In the past we’ve discussed what copywriting is and what you should NOT do when writing a sales letter, but today I want to focus on a few things you should be including. The better your sales copywriting, the higher your chances of success.

Fill the Space on the Page

In short, never mail out a marketing letter that has blank space on the page. Use both sides and fill it with content, even if you have to add a couple of sidebars or fact boxes. The more information you give your prospects the more interested they’ll be in the services you have to offer. There’s no such thing as too much content when you’re copywriting.

Be Very Specific

Some people believe that being vague will leave their readers with a sense of mystery and somehow believe this will ellicit a response. In truth, someone who doesn’t get the information they’re looking for from your letter is more likely to go online or read someone else’s material than they are to call you for additional facts. As painful as it may seem, be as specific as possible when writing sales copy. Your willingness to share information will help you to earn the trust of your reader.

Personalise Your Letters

Write your sales copy as if you are speaking to an individual. An individual person, after all, will be reading your letter. Try to address your reader by name (very possible if you have a good mailing list and a merge feature in your word processing program). You should always include a personalised cover letter, even if you’re only sending out a brochure or catalog.

Include the Call to Action

It doesn’t matter what action you want your prospects to take as long as you encourage them to take it. This might mean calling you for more information, sending you an email, filling out a survey, or visiting your website. Create a sense of urgency or they might never take action. For example, you might want to offer a free newsletter or product to those who reply within a certain number of days. The goal of your copywriting is to ellicit a response, but your readers need guidance when it comes to knowing what response you expect.

Include a P.S. Line at the End

Did you know that the average person reads the headers, subheaders, and P.S. lines before they even begin to scan the rest of your letter? If the information in these sections interests them they’ll go back to read the rest. If not, they’ll probably throw your money away. Make sure the P.S. talks about your free trial or guarantee program. You can even include more than one P.S. line (P.S.S. and P.S.S.S) if you have to. The information here needs to be enticing enough to encourage your prospect to continue reading.

Have you been working on your next piece of sales copy? Take a few minutes to make sure you’ve taken these tips into consideration. And, please, let me know how it’s going.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat

How to Write Sales Copy

Sales copy, whether long or short, only serves one purpose. The words you write must convince your reader to purchase your product or take the course of action you describe. There are a few things you need to do in order to make sure your sales copy is as effective as possible.

Create a list of popular keywords relating to your niche product. There are dozens of keyword tracking and research tools available on the internet. This, to me, was one of the most entertaining parts of the copy writing process. I got to create a list of words that I could incorporate into my copy, and sometimes found ideas for other articles, products, or projects in the process.

Write an incredible headline. The headline is the first thing your readers are going to see when they visit your site. If your headline is boring or uninviting, I guarantee your visitors will leave without reading another word. Your headline needs to grab the attention of your reader and reel him in.

Appeal to the emotions of your readers. Your words need to express the way you really feel about the product. The people reading your copy will not be able to see your face or watch you waving your arms as you explain how much they need what you have to offer. You have to convince them, with words, that convince them they can’t live without your product.

Use proper formatting, spelling, and grammar. Failure to do so will result in lost sales. I used to read a blog where the writer had terrible typing skills. He had valuable information to share, but after a while it became clear that he did not care about the way he presented himself, making it difficult to take him seriously. Check your work, and then check it again.

Find current product users and ask for testimonials. People tend to believe that a product is more valuable if they have proof that someone else has used it and benefited from it first. Ask a few previous clients for a short testimonial and include it in your web copy with a photo of your happy customer.

Use graphics carefully. The use of graphics is incredibly important, but only if done correctly. I cringe when I see flashing images at the top of a website screen – there is no reason to use a flash image, so avoid them at all costs. Instead, include tasteful photographs featuring your product, your clients, and the results they’ve achieved. If appropriate to your situation, before and after pictures can be another great way of proving your product works.

Provide real contact information. Internet users tend to shy away from purchasing products from businesses that do not have a valid email address or phone number listed on the sales or corporate website. A lack of contact information raises a red flag and leads potential buyers to wonder whether or not you are going to take their money and run!

There are, of course, dozens of other things you can do to enhance the effectiveness of your sales copy, but these are some of the most important and will provide you with a great base to start with.  Let me know how your first attempt at writing sales copy pans out!

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant - Internet Marketing Consultant - Sales Expert

Headlines are the KING of Sales Copy

I have a secret to share with you regarding the sales copy you are writing. When your reader first sees your copy, he is going to scan it for headlines, subtitles, and bulleted point lists. If he likes what he sees, he may or may not go back to the beginning and read the rest. Therefore, your headlines are the key to success. Poorly written headlines will lead to insufficient sales – I guarantee it.

So, what can we do to make our headlines more attractive and inviting? Below are a few things that I keep in mind when writing my own sales copy.

• Include numbers in your headlines. The numbers may be representative of any variety of things: the amount of weight a person will lose; the amount of money they can expect to make; or the number of chances they’ll have to participate in a certain event. People are drawn towards numbers, and the more intriguing the better.
• Talk about the benefits of your product or service. Simply state the benefits as part of your heading or as the titles for your subsections. People want facts that they can easily see or pick out of your writing. If the facts you present are interesting enough, they’ll read on for details. If they don’t see a viable list of benefits right off the bat, they’ll probably move on to someone else’s product.
• Use exciting words and phrases. For example, the phrase “jump-start” is much more interesting than simply “beginning” when applied to a new career, job venture, or lifestyle plan. Use creative and colorful adjectives and verbs to make your headlines stand out on the page.
• Ask a question in your headline. We all love finding answers. If your question is intriguing, your reader will stop to wonder why he never thought about your subject from the perspective of your question. He’ll then read on to see how you answer the question – and hopefully you’re providing excellent details about your product or service within that answer.
• Teach people how to do something. We love “how to” questions and answers. The more detail you can give me when it comes to “how to” complete a task, find information, or achieve a goal, the better. Headlines with “how to” verbiage are often more successful than any other style.
• Don’t try to be cute. Make sure your headline is succinct and to the point, including at least one major keyword related to your niche. A witty headline will mean nothing if it doesn’t say anything about your product or service.

I truly believe your headlines and subheadings are the most important elements of your sales copy. If your headlines are boring, you’re going to drive business away before you even have a chance to make a sale.  Remember – headlines are KING!

Happy Copy Writing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant - Internet Marketing Consultant - Sales Expert

5 Sales Copy Mistakes to Avoid

When I started out in sales I thought writing sales copy would be the easiest part of my job. I loved the products I was selling and truly believed in them, so I thought telling people about them in writing would be a piece of cake.

I quickly learned that writing sales copy isn’t as simple as I wanted it to be. Simply formatting errors or mistakes in wording can easily turn what would have been an incredibly powerful piece into a complete failure. Today I’m going to share my top 5 copy mistakes which every salesperson should avoid.

1. USING CAPITAL LETTERS. In short, don’t do it. Words and sentences written in capital letters are difficult to read. They also make it seem as though you are yelling at someone or telling them what to do. If you really want to make a point, experiment with italics, bold letters, or underlining certain words or phrases. Even changing the color of your text will prove more effective.

2. Forgetting to check for spelling and grammar. Check your work, put it aside for a day, and then check it again. Make sure that everything is spelled correctly and that you used proper grammar. Avoid using common slang terms within your sales copy as well. A perfectly written piece of sales copy will make you look like a pro, and people will be more likely to buy what you have to sell.

3. Making false claims. Don’t make false claims in your sales copy. Sadly, many copy writers don’t even realise that what they are saying is untrue. Stating that your product is the cheapest or the best might sound great, but is it really true? Has it been proven? If so, provide proof or make a real life-comparison. Your readers will trust what you have to say if you can back it up with fact instead of speculation.

4. Making false promises. Let’s say, for example, you are selling a product that users can put in their fuel tanks to increase mileage per gallon. Don’t write a statement that promises your buyers will automatically get an extra 10 miles per gallon of fuel when driving. Varying circumstances, such as vehicle type or driving style, make it very difficult to know what results each person will achieve. You can, however, use examples and testimonials that state what other people have experienced as long as you note that not everyone will achieve the same type of result.

5. Lying about the price. I know that people love the word “FREE” but don’t tell people that a product is free if it really isn’t. Something that is free does not involve a huge shipping fee. Something that is advertised as free should not have a paragraph of small print that describes the product as free for the first 30 days only. Catching my drift here? Free is free. If what you are selling is not free, outline it clearly – not in fine print.

Avoiding these common copywriting mistakes will enable you to produce powerful and effective sales copy. I urge you to go back and check some of the copy you’ve written previously and check for these mistakes. Can your work be edited for success?

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant - Internet Marketing Consultant - Sales Expert