Why is sales copy important?
Advancements in technology have revolutionized the marketing industry. Not only are consumers faced with millions of choices they never had before, they also have far shorter attention spans. How then are you supposed to engage your target customer base in the deafening cacophony of this Brave New Marketing world?
Good sales copy.
Brilliant, engaging, well-written copy is one of the only sure-fire ways to get and keep a potential customer's attention, trust, and business. Good, persuasive copy hooks readers from the get-go, keeps them reading, and convinces them that they need your product or service—now.
Copywriting has been the cornerstone of marketing since the dawn of advertising—in newspapers and magazine, on television, and now on the internet. It still is the best and only way to really hold a potential client's attention and convince them to buy from you.
But how do you create stellar sales copy? Remember the following three tips:
Emotion sells
Psychologists have several theories about the motives that drive human behavior—including consumer behavior. Humans want power, security, individuality, environmental mastery. They want to avoid disconnection, alienation, fear.
Emotion is the common thread that runs beneath all of these motivations.
How do you incorporate emotion into your sales copy?
When you are writing sales copy, picture your target customer. What does he or she deeply desire and crave? What does he or she want to avoid at all costs? What problems are keeping him or her up tossing and turning at night? And how can your product or service solve the problem?
Don't use sales copy to harp on the great features of your product and service. Use it to convince your reader that you have the answer to their deepest fears and desires.
To do this, use emotional language that addresses clients' fears and desires. Speak directly to your reader, without the use of jargon or insider language. Be conversational. And never talk "down" to your reader. Instead, put yourself in his or her shoes.
Simple sells
In today's internet-saturated economy, attention is a declining commodity. Customers don't have time to read complicated, sophisticated marketing copy that goes off in a dozen different directions.
Instead, write simple copy.
Write copy that sells ONE thing, and sells that one thing WELL. Make it clear what you are selling, use simple, understandable language, and have no more than one call to action (Buy this! Follow me on this platform! Click this button! Not all three at once).
Remember to KISS: Keep It Simple & Straightforward
Before you sit down to write your sales copy, clarify your one strategic goal. If you're not clear on what you want your readers to do, they won't be either.
Simple formatting is a plus as well. Use simple, direct sentences instead of complex structures featuring multiple clauses. Incorporate strategies such as one-sentence paragraphs to break up your copy so that it looks more appealing. Use white space to your advantage.
When you give your call to action, make sure that it is clear, direct, and unambiguous. Using commanding words and giving a reason can help to make your call to action more effective.
For instance, including a "Buy now, limited units available" or "Click here to see what hundreds of clients are raving about" call to action is far more compelling than a boring "Subscribe."
Imagine you are talking to your best friend: you talk to people, not at them. Keep that in mind when you are writing sales copy, and you'll be hitting homeruns!
Trust sells
It might sound self-evident, but people do not want to buy things from people or companies they do not trust. So how do you incorporate the element of trust into your copywriting?
Trust Building Strategy 1: Statistics
First, avoid vagueness. That kills trust. Use details to create trust. For instance, instead of writing "lots of people use this service," or "Many people have praised this product," or "The majority of service users have found that…" include hard numbers: percentages, dollar amounts, time, fractions, data.
This works even better if you hire a graphic designer to help you design an infographic, or put your statistics in an easy-to-understand and visually appealing table or chart or graph.
Trust Building Strategy 2: Social proof
Another way to build trust through copywriting is to include social proof in the form of case studies and testimonials. Added brownie points if you can cite well-known customers or include visuals, such as logos and headshots from satisfied clients.
Finally, if relevant, remember to show your credentials. This can be degrees earned, awards won, or memberships in associations, clubs, or other groups that are related to the service or product that you are selling. Proving that you are affiliated with larger, more prestigious groups can give your readers and potential clients a sense of familiarity and safety which will make them much more likely to listen to you and ultimately, buy from you.
You can write persuasive copy.
Writing strong, persuasive sales copy is an art and a science. It takes practice to get it just right. But learning to write copy is one of the most worthwhile things you can do for your business. With the proper perspective and a clear understanding of your product or service and your target client, you can create copy to sell virtually anything!
