Note: This example shows you how I created the marketing copy for Pilates for Life by completed the six-step Customer Focused Story. To see the original steps, click here .

To construct the copy, I started with what I wrote in each step. Then I added some additional text to help the copy flow more smoothly and changed the message from third person to second person (You) and first person (I) to make the message feel like a conversation between the owner and her ideal customer.

The orginal steps are italicized in red to illustrate how they fit in the copy.

Step 1. Name the who and the problem with which they're struggling.

Are you suffering from chronic back pain so severe that you can't participate in a standard fitness program?

Perhaps your doctor or physical therapist has suggested an exercise program as a way to build strength and flexibility. Stronger back and abdominal muscles, they tell you, often corrects the condition causing pain and can bring at least partial relief.

Step 2. Specify the solutions they've tried which didn't work.

So after talking with your doctor, you enrolled in a low impact fitness program at your local Y. Perhaps you tried yoga or free weights—but you felt embarrassed trying to keep up with the rest of the class. Or your instructor asked you to try something you knew would strain your back. So you stopped going. 

Step 3. Specify why those solutions don't work.

The problem with most mainstream exercise programs is the instructor's lack of experience working with back injuries and chronic pain. An instructor who is unfamiliar with these conditions may push for progress too quickly. Or they may assume persons with chronic back pain can do each movement in the same way as everyone else. Often times, this can strain your back muscles even more, cause more injury, and make the pain even more severe.

Step 4. Talk about what they need to do to solve the problem.

A successful fitness program for persons with chronic back pain requires three things: (1.) a fitness trainer familiar with the physiology of back injuries; (2.) private or semi-private classes so the instructor can make sure you are doing the movements properly; and (3.) a significantly slower pace to allow your muscles to adjust to new movements.

Step 5. Tell them why you're qualified to deliver the solution that works.

The Pilates for Life Difference 

Hi, I'm Judy Rotunda, owner of Pilates for Life. Like you, I know what it's like to suffer from chronic back pain.

For over twenty years I suffered from chronic pain due to a childhood back injury. I was desperate to get better and looked everywhere for an exercise program that would improve my strength and flexibility and, I hoped, provide some relief from the constant pain. When a friend suggested I try Pilates, I was skeptical but after just two sessions, I began to feel the results.  

In fact, I was so won over by my own improvement that I decided to become a certified Pilates instructor so I could offer Pilates to people like myself who wanted to become fit and capable but for whom standard fitness programs weren't an option.

Initially I worked as an instructor with an established Pilates studio but I quickly realized persons suffering from the same back problems as me weren't getting the right help. I began getting requests to offer private Pilates sessions and that's when I decided to start Pilates for Life, which offers private, closely supervised exercise sessions for persons for whom standard exercise programs just don't work.

Step 6. Tell the reader exactly what the next step is and how to take it.

If you've been trying to improve your fitness but chronic pain is making it hard to use standard fitness programs, I encourage you to learn more about how Pilates may help. Here's what I suggest:

1. Go to my website, http://www.pilatesforlife.com and complete the 10 question assessment. Doing this will help you better determine whether Pilates is the right exercise for your condition.

2. Give me a call and let's have a conversation about your current situation and how an exercise program may help.

Important: Before beginning any new exercise program, it's important to talk with your doctor first. 

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