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Copy and Messaging

Universal Laws of Good Copywriting Part 4

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Congratulations – you’ve made it to the final article in this series of copywriting rules. Here is Part 3 in case you missed it. By the time you’re done here, you should have an excellent idea of how to craft the best possible sales letter, using the most triggers possible.

Here’s a quick refresher of what we’ve gone through so far:

* Set out writing to one person.
* Use your prospect’s language.
* Use emotion.
* Time’s ticking, make sure you keep their attention.
* Make the copy visually compelling.
* Make it easy for people to buy.
* Use scarcity.

Let’s move on to the last 2 important rules.

Rule #8: Social proof can make or break you.

Use testimonials as often as you possibly can while creating sales material. If other people have used your product or service and liked it, ask them for a testimonial (just make sure the testimonial adheres to the new FTC guidelines).

Prospects feel a lot more trust when they know that other people have used the same product or service they’re thinking about buying. They believe that you (the seller) will obviously brag about yourself – but seeing neutral peoples’ opinions changes that.

If you don’t have testimonials, borrow as much social proof as you can. For example, if your product is about golf clubs, find a quote from Tiger Woods talking about how important the right golf club is. If you’re selling copywriting services, find a quote from a top marketer talking about the importance of the right kind of copy.

Rule #9: Have a clear call to action.

Copy and Messaging

Universal Laws of Good Copywriting Part 2

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In Part 1 of this series, we went over some important copywriting “rules” to follow in order to have the best possible copywriting material.

To refresh your memory, these rules were:

* Set out writing to one person.
* Use your prospect’s language.
* Use emotion.

In this article, I’m going to go through and give you even more tips you can use to make the most compelling sales material possible.

So, let’s get going.

Rule #4: Time’s ticking, make sure you keep their attention.

Your sales letter should be captivating from the beginning to the end. A lot of people liken a sales letter to a “slippery slope”, saying that the letter should be consistent and easy to read the entire time through.

Imagine falling down a slippery slope. The ride is easy from top to bottom, and you go down one clear path. A sales letter should be exactly like this.

If you have ANY disconnects, it will be very easy for a reader to lose interest and stop reading right away.

Think about it like this: people stay on websites for an average of 30 or so seconds. This is ESPECIALLY true if they think they’re being sold something. As you know, 30 seconds isn’t a lot of time. If you give your readers any reason to leave whatsoever, they WILL take it. Make sure that every point you write about makes complete sense. Don’t get too off topic.

It’s also important to have a compelling headline that will make your readers’ eyes bulge. Get them emotionally invested in reading on. Don’t over-hype or make promises you can’t keep, but really reel them in with the “wow” factor of your product or service in your headlines.

Don’t use wordy, verbose language that bores your reader. World class copywriter John Carlton actually says to write as if you’re writing to a third grader.