Sales Copywriting
So, do you keep it short and sweet or long and lengthy? That is the million dollar question for hundreds of internet marketers out there. How long should you copy be? Debates over this question have carried on for as long as internet marketing has been around, simply because there is no “one” answer to this question.
Truth is, it’s entirely up to you how long or short your sales copywriting should be. After all, you’re not paying for the paper it’s printed on (there is no paper!), so it can be 1 page or 10 pages, or 50 pages – as long as you say what you need to say!
The trick is not to worry about length at all. The key to successful sales is not in the word count or the page count, it’s about capturing your reader’s attention and building their desire. Sellers need to explain exactly what they are selling – hitting on the key benefits. At the end of the day, your reader wants to know one thing – what’s in it for them?
Your job as copywriter is to explain why its going to be advantageous for someone to buy whatever it is you’re selling. You’ll need to overcome their doubts and cynicism in order to get them to click on that order button, and how many words it takes very much depends on what it is you’re selling and how you present it.
Bear in mind the following:
A sales letter is only too long when it has more than one or two dull sentences in it that will lose the attention of readers. Once that happens, they click away and they’re done; no sales for poor old you this time… Boring sentences need to be edited out, or else make them interesting!
Chances are your readers won’t know anything about your product at all. Therefore, you’re going to need to show them what it is and why they need it, and you’re also going to need to say why yours is the best. Imagine yourself as a lawyer in a courtroom, trying to convince the jury to vote for the outcome you want – you gotta make a damn good case!
Practice makes perfect. Play around a little before youthrow all your weight behind something. Write a headline, an ad, a sales letter, send a little traffic its way (from forums, pay-per-click, article marketing etc) and see what happens – does it work or is it a complete disaster? You won’t know if you don’t ask!
