Great copy is more than just a sales pitch. It might tell a story such as the way the product came about, or it may describe the author’s own experience with the product. Experienced copywriters will try to find a unique angle that their readers will relate to and weave this into their sales writing.
Great copy sells to the heart.
By finding something that customers can relate to, copywriters are able to appeal to their readers’ emotions. Research shows that people buy with their emotions and then look for a rational reason for their purchase afterwards. Good copy spells out the benefits of a product to prevent the customer from having to think for themselves. Great copy overcomes objections before they surface.
Great copy is conversational.
When you start copywriting you can forget a lot of that grammar you learned in school. To engage your reader they need to feel you are actually talking to them, and so you should write in the same style as you speak.
Here are some tips your English teacher might not have agreed with:
* Use slang if it is appropriate
* Use fragmented sentences if they create impact
* Use short punchy words rather than long complex ones
* Spell out your meaning simply rather than using clever word plays or subtle hints
However, don’t get too relaxed or your writing will lose credibility:
* Check your work for typos, these are unprofessional
* Don’t use too many capital letters, this is seen as shouting in cyberspace
* Exclamation marks lose their impact if used too often
The length of good copy is suitable for the product
There are advantages to both long and short copy. How do you decide? The safest, surest bet is to always make sure your writing is long enough for the value of the product you are selling. A more expensive product will require longer copy as customers will take longer to decide whether to buy. You don’t want your readers to reach the end of the page when they are still undecided about whether to buy.
Advantages of long copy are:
* More information makes your customers feel comfortable about their purchase
* Giving your customers the facts upfront may reduce your customer service work
* There are more opportunities for search engine optimization and including keywords
Advantages of short copy are:
* You get your message across before your customer loses interest
* Your web pages are neater and more compact
* You avoid repetition and the appearance of a hyped sales pitch
In the end the quality of your copy is more important than the length. You can include links in short copywriting to give more information to customers that want it, or you can highlight key phrases in long copy for visitors that don’t want to read the whole page.
