Writing Copy That Sells - What's The Big Secret?

When someone buys a product, what they actually are buying is the benefit of owning that product.

A woman buys a gift to celebrate a birthday or express a thank you... but deep down she wishes to be generous, thoughtful and remembered. A man buys a new set of golf clubs – his old set might be a bit worn out, true... but he's really hoping this new set will knock strokes off his game and improve his prestige at the clubhouse.

Writing copy that sells is all about showcasing these benefits to the potential buyer. It can be a product or a service - what sells is the excellent benefits they bring. It's the benefits that motivate and persuade the reader that your product will make his or her life easier or better.

To put it another way, there are hundreds of gifts and golf clubs out there. Why buy yours? The buyer's inner decisions will determine the sales outcome, after all. As a copywriter, your mission is to develop a relationship with the reader, understand his problems, and then solve those problems with your product. Lead him to choose you!

Here's a look at some key points to writing great sales copy, all focused around selling the benefits of your product or service:

Use Attention-Grabbing Headlines.

They say headlines pull in 80% of the orders if done correctly. Your "hook" headline is the most important piece of copy on your page. Make it irresistible. Good, effective headlines get your readers' attention and draw them into your sales copy. Now you're on your way to a sale.

Write Copy That Answers The Age-Old Question: "What's In It For Me?"

Explain the features of your product or service only in a secondary light. Features are product centered. Benefits are people centered and solve problems! It is easier to sell a solution to a problem than it is to sell the same feature that hundreds of other products have. Simply put, your copywriting should highlight these problems, and then offer your product or service as the best solution.

Establish Trust. Show Them You're Real.

Rapport is so important! Part of what will lead your readers through your copywriting is the one-on-one relationship you develop with them. This is especially true in web site copywriting.

Write about your product or service from the standpoint of a friendly expert. Study the product information and history until you know it well. Present the information in an entertaining, clear and concise way. People want to do business with an expert. Keep your writing as simple as you can, too. Never lose your readers in the details.

Understand Your Audience!

Who is your target market? What do they need? How old are they? What brought them to read your sales copy? This kind of information will make a great impact in how you write your copy. It is impossible to sell to everyone, so narrow your copywriting down to focus on your real target market.

This one tip alone will reshape how you write your sales copy. When you understand and write for targeted readers, the return will be remarkable.

Because you'll know who they are and what they need, you will be practicing all of the above techniques by default:

-- You will be able to write targeted headlines that will grab your readers

-- You will be able to show your readers what is in it for exactly them

-- You will establish rapport with your readers

Writing copy that sells simply focuses on good, old-fashioned human behavior! We all want benefits in life. Write about them.

Copyright 2006 Trish Andrews

About The Author


Trish Andrews helps freelance writers and businesses grow and profit through writing and search engine optimization. To discover how to prosper from SEO web content in your business, or to hire a writer that will make your site come alive ... visit her website at http://www.pro-technical-writing.com.

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Writing For Free: When & When Not to Do It!

Right off the bat, I want to say that there is no right or wrong answer to this topic. A lot depends on your end goal — to get a job, garner publicity, build a portfolio, etc. However, there comes a time when every writer should say no to writing for free. Below are some issues that I've been pondering about freelance writing.

Issue 1: Content for websites. Content is king on the Internet and everyone wants something fresh and unique on a regular basis. If you are promoting a product/service and write articles to generate publicity, then by all means, give the content away.

However, if what you are selling is your writing skill and are not promoting anything, then don't give it away. You'd be better off doing a direct mail campaign and spending your time creating pieces for your portfolio — even if they are only make-believe companies.

One could argue that the reason good writing is taken for granted is so many give it away. I give a lot of content away, but only within the framework of WIIFM (what's in it for me).

Issue 2: Writing on spec: For those of you who don't know what this is, see this excellent primer article at http://inkwelleditorial.com/beginnersguideglatzer.htm. This established freelance writer explains spec writing brilliantly. The bottom line, once your portfolio is complete with good samples, stop this practice.

The exception would be if it's a credit from a noted source that you really want. After all, who's going to turn down Fortune? However, I believe there's a big enough need for good writers that you don't have to sell your soul for one credit, even if it is a "biggie."

How many samples should you have? I advise between five and ten. Try to get them from different sources — eg, two newspaper, three websites, two brochure, one sales letter, etc. This will give your portfolio a range. Nonprofits, friends with small businesses, neighborhood shops — all are possible non-paid sources to build your writing credits.

A tip: Choose a small business and do the brochure, sales letter, etc. first. Then, send it to your target and ask if they would mind if you included it in your portfolio. I don't know any small business that would refuse a well-written promotional piece that doesn't cost them a dime. Bang, a legitimate credit!

Issue 3: Original Content & Rights: I don't believe in giving away original content — again, unless you are promoting a product/service or are just starting out. I am constantly amazed at the number of publications that want original content but don't want to pay for it.

An example. I write a small business column. An editor saw it and approached me to be a regular contributor to their publication, which is quite noted in business circles. The kicker? They didn't want my column but wanted me to contribute original content with no pay. I had to turn them down. I offered the column at no charge (since I already write it), but explained that original content outside of this without payment was not possible.

If you write, then you know it's not easy coming up with original content on a regular basis. Some subjects are so covered that nine times out of ten, new ground is never being broken. We are usually just putting a new spin on it. This costs brain cells! And, trust me, not everybody can do it.

So, the next time you put finger to keyboard, think about your objective. If we all stopped giving away our pearls of wisdom, then the pay level across the board would be raised.

About The Author

May be reprinted with inclusion of the following: Yuwanda Black is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and syndicated small business columnist whose focus is controlling your destiny through small business ownership. Her most recent e-books, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer and Advice from Successful Freelancers: How They Built Their Careers & How You Can Too! are available for immediate download at http://www.InkwellEditorial.com/bizguides.html Visit her on the web at http://www.EntrepreDoer.biz for a complete list of how-to, small business books and articles.
columnist@EntrepreDoer.biz

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