I am about to share with you 8 quick ideas and suggestions to dramatically help you improve your copywriting skills as you get going.
You can use these tips when it comes to creating offers, E-mails and sales letters that grab people’s attention.
So without further ado, here they are!
Number one:
Always write your sales letter with the individual in mind.
Whenever you’re writing a sales letter or an E-mail, you want to write that E-mail or sales letter as though you were talking to one person.
Number two:
Pull them in with the first line.
You’ve got to create interest with the reader, the very first line that they read.
Number three:
Use bullets.
People like to scan, they like to quickly read things as fast as they can, and using bullets makes that whole process a heck of a lot easier. So use them.
Number four:
Just let it flow.
When you’re starting to write a letter, it is very difficult to just start from top to bottom and write everything. When it comes to writing it and actually putting everything down in order, I want you to just write as it’s coming out. You’re going to have moments when inspiration hits you and your pen is going to go like crazy or your fingers are going to go like crazy on the computer keyboard, and I want you to just let it flow.
Number five:
Write like you speak.
I briefly touched on this in one of the earlier points. But it’s much easier for you to envision that you’re communicating with one individual as though you’re having a conversation with that person, because when that person reads your sales letter or your E-mail, they’re going to feel like you’re talking right to them, and that’s exactly what you want.
Number six:
Make your communication easy to read.
What I mean by that is use short paragraphs. Use pictures. I want you to bold certain things. I want you to highlight important areas.
Number seven:
I want you to stress the benefits and not the features.
I want you to put yourself in the shoes of the person reading your communication piece
The number one question that they’re going to be asking is: What’s in it for me? You have to address those things, and you’ve got to stress the benefits of your particular communication piece that you’re trying to use.
Number eight:
I want you to keep the reader interested.
How do you do that? On a sales letter there are a ton of ways that you can keep the reader interested, and I’m going to give you a few of them right now.
- You can use graphs.
- You can use pictures.
- You can use audio.
- You can use video.
- Another one that people love to see are testimonials.
- Another one that you can always use is giving examples of proof.
- Do you have checks?
- Do you have screen shots of people registering for certain things?
Whatever you’re trying to sell or promote, I want you to give proof that it works or that it would provide benefit to the person that is reading it – screen shots, pictures, testimonials – these are all great things of proof.
So there you have it… 8 quick tips to improve your copywriting skills. This is not the be all and end all of copywriting techniques but they will definitely help you jump over some of the hurdles that are standing in your way!
lundi 14 juillet 2014
Freelance Writers
case studies:
I remember the first time a client offered me a case study writing assignment.I was petrified.
It was early in my freelance writing career and I didn’t even know what one looked like. I had a lot of questions. “What the heck is a case study?” “How long is it?” “What is the format?” “How much do I charge?”
I didn’t have a clue.
Of course, these days, I know more. A lot more. In fact, I write dozens of case studies for clients each year.
Case studies now rank high on my list of the most fascinating — and lucrative — projects I handle. (I’m sure glad that client offered me the job all those years ago!)
If you’re unfamiliar with case studies, don’t worry. They’re really quite simple. A case study is just a fancy name for a success story – the tale of a happy customer and his or her experience using a product or service.
Lately, I’ve noticed that more and more companies need case studies written, yet have difficulties finding writers who can do the job.
That spells OPPORTUNITY for you and me.
And it gets better. Consider the following:
1. Case studies are not difficult to write.
They are similar in style and format to a newsletter article. So if you can write one of those, you can write a case study.
2. Case studies are relatively short
Usually about 400-800 words in length. Once you’ve gained a little experience, you’ll be able to knock one off in less than a day.
3. The formats are standardized
Unlike ads and direct mail, you won’t get stressed out by having to come up with a dazzling new concept or killer headline. The basic structure of a case study is remarkably simple. All that’s required of you is to get the facts and write a good piece.
4. Case study writers are in demand
More companies are scrambling to get case studies written today than ever before. I can’t give you an exact figure but, in my opinion, the demand for case study writers has increased significantly over the past couple of years.
5. There is little competition
I’m not sure why, but few copywriters go after this market. Some may not know it exists. Others may mistakenly think that case studies are dull or technical. Not true! Case study writing is storytelling. It’s fun.
6. Case studies pay well
Surprisingly well. Now you won’t get the superstar rates paid to big-league direct mail copywriters. But most clients do pay handsomely for case study writing. Earning $100 per hour is not an unreasonable expectation for an experienced writer. I know many who earn a lot more.
Right now the case study market is booming. Why not jump in and get your share of these fascinating and lucrative writing gigs?
Sales Letter
People have included all kinds of sales pitch in their sales letter but sometimes still wouldn’t achieve the results they want. The importance of a sales letter is likened to having a shop to sell cars. If the looks of your shop isn’t delivering a good impression, no one will be going to buy your cars.
Thus, you must make sure that your sales letter have answers to the most basic questions, and instill interest in your visitors towards your product just with these five specific questions:
1. What’s in it for me?
The number one rule of salesmanship – people only buy for one reason, which is for getting the results from a product, what they will receive out of it. To achieve this, you must be quick in catching their attention since the beginning with your headline. Create a very convincing headline and tell your visitors what they will get in one shot through your headline.
2. How will my life be better?
This is where you have to understand the emotional appeals that attract your prospects like moths to a flame. Do they want to become richer, smarter, better looking, thinner or more popular? Do they want to save time, money or effort?
Study your niche market until you know what emotional buttons to push and you’ll see a huge increase in your sales instantly. Use their desires to attract themselves, that’s where you will get them nodding their heads and continue reading right until the end.
3. Why should I trust you?
People are skeptical when it requires them to take out their wallets in order to buy a certain product. You need to clear their doubts by providing positive testimonials from your previous customers and emphasize the benefits of your product.
If you don’t have testimonials for your product, search for forums related to your niche and offer to give a complimentary copy in exchange for a testimonial – usually you will get a hot response in no time.
4. What will happen if I say no?
You are not going to let them say no, that’s it. Remind them about the problems that they are having, the frustrations, how much money will they lose, or how sad their lives are currently – and tell them how they can change all of them in one shot, just by a small investment in your product.
5. Will I be stuck with your product?
This is where you seal the deal. Tell them that you provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee, they must get it now. The most important thing is to make them buy, and the rest depends on their choices. 70% of the people who purchase a product will not refund it unless they have seen something similar before or they’ve planned to only “borrow” it since the beginning.
When you have all these points to answer your prospects’ questions in your sales letter, not only will you gain an unfair advantage over your competition but also let your prospect know that you care about their problems and you have the solution that they need.
Thus, you must make sure that your sales letter have answers to the most basic questions, and instill interest in your visitors towards your product just with these five specific questions:
1. What’s in it for me?
The number one rule of salesmanship – people only buy for one reason, which is for getting the results from a product, what they will receive out of it. To achieve this, you must be quick in catching their attention since the beginning with your headline. Create a very convincing headline and tell your visitors what they will get in one shot through your headline.
2. How will my life be better?
This is where you have to understand the emotional appeals that attract your prospects like moths to a flame. Do they want to become richer, smarter, better looking, thinner or more popular? Do they want to save time, money or effort?
Study your niche market until you know what emotional buttons to push and you’ll see a huge increase in your sales instantly. Use their desires to attract themselves, that’s where you will get them nodding their heads and continue reading right until the end.
3. Why should I trust you?
People are skeptical when it requires them to take out their wallets in order to buy a certain product. You need to clear their doubts by providing positive testimonials from your previous customers and emphasize the benefits of your product.
If you don’t have testimonials for your product, search for forums related to your niche and offer to give a complimentary copy in exchange for a testimonial – usually you will get a hot response in no time.
4. What will happen if I say no?
You are not going to let them say no, that’s it. Remind them about the problems that they are having, the frustrations, how much money will they lose, or how sad their lives are currently – and tell them how they can change all of them in one shot, just by a small investment in your product.
5. Will I be stuck with your product?
This is where you seal the deal. Tell them that you provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee, they must get it now. The most important thing is to make them buy, and the rest depends on their choices. 70% of the people who purchase a product will not refund it unless they have seen something similar before or they’ve planned to only “borrow” it since the beginning.
When you have all these points to answer your prospects’ questions in your sales letter, not only will you gain an unfair advantage over your competition but also let your prospect know that you care about their problems and you have the solution that they need.
Copywriting Secrets
Copywriters often disagree on whether a short sales piece with lots of white space is better or whether long and detailed is the way to go. The long and short of the debate is this… what type of buyer are you targeting?
There are basically 2 kinds of buyers.
1. The Impulsive Buyer
This is the kind of guy with “places to go and people to see” and not a whole lot of time to do it in. Typically, he’ll skim the headlines and subtopics, glance at the photos and captions, and make a snap decision.
2. The Analytical Buyer
This group of buyers believes that the proof is in the details. They’ll read everything… including the fine print.
It stands to reason that successful copy will address the needs of both buyers… regardless of length. Let’s look at what you need to do to reach both buyers.
How to reach….
The Impulsive Buyer
1. Use attention getting headlines and sub headlines.
2. Capitalize of graphics that enhance your message…
Photos
Captions
Varying fonts and font sizes
Shading
Use Bold Headlines
Highlight with shaded areas or bullets
The Analytic Buyer
1. Use the headlines, sub headlines, and graphics for the impulsive buyer as guides. Add the detailed information the analytic buyer needs under the proper heading, and you’ve got a winning marketing piece that is guaranteed to be successful
Inside knowledge of how your potential buyers react is the key to getting their attention… and extra income. The fact that the needs of the impulsive buyer and the analytical buyer overlaps is a bonus for you, the copywriter!
There are basically 2 kinds of buyers.
1. The Impulsive Buyer
This is the kind of guy with “places to go and people to see” and not a whole lot of time to do it in. Typically, he’ll skim the headlines and subtopics, glance at the photos and captions, and make a snap decision.
2. The Analytical Buyer
This group of buyers believes that the proof is in the details. They’ll read everything… including the fine print.
It stands to reason that successful copy will address the needs of both buyers… regardless of length. Let’s look at what you need to do to reach both buyers.
How to reach….
The Impulsive Buyer
1. Use attention getting headlines and sub headlines.
2. Capitalize of graphics that enhance your message…
Photos
Captions
Varying fonts and font sizes
Shading
Use Bold Headlines
Highlight with shaded areas or bullets
The Analytic Buyer
1. Use the headlines, sub headlines, and graphics for the impulsive buyer as guides. Add the detailed information the analytic buyer needs under the proper heading, and you’ve got a winning marketing piece that is guaranteed to be successful
Inside knowledge of how your potential buyers react is the key to getting their attention… and extra income. The fact that the needs of the impulsive buyer and the analytical buyer overlaps is a bonus for you, the copywriter!
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