Oct 11
31
Copywriting Tips
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Copywriting Tips
Copywriting Tips
1. Command attention with a powerful headline. Your headline is there to ‘hook’ your readers attention. Use strong sub-headings to break up large blocks of text.
Most people’s headlines and sub-headings need work. Dare to be different. Stand out from the crowd but keep them relevant.
Remember that copywriting sales copy is all about selling and nothing more, hence the reason it is called — Sales Copy.
Does your sales copy sell? Does it really make you want to buy your very own product or service?
2. When you write your sales copy, use short, punchy sentences. Keep your words simple. Do not use gobbledegook that very few people can understand. Try to use shorter words over longer words if you can, although this of course does depend on your target audience..
3. Turn every negative into a positive. For example… “If your writing isn’t improving in 30 days, we’ll refund your money,” say instead, “You’ll be writing like a professional writer within 30 days, or you’ll get your money back.”
4. Don’t be put off thinking that your sales letter or sales copy online has to be spelling perfect, it doesn’t have to be. Nor does it have to have perfect punctuation or grammar.
Your sales copy is there purely to nudge your visitors into taking a direct form of action, whether this is to sign up to your opt-in list or to physically buy a product.
Most professional copywriters break many rules to get the selling point across to the intended target audience. You can do the same. Just say it in the most simple way, write it in the most simple way that you can come up with.
5. Don’t go off at tangents, keep the flow going continuously throughout your sales copy. Get to the point as quickly as possible. Try not to waffle, writing on matters of no direct relevance to the sales message.
6. You can use color to underline important parts of your text. Options: Do this with a (color) underline or use a yellow text background tag or simply print the text in a different color for a direct mail flyer for example.
7. When you complete writing your sales copy / sales letter, review it several times over. Look at your sales copy from many different angles or perspectives. See your own sales copy / sales letters as your intended target audience will perceive your copywriting. Sleep on it again overnight and read it back again the following morning.
Make adjustments where necessary.
8. When you create a story, make sure it relates to your readers, your target audience.
9. Whenever you can, use short sentences. Long sentences are difficult to read and digest. The easiest sentence to read is just eight words. The average length of a sales copy sentence should be sixteen words. A sentence over 32 words total, is difficult to read.
10. A paragraph ideally should be short and to the point. A paragraph should contain just one thought, not two or more. Do not write long paragraphs, again they are very difficult to read.
11. Use dots to link sentences or paragraphs… Now, check this out… Read on to find out more… This is the link and chain effect in action…
12. Avoid like the plague being too clever or cryptic. There is nothing worse than trying to read sales copy which loses it’s true meaning, when you try to impress others with your long winded vocablary. This is not a competition. This is about you drawing in buyers — as many as possible. Using cryptic ‘clever’ language simply distracts visitors and hurts your potential profit margin.
13. Humor has it’s place but not everyone may appreciate your sense of humor. It’s best to avoid humor when writing sales copy or sales letters. The only exception to this is if you are an exceptional writer to start with.
14. Use repetition for emphasis. People often do not mind you repeating yourself to stress a point. You can repeat the offer several times in the text and get away with it perfectly okay. Make sure the offer is irresistible!
15. Add to your own credibility if at all possible. Rather than saying, “As used by several blue chip global corporations,” say, “As used by (Specific corporation/s name/s here).”
16. Don’t use an unreadable text size, too small is not good. Make sure the size of your text can be read by as wide an audience as possible.
17. There is no need to go over the top with the most fancy design in the world. Design does not sell, words sell. Keep it simple.
18. Never use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS – Use them sparingly. CAPITAL LETTERS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO READ.
19. Use bullet points to highlight your main key benefits and your main key features.
20. State real sums of money in your sales copy. For example, “How I turned a $500 investment into $5000 in just 30 days. Watch over my shoulder as I show you step-by-step how to do the same.”
21. Stick to the facts – Do not make outrageous claims, that will set off the ‘I smell bullshit meter’ in the mind’s of your readers.
22. If you can say it with less words, do it.
23. Always, always, always focus on the benefits that your product or service will bring to the reader, your potential customer.
24. When you write your sales copy, do not worry about the length of your sales copy. It has been proven over and over again that long sales copy sells better than short sales copy.
25. Over inflating claims destroys your credibility. Sure, make it sound as ‘magical’ as possible, the next best thing to sliced bread, but don’t go overboard!
26. When you write your sales copy, write it as if you were writing to a friend. Speak the reader’s language.
27. Think like a sales wo/man. Think about how you would sell the product to someone else. Often the best sales copy often has a kind of speech type you-and-me-talking quality about it. Practice selling your product or service out loud or try and sell it to someone you know in person. Record the conversation and play it back to yourself.
28. Don’t use… “I this, I that, I, I, I,” all the time, the focus of the sales copy is on the reader, the benefits you can bring to them. Use ‘You’, ‘Your’ etc instead.
29. Think in terms of Features, Advantages, Benefits.
30. Research your target audience. What are their fears, their feelings of pain or frustration? Present yourself as their ideal solution, their ideal pleasurable outcome.
31. Keep them guessing what the next page is going to be about. Create excitement in their mind, make your sales copy an irresistible read. Help them to really WANT to turn that ‘page’ or click over to the next page.
32. Create mystery. Keep them reading until the very end, when the best deal possible is going to be revealed to the reader.
33. Don’t sell on price alone, don’t be in a rush to use your discounted price as your major selling point, only reveal the price at the end of your sales copy.
34. Direct mail — remember your envelope is part of the letter. In fact it is the first piece your prospect sees. Grab their attention but do not use Private & Confidential unless that really is the case.
35. Create visual interest. Break up long chunks of text by using: Italics; box rules around paragraphs; tables & bar charts; numbered paragraphs; underlining; bullet points; capital letters – but use them sparingly and in a balanced manner.
36. Use testimonials to sell the product. Testimonials get high readability, use the best one’s you’ve got. Put them in their own highlighted boxes.
37. There is no harm in being polite, say please and say thank you.
38. When you complete your sales copy, edit it ruthlessly, trim it, prune it, add to it, prune it again, sleep on it – eventually it will start to take shape.
39. Read your sales copy / sales letter from back to front, from start to finish several times over. Check, double check and check again for typo’s and spelling errors. When you are finally satisfied, check again! You’ll be amazed just how many errors you keep on finding.
40. Finished writing your sales copy? Read it out loud to yourself. Does it flow very well?
41. Never, ever make the reader or visitor to your site feel like an idiot. If you do, they’ll click away immediately.
42. Don’t bunch up all of your key benefits and key features all in one place, spread them out throughout your sales copy or sales letter..
43. Got a ‘last minute’ offer, make it look like one. Don’t dress it up with an incredible design. The two will contradict each other if you do that.
44. PS – PPS — Use them, highlight your offer, your personal guarantee, they are read in nearly every instance by most visitors, they can work for you very well.
45. Use penalties to get your visitors to take immediate action. For example, “Limited stock”, “Price Increases Tonight If You Do Not Take Action Right Now.”
46. People love new things. If it’s a new product or service, tell them that. People love to be in at the ground floor, first, before anyone else.
47. Make your visitors, readers feel important and special.
48. If a direct mail campaign, do not underestimate using postcards – postcards most often get read whilst envelopes are often simply thrown in the trash.
49. Great sales copy often has a child like quality to it, appealing to everyone. Try to do the same if you can.
50. Read every book you can on the subject of copywriting from the grand masters. You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn from them … Or, ask Mark Andrews of IMCopywriting.com to write your sales copy, sales letters for you – inquire about his copywriting rates and availability to help you today!
