Increase Your Profits 800% Writing Killer Sales Copy. A Simple 5-Step Formula
| Category: Copy Writing - ad copy | Date: 2003-05-14 |
After you have completed your in depth research of your target market and determined what product to sell now its time to promote your business. Your sales letter (also called "sales copy") is the meat and potatoes of your advertising effort. A powerful sales letter can easily make the difference between success and failure. This is why so many professional copywriters get paid such enormous amounts of money to write winning sales copy for businesses.
Step 1- Get the Readers Immediate Attention and Create Curiosity.
This is the most important step because you have about 5 seconds to capture someones attention and if you dont you will have lost the reader. Just think about how you read the newspaper. You kind of scan over the pages very quickly looking for something interesting. People always stop to read and article or advertisement when there is something compelling that stops them in there tracks and forces them to read further. They just became curious. This is done with your headline.
The headline must be very a simple but powerful, eye-catching benefit. It needs to be a one line statement or question that provides a benefit to the reader. This is the key to getting the reader to continue reading. Again, curiosity.
A good example would be the title of this article (Increase your profits 800%). It provides an instant eye-catching benefit. Your headline must have passion because passion is an emotion and people buy on emotion. Curiosity is an emotion.
Developing your headline should take 50% of the total time used to create your entire sales letter. Start by making a list of headlines. Make 100 different ones then choose the best one. Always use what we call "power words" in your headline. These are any words that give a special benefit. For example, Announcing, Discover, Learn, Introducing, Profit, Explode, Skyrocket, Magic, Secrets and Guaranteed.
These are just a few of the more popular ones but there are hundreds. Spend a large amount of your time on the headline because without it the rest of the sales letter will be useless.
Step 2- Create Interest and Desire through Answering the Question
Whats in it for me?
Now we start writing the body of the sales letter. It can be anywhere from 4 pages to as much as 18 pages long. There is a misconception that long copy doesnt sell well, especially on the Internet. This is not true. Long sales copy sells as good online as it does offline as long as it is not boring. Personally, I like to stay around 12 pages.
In the body text, use what we call "sub-headlines" throughout. Headlines of any kind throughout your sales letter is very important because it charges up the reader. You main focus here is to gain there total interest by exciting them. Write with passion. Passion is never boring. Flood them with all the advantages gained by purchasing your product. Again and again answering the question "what is in it for me".
How do you do that? Well, first you create a unique selling position (USP). In other words, what characteristics make your product better then your competitors product? What unique benefit does it provide? Why should the person buy your product and not your competitors? If possible, try to give comparisons of what your product gives that the others dont. Unique and useful benefits are the key.
Make a list on a separate paper of all the benefits your product offers. Then, write them into your sales letter in very short paragraphs and always use lots and lots of bullets. Each bullet, containing a one line statement of a powerful benefit.
Step 3- Create Trust with Proof and Credibility.
This step is so powerful and so very important. This is where you show solid proof that your product gives the benefits you spoke about. By doing this you create credibility with your readers. A lot of people have been burned in the past by scams. People are skeptical. Your job is to convince them that you and your product is honest and real.
This is how you create trust. In most cases, people must trust and believe you before they buy from you. If you have a track record already, then get testimonials from your previous customers. Use lots of testimonials. Testimonials have been known to sell a product all on its own.
Ever notice some of the more successful TV infomercials? They are 80% testimonials from actual people who have used and benefited from that product. After listening to all those satisfied customers its easy as 1,2,3 to sell to new customers. Now, if youre just starting and have no testimonials the very best way to convince the reader is to tell them your own personal success story.
You dont have to be a millionaire to be considered successful at your business selling your products. Maybe you started your business part time at home and now can quit your job? This is a great success story. Why? Because how many people can say they have accomplished this? Not many. People love to here rags to riches stories (testimonials) from everyday regular people like you and me.
Step 4- Create an Irresistible Offer with a Strong Risk-Free Guarantee.
The most important reason behind giving a great offer with a very strong guarantee is to eliminate any doubt or risk in buying your product and to get the person to order NOW!
There are several key parts to writing a winning offer.
1: Summarize everything they will be getting when they purchase your product. Tell them again of every benefit they will get.
2: Always give a free bonus with your offer...Always! It could be a free special report, a cassette recorded interview, a video, a book, whatever. Just make sure the item is useful and will be of added value to the person. Tell them what the benefits are and the normal sale value is of this bonus. Never give something as a free bonus that you already give out for free to everybody. For example, you would not give a free bonus of your free newsletter subscription because it is already free to everyone who chooses to subscribe.
3: Next, you put a time deadline on the offer. All offers must have a real deadline in it. For example, you might say things like " Order in the next 5 days to get your free bonuses" or " You need to order within 48 hours to receive this special introductory price". You get the idea. Force the person to take action now and purchase the product or they will lose something of real value if they do not.
4: Give an entire paragraph to your risk-free guarantee. Make it very clear to the reader that there is no way they can lose on your offer. Clearly state that if they are not entirely satisfied with the product they can return it for a full and fast refund. Use a powerful guarantee such as a 60-day money back guarantee policy. The purpose of this is to keep re-enforcing the aspect of NO RISK! NO RISK! NO RISK!
Step 5- Give a Final Reminder of the Benefits plus the Losses if not Ordered Now.
This is done using P.S. and PP.S. The last two paragraphs of your sales letter should always have PS and PPS statements. Do you know that these two paragraphs are the most read part of the entire sales letter?
The PS paragraph should briefly summarize the offer and more importantly the benefits they will receive. Next you remind them of the deadline to order and the free bonus. Make sure you re-state the dollar value of the bonus they will receive.
Always finish the paragraph with asking for them to order NOW! The PPS paragraph should be for re-stating details of the risk-free guarantee. Assure the reader that their purchase is fully protected and that 100% total customer satisfaction is the most important element in your business. Then you ask for the order again.
One final note. It is very important to make it very easy for the person to buy. Provide the contact information and ability to order in several places in the sales letter. If you are online then make sure the secure order form is easy to get to and easy to use. If not, they wont buy from you even if they really want the product. Always make it easy and simple for them to purchase.
Best Wishes For Success
Matthew Lopilato, Author, President
Lopilato Publishing
Copyright 2001- All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Lopilato Publishing provides turnkey programs designed to teach you exactly how to start a home business in Information Marketing and Internet Marketing. For free info on newest product emailto: lopilatopublishing@getresponse.com
mlopilato@lopilatopublishing.com
http://www.lopilatopublishing.com
Step 1- Get the Readers Immediate Attention and Create Curiosity.
This is the most important step because you have about 5 seconds to capture someones attention and if you dont you will have lost the reader. Just think about how you read the newspaper. You kind of scan over the pages very quickly looking for something interesting. People always stop to read and article or advertisement when there is something compelling that stops them in there tracks and forces them to read further. They just became curious. This is done with your headline.
The headline must be very a simple but powerful, eye-catching benefit. It needs to be a one line statement or question that provides a benefit to the reader. This is the key to getting the reader to continue reading. Again, curiosity.
A good example would be the title of this article (Increase your profits 800%). It provides an instant eye-catching benefit. Your headline must have passion because passion is an emotion and people buy on emotion. Curiosity is an emotion.
Developing your headline should take 50% of the total time used to create your entire sales letter. Start by making a list of headlines. Make 100 different ones then choose the best one. Always use what we call "power words" in your headline. These are any words that give a special benefit. For example, Announcing, Discover, Learn, Introducing, Profit, Explode, Skyrocket, Magic, Secrets and Guaranteed.
These are just a few of the more popular ones but there are hundreds. Spend a large amount of your time on the headline because without it the rest of the sales letter will be useless.
Step 2- Create Interest and Desire through Answering the Question
Whats in it for me?
Now we start writing the body of the sales letter. It can be anywhere from 4 pages to as much as 18 pages long. There is a misconception that long copy doesnt sell well, especially on the Internet. This is not true. Long sales copy sells as good online as it does offline as long as it is not boring. Personally, I like to stay around 12 pages.
In the body text, use what we call "sub-headlines" throughout. Headlines of any kind throughout your sales letter is very important because it charges up the reader. You main focus here is to gain there total interest by exciting them. Write with passion. Passion is never boring. Flood them with all the advantages gained by purchasing your product. Again and again answering the question "what is in it for me".
How do you do that? Well, first you create a unique selling position (USP). In other words, what characteristics make your product better then your competitors product? What unique benefit does it provide? Why should the person buy your product and not your competitors? If possible, try to give comparisons of what your product gives that the others dont. Unique and useful benefits are the key.
Make a list on a separate paper of all the benefits your product offers. Then, write them into your sales letter in very short paragraphs and always use lots and lots of bullets. Each bullet, containing a one line statement of a powerful benefit.
Step 3- Create Trust with Proof and Credibility.
This step is so powerful and so very important. This is where you show solid proof that your product gives the benefits you spoke about. By doing this you create credibility with your readers. A lot of people have been burned in the past by scams. People are skeptical. Your job is to convince them that you and your product is honest and real.
This is how you create trust. In most cases, people must trust and believe you before they buy from you. If you have a track record already, then get testimonials from your previous customers. Use lots of testimonials. Testimonials have been known to sell a product all on its own.
Ever notice some of the more successful TV infomercials? They are 80% testimonials from actual people who have used and benefited from that product. After listening to all those satisfied customers its easy as 1,2,3 to sell to new customers. Now, if youre just starting and have no testimonials the very best way to convince the reader is to tell them your own personal success story.
You dont have to be a millionaire to be considered successful at your business selling your products. Maybe you started your business part time at home and now can quit your job? This is a great success story. Why? Because how many people can say they have accomplished this? Not many. People love to here rags to riches stories (testimonials) from everyday regular people like you and me.
Step 4- Create an Irresistible Offer with a Strong Risk-Free Guarantee.
The most important reason behind giving a great offer with a very strong guarantee is to eliminate any doubt or risk in buying your product and to get the person to order NOW!
There are several key parts to writing a winning offer.
1: Summarize everything they will be getting when they purchase your product. Tell them again of every benefit they will get.
2: Always give a free bonus with your offer...Always! It could be a free special report, a cassette recorded interview, a video, a book, whatever. Just make sure the item is useful and will be of added value to the person. Tell them what the benefits are and the normal sale value is of this bonus. Never give something as a free bonus that you already give out for free to everybody. For example, you would not give a free bonus of your free newsletter subscription because it is already free to everyone who chooses to subscribe.
3: Next, you put a time deadline on the offer. All offers must have a real deadline in it. For example, you might say things like " Order in the next 5 days to get your free bonuses" or " You need to order within 48 hours to receive this special introductory price". You get the idea. Force the person to take action now and purchase the product or they will lose something of real value if they do not.
4: Give an entire paragraph to your risk-free guarantee. Make it very clear to the reader that there is no way they can lose on your offer. Clearly state that if they are not entirely satisfied with the product they can return it for a full and fast refund. Use a powerful guarantee such as a 60-day money back guarantee policy. The purpose of this is to keep re-enforcing the aspect of NO RISK! NO RISK! NO RISK!
Step 5- Give a Final Reminder of the Benefits plus the Losses if not Ordered Now.
This is done using P.S. and PP.S. The last two paragraphs of your sales letter should always have PS and PPS statements. Do you know that these two paragraphs are the most read part of the entire sales letter?
The PS paragraph should briefly summarize the offer and more importantly the benefits they will receive. Next you remind them of the deadline to order and the free bonus. Make sure you re-state the dollar value of the bonus they will receive.
Always finish the paragraph with asking for them to order NOW! The PPS paragraph should be for re-stating details of the risk-free guarantee. Assure the reader that their purchase is fully protected and that 100% total customer satisfaction is the most important element in your business. Then you ask for the order again.
One final note. It is very important to make it very easy for the person to buy. Provide the contact information and ability to order in several places in the sales letter. If you are online then make sure the secure order form is easy to get to and easy to use. If not, they wont buy from you even if they really want the product. Always make it easy and simple for them to purchase.
Best Wishes For Success
Matthew Lopilato, Author, President
Lopilato Publishing
Copyright 2001- All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Lopilato Publishing provides turnkey programs designed to teach you exactly how to start a home business in Information Marketing and Internet Marketing. For free info on newest product emailto: lopilatopublishing@getresponse.com
mlopilato@lopilatopublishing.com
http://www.lopilatopublishing.com
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