Here are the 12 things to do when writing sales copy as a copywriter:
1. Don’t lose sight of your primary goal: to sell your product or service. Your writing should be more than a flat presentation of the facts. (Remember that a copywriter must persuade and motivate.) On the other hand, don’t let runaway creativity bury the message. The most brilliant efforts will be wasted if your audience can’t remember what product you’re pushing. Write to sell.
2. Stress the benefits. Resist the temptation to thump your chest on behalf of your company. It’s not “See how great we are,” but “See what we can do for you.” Show your potential customers how your product or service will make them happier, wealthier, more comfortable, or more secure. Write with their interests in mind. Once you make the transition from company entered copy to customer-centered copy, that’s half the battle.
3. Arouse interest. From the headline to the ordering statements, your copy should continually pique the reader’s curiosity. As you unfold the benefits, keep seasoning your copy with human interest, helpful tips, curious facts, colorful phrases—anything to heighten involvement in your story. And write so that your audience actually looks forward to hearing from you again—an accomplishment that means more in the long run than a one-time sale.
4. Don’t fill your copy with empty overstatements. Too many words like fabulous and fantastic within a brief space will destroy your credibility. You don’t want your audience to dismiss you as a propagandist. Instead, try to convince the audience that your product is fabulous. Make them say, “That’s really fantastic!”
5. Be accurate. Be sure you get the facts straight. Don’t leave yourself open to claims of false advertising by making statements that can’t be substantiated. Above all, be truthful. Resist the temptation to distort the facts in pursuit of an easy sale.
6. Be specific. Don’t use hazy abstractions or approximations when you have a chance to create vivid images with simple, observable details. Would you rather eat a “frozen dessert” or a “raspberry ice”? And try to avoid the notorious “than what?” comparisons—for example, “lasts longer” (than what?) or “gets the job done faster” (than what?). Do everything you can to sharpen the picture.
7. Be organized. Your message should progress logically from the headline to the clincher. Don’t bury essential information in the darkest recesses of your copy or lead off with trivia that stops the reader cold. Like an old-fashioned short story, your copy should have a beginning, middle, and an end.
8. Write for easy reading. Your style should suit the audience you’re addressing, but certain rules apply to all copy. Cultivate a style that flows smoothly and rapidly, a style that’s clean, uncluttered, involving, and persuasive. Avoid long, convoluted sentence constructions. Affect a crisp but friendly and extroverted tone. Communicate. You want to do everything possible to ensure that your message gets read.
9. Appeal to the emotions rather than the intellect. You want your words to propel the reader to action, and nothing is as propulsive as human emotions. A cerebral approach might make your reader nod in admiration, but emotions are the fuel that can blast your message off the ground. Even when you’re writing for an audience of executives or college professors, don’t forget that, like all members of the human tribe, they’re motivated by gut feelings. Keep in mind that some advertising media are intrinsically less emotional than others. A brochure, for example, has to present hard facts. It typically won’t generate as much emotional heat as a good sales letter. But it should still trigger an emotional response (“I want that!”).
10. Don’t offend. Humour is a controversial issue among advertising insiders. Most direct-mail experts preach against it, but there’s no denying that humor can be an effective tool—if it suits the subject or the situation. (You don’t want to joke about insurance or funerals.) Sarcasm, cynicism, and other extreme forms of individuality are not likely to meet with mass approval. Don’t criticize your audience’s taste in clothes, music, pets, or anything else. Don’t preach. Be of a sunny disposition, and aim to please.
11. Make use of testimonials and reviews. Satisfied customers can supply you with some of your most persuasive copy because their pronouncements invariably come from the heart. These folks have actually tested the product and witnessed the benefits firsthand, and they simply can’t contain their enthusiasm. What better sales weapon could you ask for? Just be sure to obtain their permission first. If you have glowing reviews from publications or esteemed professionals in your field, be sure to quote them and display the blurbs in a prominent spot.
12. Ask for action. If the product is sold by mail, ask the reader to mail in an order. If the product is sold retail, ask the reader to clip the ad and bring it into the store. If your ad doesn’t sell the product directly, then find out the next step in the buying process and tell the reader about it. For example, you might offer a free brochure on the product, a demonstration, or a sample. At the very least, encourage the reader to look for the product in the future if he is not going to buy it today. Make it easy for the reader to take action.
• Include your company name, address, and phone number in every piece of copy you write.
• If you’re writing retail copy, include store hours and locations.
• If you’re writing copy for a hotel or tourist attraction, include easy-to-follow instructions on how to get there, along with a clearly drawn map of the area.
• If you want the reader to send in an order or write for a free brochure, include a handy coupon she can clip and mail.
• If you want the reader to call, highlight your toll-free number in large type.
• If you take credit-card orders, be sure to say so and indicate which cards you accept
And, if possible, give the reader an incentive for responding now: a price-off coupon, a time-limited sale, a discount to the first 1,000 people who order the product. Don’t be afraid to try for immediate action and sales as well as long-range “image building.” Ask for the order, and ask for it right away.
13. Revise and edit your work. Cut out all dead wood; every word should pull its weight. (Advertising copy is like poetry in this respect.) Be your own critic. Check your facts, your syntax, your spelling. Make sure you haven’t left anything out. Then read your copy again before you submit it.
Author: Michael Agwulonu, Digital Marketing Strategist
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