How do you make employee stock options and investing a captivating topic? That’s a question even the most skilled copywriters grapple with. Add all the middlemen into the equation, and suddenly the sterile financial messaging approach risks creating confusion—and alienating potential customers.
Equitybee intends to solve that problem. The online platform focuses on providing startup employees the funding they need to exercise their employee stock options. For the uninitiated, exercising stock options refers to purchasing shares of a company’s stock at a set price—meaning you then owe a piece of the company. Equitybee then connects employees to a global network of investors to help them get funded with the best possible terms.
Sharp copy for all startup employees
Any great online platform needs a website that can sell potential end-users and organizations on why its product or service is a necessity—and every website lives and dies on its homepage. Upon arriving at Equitybee’s website, you’re greeted by a simple, inviting tagline: “Open Options for All.” Even if you’re completely unaware of what Equitybee does, or what “open options” means, the copy has already conveyed an important sentiment: Equitybee is for everyone.
If you happen to work at a startup, you probably know that your salary and benefits options may not be as bountiful as those at a larger corporation. The opportunity to work on potentially industry-changing products is exciting, but at the end of the day, everyone has bills to pay.
Equitybee addresses that anxiety with acerbic hero copy immediately beneath the tagline: “Equitybee provides startup employees the funding they need to exercise their stock options.”
As we continue down the front page, a box pops out with an all-caps header: “What nobody talks about.” Even before you continue reading, you’re clued into the notion that you’ll be treated to a vital insight you won’t find anywhere else.
This knowledge immediately arrives in the form of a provocative declaration that the startup world is plagued by a “broken system.” Equitybee justifies this lofty claim through a quick paragraph that illuminates how employee stock options provide startup employees the financial means to make incredible things happen, but employees can no longer afford to exercise their options once they’re eligible to convert their options into shares.
Strategic deployment for all avenues
Like any confident brand, Equitybee is quick to proffer its solution to this unique challenge faced by startup employees. The company offers that succinct, aspirational phrase again: “Open Options for All.” Scrolling down, we’re treated to three snappy bullets that lay out a clear roadmap of how open options work: “understand your options,” “get funded,” and “cash out.” The call to action toward the end of the page ends with a clever variation of the company’s tagline: “Open Your Options.”
This recurring phrase was born out of a significant rebranding initiative. The tagline’s strategic ubiquity helps cement Equitybee’s laser-focused commitment to making employee stock options available to the widest array of investors possible.
Empathetic branding for all readers
To close out the front page’s hero copy, we’re treated to a sleek, elegant line that brings Equitybee’s story home: “Now, you can finally own what’s rightfully yours.”
Zero in on “finally.” It implies to startup employees that they’ve always deserved ownership. And by asserting to the reader that their employee stock options are “rightfully theirs,” Equitybee empowers the reader to accomplish big things. Who wouldn’t click “Get Started”?
Each and every component of the landing page’s hero copy ties back to Equitybee’s overarching message. The word “equity” has two connotations here: the value of shares issued by a company, and the notion that each and every person should be treated the same.
Of course, Equitybee’s business model depends on a steady stream of passionate individuals eager to invest in employees at private startups. Wooing these investors can be tricky, but Equitybee tailors its web copy to win them over. By minimizing the number of redundant and confusing hyperlink tabs at the top of its webpage—and instead prioritizing essentials like “For Investors,” “Learn,” and “Company”—Equitybee shows potential investors that they aren’t just one small variable that makes up the company’s foundation. Instead, they are the foundation.
Clicking through to the Investors page, we’re immediately struck with copy that sells a unique and compelling value proposition: “Invest in High-Growth Startups.” Subheaders like “Opening the Door to Startup Investing” and “We Take Your Investment Seriously” invite investors of all kinds into the world of startup investing—one that many investors lack access to.
As with its copy targeting startup employees, the company’s succinct investment instructions take potential investors on a roving mental journey that would have anybody reaching for their wallet. The brisk pace of the page’s copy layout transforms the sign-off—“Gain Exclusive Access to Top Startups”—from a command to a promise. What kind of investor wouldn’t sign up?
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Key messaging tips for all writers
Pop quiz: without looking, what’s Equitybee’s tagline?
Equitybee’s minimalist web presence smartly reflects back on its copy approach, which balances brevity with repetition—all without feeling repetitive. In doing so, the company elegantly affirms its commitment to boosting the financial fortitude of startup employees.
That’s why there’s a good chance you were able to recall the tagline “Open Options for All” without a second thought. Equitybee’s message to copywriters? With the right approach to web design—bolstered by focused, heartening copy—you can quickly forge a meaningful connection with your audience.
Need a strategic copywriting team that can open hearts—and wallets? Get in touch today.
