You’ve got your website online, your products created, and your business up and running…yet your results aren’t what you had hoped for.
You might have had a grand vision in your head of money rolling in while you sleep. The reality is more like a trickle and it’s not every day.
Your problem isn’t your business, it’s your sales copy. You might have a great website and superior product line but you’ve still got to convince people you have the solution to their problems.
That’s where a lot of sales copy gets it wrong. You must show how your product or service solves a person’s problem. Selling hair ties? Then you’re presenting a solution to bad hair days. Selling video games? Then you’re presenting a solution for entertainment.
To begin you must do your research. Find out what are the root problems of your prospects, not just the uses for your products. Successful business owners know they aren’t selling fishing lures and reels. They are selling the promise of catching more fish. Proper research will show you what your prospects really want, their likes and dislikes, even who they are (demographics).
Next you must create an outline for your sales copy. This is essential if you want to make sure your copy flows well and is cohesive. Write down all the points you want to make within your copy. Then list them in order of importance. It is easy to get off topic and include unnecessary information when writing seven, eight, nine, plus pages of persuasive information. An outline is designed to keep you focused and provide a clear beginning, middle and end.
Use the points in your outline as subheads in your copy. Subheads are names of different sections that break up your copy. They are designed to give the reader a quick snapshot of the entire sales copy. Each one should be attention grabbing and refer to what you are about to talk about next.
Once your outline is complete its time to come up with a fabulous headline. This will be the trickiest part of the sales copy. Try to appeal to the benefits of the product instead of the features. Using my previous example of a hair tie, talk about how it reduces frizz or shows off a pretty face, instead of harping on the color or varieties of styles it comes in.
When developing a headline try to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Try to see the product or service from their point of view. This is where your research will benefit you. You must know a bit about your prospects before you can put yourself in their shoes.
You will undoubtedly tweak your headline many times once you’ve written it, but once you’ve got something move on to writing the introductory paragraph. The first paragraph or two must support your headline.. Discuss in further detail your headline’s message and include some of the benefits. You want to clearly state what your product or service is all about. You should not be writing about your first point yet
A lot of good introductory paragraphs begin by telling a personal story that relates to the product/service. Write in detail about a time when you used the product/service and how it helped you or how you felt using it. Do your best to create a mental image for the reader of your story. Above all make sure your story comes across as genuine. Fake stories can be easily sniffed out by engaged readers.
While writing your sales copy, try to appeal to the reader’s emotions. Look back at the root problem your product/service solves. Put yourself in your reader’s shoes and write with an empathetic tone to their problems. You’ve got to get into their heads and find out how this problem makes them feel.
Pretend you are sitting across from a friend in a bar or coffee shop discussing said problem with them. Use words such as “you” and “your” instead of “we” and “our”. Use personal terms instead of generalizing, just like you would if you were having an actual conversation with them.
Whenever possible use testimonials in your sales copy. These are great because they provide a way for readers to better understand what the product/service can do for them. They legitimize you and your offer while reassuring readers. Blend your testimonials in with the rest of your message. Do not put them on a separate page or in a place where readers would have to click through to another page. Scattering them throughout ensures they will be read.
Towards the end you need to start creating a sense of urgency, or a reason why readers should buy now as opposed to tomorrow. Procrastination is a trait every person has and the tendency to want to “think about it” before pulling the trigger is something we all do. That’s why convincing readers to buy now is so important.
The trick is to make it come across as genuine. You don’t want to push people too hard because you will turn them off. Instead give them a logical reason why they should buy now. That’s why you see phrases like, “While supplies last…” so often. The statement is not a hard sell and it gives them a reason to not procrastinate.
At the end of your sales copy, close with a guarantee. It should remove all risk in the reader’s eyes. Always offer a money-back guarantee. The more powerful the guarantee, the fewer returns you will get. 30 days is the minimum guarantee you should use. A one year guarantee is better. You will receive fewer returns with a one year guarantee than you will if you use a 30 day guarantee.
Always include a P.S. in your sales copy. I like to use it to talk about bonuses or freebies with their order. Everyone loves to get something for free on top of what they are already getting. Bonuses increase the perceived value of your product and justify your price. Have you caught any late-night infomercials lately? You will see every single one of them offer multiple bonuses to their product. Bonuses can be e-books, coaching, additional copies of the product, software, etc. Basically anything that is a natural addition to the original product/service you are selling.
Writing sales copy is not at all like the papers you wrote in high school or college. Sales copy should be made up of small “chunks” of text with plenty of spacy between each block. Do not write long paragraphs, this will scare the reader away from reading your copy. Make each chunk of text no more than six to seven sentences long.
Images and graphics are another great way to break up the text. They should help convey to the reader the message you are presenting in your copy. You can use stock images, charts, graphs, or photos you’ve taken yourself. If you are looking for quality stock images try istockphoto.com or try Google images.
Put all subheads and your headline in bold. Your text should be a black, legible font against a light, non-distracting background. Use san serif fonts like Helvetica, Arial, Times New Roman or Courier. These have become the industry standard for sales copy. Make sure the text is easy to read by selecting an appropriate size. The older your audience, the bigger the font size should be.
Review your current copy and make sure it has all of these elements. Tweaking your copy is a sure-fire way to increase sales and effectiveness. Do not worry if it takes you eight plus pages to discuss all your points. Long copy has been proven to out sell short sales copy. Just don’t make your readers click through pages which need to load.
Good luck!
Ethan Warrick
Editor & CEO
