales page to make sure it’s ready to convert the traffic these emails will drive to.
Instead of spending weeks trying to figure out the best way to do it on your own, you can lean on my expertise and get it done quickly — without endlessly tweaking copy if that’s not your thing.
P.S. A quick-win trust point could also make a GREAT Black Friday promo. Just sayin. ;)
“Nicole is an excellent copywriter. She was able to quickly get a feel for my brand and help me create great copy that reflected me. I look forward to working with Nicole again soon!
- Nancy John, CEO, Seed Leadership
