How To
Write Winning Sales Copy
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I asked a very reputable marketer recently
"Which is more important in a campaign, traffic or sales
copy?"
His answer was emphatic, "Sales Copy."
So we can get traffic, either paid or free,
we can write press releases or articles to try and drive
visitors to our site, but without compelling sales copy we will
never convert those hungry buyers into sales for our
products.
How can we learn to write the sort of sales
letter or web page that will convert into sales?
A sales letter is completely different to
writing a report or an e-book. These tend to be written from
the heart, written because we thoroughly understand the subject
about which we are writing, but when it comes to writing sales
copy it's a completely different kettle of fish.

In writing sales copy we've basically only
got one chance of keeping our reader interested or amused
enough to keep reading until the reader fells compelled to
either sign up for more information or press the "Buy Now"
button to conclude the sale. I don't know whether you agree but
the top selling affiliate marketing sites seem to go on and on
forever, yet we find it extremely hard to stop reading and even
harder to not sign up to see just how great their offer really
is. (And if you're like me you buy it anyway in the knowledge
that it must be worth the investment.) Hey, just look at the
amount of people who have written glowing testimonials as to
its worth and how much it has changed their lives!
Why, and how do these copy-writers make it
so easy for us to make the decision to buy?
It's all based on a formula and every good
copy-writer uses it for predictable results.
The first absolute MUST in any ad campaign
is to persuade the reader to believe 'WIFM?'. "What's In It For
ME?" There must be a clear message that convinces the reader
that in fact there is something in it for them, whether the
product is so unique, whether there are significant reasons for
the reader to purchase, whether the perceived dollar value of
the bonuses let's the reader think that they cannot miss such a
great offer, and so on.

Good copy has to be personal, it has to be
relevant and it has to be specific.
When someone reads your ad or opens your web
page you have between three and five seconds for them to make a
decision whether to continue or not. It's not much time is it?
So if your headline fails to grab the attention of your reader
then you've lost a potential sale. There are two main things
that motivate people to action:
1. Fear of Loss.
2. Promise of Gain.
Either or both of these should form the bulk
of your headline. And if you can create an air of curiosity at
the same time your on your way to a great headline. A great way
to start is by reading newspaper ads, classified ads and
competition web sites. Look at their headlines, copy them down
and save them in a file. The more you get the better. Now see
if you can slightly modify any of them to suit your particular
product, whether it be for a web page headline, a pay per click
headline or an article headline. I certainly don't recommend
copying them word for word but if you can change a few words
and still get a 'killer' headline then go for it!
The body of your copy should first tell the
reader of the benefits of your product. To outsell your
competition you must have a USP.
A Unique Selling
Proposition
Keep asking yourself "How is my product
better than the rest?" "What does my product have that no-one
else has?" "Why should the reader buy MY product and not from
my competition?"
When you have the answer then you have a
unique selling proposition and that's what you need to convey
to your reader.
Put your major benefits at the top of your
body copy using bullet points and then follow up with four or
five other outstanding benefits even if they aren't unique.
Add testimonials if you can. How can you get
them? If you belong to any affiliate programs send a copy to
the owner and kindly ask for a testimonial. Let you friends and
relatives read it and supply you with testimonials. Just a few
can add credibility to your product. Also in your sales letter
if you have any other creditable things you can use, (Reports
or articles you may have written, special mentions anywhere)
let the reader know and give them links where they can check
your credibility.
Your copy MUST contain a "Call to Action."
The best way of doing this is to restate your USP using your
main benefit to spur the reader to the next step.
For example let's say you were selling a
golf tuition e-book and your USP was that you gave a money back
guarantee if the reader didn't lose two strokes from his
handicap within one month of reading your book, then your call
to action might be:
"To Knock Two Strokes Off your
Handicap.......Or Your Money Back, enter your full name and
email address and I'll send you the details immediately!
ALWAYS make your copy as personal as
possible. Use the words "YOU" and "YOUR" and write in simple
language without long, boring words.
Make sure that you thoroughly check your
advert or web copy, use a spell checker and read through your
ad a few times to make sure your punctuation is correct.
This article is an extract from my ebook
"How To Create a Product, Market It and Make A Profit."
To get a free copy visit: http://www.nickmarketing.com there's a
link on the front page.
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About
The Author
Ken Nickless is a 64 years
retired businessman and entrepreneur now living
in Brisbane Australia. Having spent over forty
years in the manufacturing arena specializing
in MIS systems introduction, Quality Control
implementation and Operations Management Ken
now spends his time with website development
and internet marketing. In his spare time Ken
enjoys golf and spending more time with family
and friends.
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