BETTER BIZ WRITING TIPS - ISSUE 5 - SEPTEMBER 2008 - WRITING TO SELL

In my editorial work with magazines, newspapers and websites, I receive dozens of press releases and media materials every week from companies looking to promote their products or services. While the majority of materials I receive are well-written and easy to understand, I sometimes get a few that are beyond belief. Complicated with jargon and drawn out over the course of too many paragraphs and pages, complex communications usually do little more than drive readers away or leave them frustrated and confused.
 
Here's one recent example of a direct quote pulled from an internal case study:
 
"Our cutting-edge solutions and software packages can rectify and overcome the challenges of international logistics management by essentially synchronizing the data of third party logistics providers with that of their industrial clients to allow for more efficient communications and transmission of order information. Independent analysts as well as satisfied clients have confirmed and concluded through extensive testing and research that the resulting metrics illustrated higher conversion rates for web traffic and higher customer satisfaction ratings, as discovered through third-party surveys."
 
English translation:
 
"Our software solutions simplify international shipping and can increase sales and customer satisfaction."
 
There's no reason to complicate communications. While such language may seem authoritative, educated and intellectual, the real message just gets lost and buried in all those extra words. When the main purpose of your press release, brochure or website is to sell your products or services, write accordingly and write first and foremost with the intention to sell and get your target to take action.
 
Creating copy that persuades and sells is part art, part science. You don't need to have a master's degree in English or be some literary genius to write well. In fact, most successful copy writers don't even come from those backgrounds and benefit more from their strong business and marketing skills.
 
Writing persuasive content comes down to:
 
(1) placing yourself in your market's shoes to understand their point of view and determining their needs and wants
(2) presenting your product and service then clearly communicating the benefits
(3) telling them to take action.
 
You should start out by knowing your audience. Learn what it is that they need and want through surveys, demographic studies, analysis of your mailing lists, interviews and a review of the competition's marketing materials.
 
You should also fully understand your product or service and how a potential customer or client will benefit from doing business with you. Make a list of the benefits and use that to inspire your copy. Find the right principal selling position which is the most attractive benefit from the buyer's perspective and make that the focus of your copy. Use this to then create benefit-oriented copy.
 
Use active instead of passive words throughout your copy which are more direct and have more momentum. For instance, "Shoppers around the country constantly chose our products" is more effective than "Our products are constantly chosen by shoppers around the country." Active voice sentences are more forceful, clear, straight-to-the-point and effective.
 
Short sentences and words can also have a big impact so don't try to use many frills in your advertising copy. When it comes to copy, being concise is a virtue and you should strive to eliminate redundant words or phrases. Whether it's a one-page sales letter, a paragraph or a simple slogan, you should pour over your copy at least two or three times to eliminate "fat" and unneeded words. There are many formats that have also been proven to sell and these include strong headlines, bulleted selling points and strong body copy.
 
Finally, tell your reader what to do. Effective copy often tells the readers what is expected of them in specific terms. Such examples include instructing the reader to call or visit your website, to call for a free estimate or to take advantage of a special offer.
 
In summary, remember that when you're writing to sell, those selling objectives come before anything else.

There are many books, websites and gurus who have created their own copywriting rules but here are what I would like to think are the top ten:
 
1. Know your audience. If you can't understand your audience's needs, then you can't effectively write to sell to them. Put yourself in their shoes and write through that experience.
 
2. Use "you." You can create the rapport of being centered around the customer by using the second person in your marketing materials. Make strong use of the word "you" or (understood you).
 
3. Create a strong headline. If you don't grab the reader's attention with a strong headline, chances are they won't even read the rest of your materials.
 
4. AIDCA - attention, interest, desire, conviction, action. These are the mental states that have been proven to lead potential customers into buying decisions. Use and formulate your copy to appeal to these emotions and create an action.
 
5. Short copy can make a big impact. In most cases, short, straight-to-the-point copy can have a bigger impact than long-winded content that can loose your readers.
 
6. Use emotion, not just intellect. While you should still use testimonials, specifics and data to appeal to your target's intellect, you should also use copy that appeals to their emotions. Most people essecntially make their decisions based on emotion, not logic. Logic is usually only used to support our decisions after we have made them.
 
7. Use specifics. Use specifics about the benefits of your products or services. Numbers, percentages and detailed benefits can add strong selling power to your copy.
 
8. Testimonials are as good as gold. Including or quoting a glowing reference from a satisfied customer or client can add authority, credibility and appeal to the emotions of your readers.
 
9. Use active words and sentences. Skip the passive voice and use the active voice which refers to a sentence's subject in relation to its verb. Active voice sentences are more forceful, less complicated and more effective.
 
10. Use a good layout. While it is ultimately words and content that sells, there is no denying that a strong visual element and graphical layout or presentation can help boost your copy.