Copywriting for Beginners - The How-To Guide for Writing Sales Letters for the Internet

Copywriting for Beginners (The How-To Guide for Writing Sales Letters for the Internet) Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 1 Content Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 How to Analyze a Sales Letter How to Structure Your Sales Letter Headlines – Essential to Any Good Sales Letter Long versus Short Copy – Which Is the Best? Unique Selling Points – A Must for Sales Letters Credibility – The Reason Why They Should Trust You You Need to Make it Personal How to Ensure That Produce Good Copy You Pagina 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Chapter 9 The Importance of Words in Your Sales Letter Tips to Ensure That Your Sales Letter Writing Is Effective Chapter 10 Conclusion Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 3 Introduction So just what is copywriting? It is a process where people use words that they have written in order to promote either themselves, their business, an idea or a belief in something. Certainly what you find on the internet today comes as plain text, and the purpose of it is to either market or promote a product or service in order to try to persuade a person to either act through buying that product, or through them subscribing to a service. Within the context of the copywriting, you can include body copy, slogans or headlines (or both) and pieces regarding direct mail. They should also include content regarding your site. You can also use copywriting as a way to help your site achieve a much higher ranking in the search engines online. However, this particular type of copywriting is more commonly referred to as content writing, and will often be based around articles rather than sales letters. Within this, you will need to strategically place keywords and keyword phrases as well as ensuring that they are repeated throughout the copy. However it is vital that you only allow your keywords and keyword phrases to appear within the content between 1 and 3% of the full document. Because search engine algorithms have become much more intelligent these days, such copywriting today is more about writing for those who are searching the internet for information, rather than just for someone to get those all important rankings through the search engines. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 4 In order to make your sales letter as effective as possible for marketing your product or service, copywriting is an essential element that you should be aware of. Through this book, we will provide you with the basics on how to go about producing your own sales letters, which will provide the necessary traffic to your site. The more traffic you receive to your site, then the more sales you are likely to make. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 5 Chapter 1 – How to Analyze a Sales Letter When it actually comes down to you writing your first sales letter, it is best if you actually take a look at some that have been previously written. A couple of ones you may want to consider having a look at are: 1. 2. www.articlenugget.com www.easynichefiresale.com Both of these are typically of effective copy that you will find being produced on the internet today. However, the first thing that you will notice about either of these sales letters is that they use great headlines. In these headlines, they make full use of those keywords which compel a person to read on. The main use of any headline is to capture a person’s attention, and so ensure that they read the whole sales letter. By ensuring that you use a headline which captures both the attention, and imagination of your potential customer, then you are ensured that they will read on further. However, once you have grabbed your reader’s attention, it is important that you know that there are some people who are just skimming. They prefer just to look at highlighted points rather than having to read the sales letter in its entirety. These people you can easily cater for just by including a few bullet points within your sales Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 6 letter that you produce. Not only does using bullet or numbered points make them stand out on the page, they should also provide the reader with details regarding the main features of the service or product that you are trying to let them know about. So the main things you need to include within your sales letter are not just a “great and exciting headline” but also the following issues as well. 1. The copy within the letter should be exciting also. Preferably start off by telling a story which illustrates a problem, and then follow up by saying how your product or service can help to solve it. Include within the sales letter a bulleted or numbered list of the benefits that you are able to provide. During this section do not go into detail about the particular features of it. Rather, these should be saved for when they actually read through your site. At the end of the sales letter, provide a guarantee that will really get them prepared to order your product or service. Finally, include that all important sales letter, and then add a PS at the end if you feel it is appropriate. 2. 3. 4. The reason why so many sales letters will have between 2 or 3 post scripts (PS’s) included at the end of it, is not because the writer has forgotten to mention something in the body, but rather to grab the attention of those who skim (skimmers) through these kinds of copywriting material. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 7 Generally they will repeat the main points provided within the body of the text of the sales letter including:1. 2. 3. The product or services unique selling point. The bonuses that the writer is providing. The guarantee. You should ensure that you use post scripts within your actual site, as these provide a good way of persuading a reader to click on a certain link before they actually leave. Further into this book, we will take a closer look at various parts of the sales letter that are essential to getting people to visit your site. The main features of a sales letter we will be looking at are:1. 2. The structure of any good sales letter. Headlines – we have already looked a little bit at what is important about a good headline, but will go in to it in much more depth in this chapter. Unique Selling Points - Provides reasons as to why a person should buy from you rather than someone else, and how you go about also using this to capture that all important sale. Long Versus Short Copy - Why you may want to consider writing a sales letter that is long instead of short, and provide more information to your potential customers. How to make your letter credible – Why it is important that you make your sales letter as credible as possible, as the more credible you are, the more likely people are to trust you and will want to buy what you are offering. 3. 4. 5. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 8 6. How to make it personal – This is extremely essential, as this will help to draw those readers in and make them feel as if you are speaking to them personally, rather than just writing something for the masses. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 9 Chapter 2 – How to Structure Your Sales Letter When it comes to actually starting to write any kind of sales letter, you should normally produce it using the following sequence of steps. 1. Include an image at the top of your sales letter. This should only be used if it is, in fact, pertinent to what you are offering. Also, only use an image which relates to both the headline and the content of your sales letter. Everywhere else, stick to words rather than using images. Headline – This will be looked at further in the next chapter of this book. Greeting and Lead Paragraph – Through this section, you want to tell a story that each reader is able to identify with, and it is best if it is done using a tone as if you were sitting in front of them and talking to them. Use this part to announce what you are offering, as well as to use it to flaunt your unique selling points. Always write as if you were speaking to an equal, and do not forget to identify a problem, and, through your product or service, how this problem can be solved for them. Provide the reader Pagina 10 2. 3. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs with some information or a secret that no one else is aware of. 4. Body of Letter – Contains further details, including the benefits that you have to offer. It is important that throughout this part of your sales letter, you use the same tone as you did for the beginning. Throughout, it is important that you continue to highlight the benefits of the product or service that you are offering, and you will also need to build up your credibility. We will look further at how to go about building up your credibility through your sales letter in a future chapter of this book. The whole idea in this part of the sales letter is to create a need for what you are offering so that the people reading about it want it, too. Closing – The final paragraph, and the one where you grab them and they click on the “to buy” button, or they go to your site to learn more. At the end of this, you need to thank the person for taking their time to actually read what you have written, and then get that all important link (or whatever action you are looking for) within it. Also, whenever possible, include a post script or two for them, especially effective when you have skimmers (those who just look at the highlighted or bulleted points within a sales letter). 5. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 11 Chapter 3 – Headlines – Essential to Any Good Sales Letter When it comes to selling a product or service online, the headline is the thing that will want to make visitors actually click on a link for what you are offering them. You will have around 3 seconds in which to grab the person’s attention before you lose them forever. If you lose them, then you have also lost a potential sale. The only really great way of ensuring that they get hooked is by providing an eye catching headline, one which interests them so much that they just can not stop themselves from reading further into your offer. What is important to remember when you are actually producing the headline is that the people who are reading it are looking for help in order to solve a problem that they have. It is vital that what you are offering not only helps to solve their problem, but will be of benefit to them in the long term. It should be a benefit that can not be found anywhere else, so preferably one that they have not seen before. Great ways of seeing how to set your own headline out is by looking at those already available, and then improving upon them. Do not rush into using the first headline you come up with, instead, take your time and look at various ways of producing it. You can swap or change words around until you have produced something that is not only completely unique, but Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 12 which you are completely satisfied with. Top copywriters recommend writing at least 50 headlines before deciding on the one that you think will work best. Whenever writing your headlines, ensure that you write them from the perspective of you actually being the customer, and what is being offered is what you actually want. It is important that when it comes writing headlines, it is second nature to you. Remember, this is the most important tool in your arsenal when it comes to writing a sales letter. So take your time and research as much as possible online with regard to learning about how to write effective headlines for sales letters for your business. Also, look at the headlines used by major newspapers and magazines and see which ones grab your attention, and use what they have done to help provide that advantage over the rest of your competitors. Power Words These are the words that are going to grab the reader’s attention more than anything else when they first look at what you are offering. Include such words as Secret, Exciting, Amazing, Wonderful, Powerful, Wealth, Millionaire, Proven, Successful, Exposed, Genuine, Guaranteed, as well as you and your. It is important that you focus your writing on the prospective customer, and not on yourself (example: Starting your headline with “I have a secret…” would be the wrong way to begin. Instead, you’d want something like “The Secret You’ve Been Searching For…”) Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 13 Make it Short and Sweet It is best if you only use between 25 and 30 characters within the content of your headline. So exclude all those filler word such as “and”, “if” and “but”. Experiment Just keep trying out different words, and if you want, set up a file on your PC specifically for headlines. Then all you need to do is just save those you have written, along with those you collect. Once you start producing your own headlines for your sales letters, you may actually soon find yourself becoming addicted to actually writing them. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 14 Chapter 4 – Long versus Short Copy – Which Is the Best? So really, are there any benefits to be gained from either writing a long or short sales letter? Certainly, many people will wonder if writing a long sales letter is more beneficial than those that are short and to the point. Well, to be honest, for many products being offered on the internet today, providing a long sales letter will be much better received than short ones. But what one must remember is that the length of it should be as long as is necessary in order to provide everything that your potential customer needs and no more. Remember, if they want to learn more about what you are offering there is a link to your site at the end which they can click on to and get the information that they need. The most important thing is that, when writing any copy for your site, it should not only be interesting, but also informative. As well as showing that the person who has written it really cares about what they are trying to sell. However, when it actually comes down to it, there are three things which need to be considered throughout your sales letter, and which will help to decide how short or long it is. Pagina 15 Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs The Product The more features and benefits that you include within this copy will then decide just how long it is going to be. Your Audience Remember, there are some people who like to have as much information as possible before they actually make a purchase, and this is even more so with those who are buying from the internet. The Purpose of Your Sales Letter What are you hoping to achieve through your sales letter? If you are just trying to generate leads, then you do not need to include as much information as you would if you are actually trying to generate sales. Therefore, if you are actually trying to get someone to purchase something from you, you need to ensure that any objections a person may have can be easily overcome. The Price If you are selling a product or service that is quite expensive, then you need to include more information within your copy. Unfortunately, a lot of people will not consider purchasing something if they feel that they have not been provided with all the essential information. Would you buy a car from your local dealer if all they told you was that it had 4 wheels and was a good runner? I doubt it! How unusual is it? If you are selling something that is completely unique, and there is nothing else like it for sale Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 16 today, then of course you will need to provide a much longer sales letter. You really need to clearly show to those potential customers the benefits of your particularly unique product or service. However, if the product you are selling is something that is readily available on the net to buy, then keep the price low and the copy short. While if the product is something of a speciality, say jewellery, art or beautiful lingerie, then you need to provide more copy in order to really highlight all aspects of what you are offering. Finally, if you are offering something that people do not really think that they need, but suddenly realise it is something that they can not live without, take your time and produce something long. So really, at the end of the day, how long or short you make the copy within your sales letter will really depend on what you are attempting to sell. By remembering the points listed above, you should be able to produce a sales letter that will not only grab your potential customer’s attention, but ensure that, at the end, they do what you want them to do and make a purchase. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 17 Chapter 5 – Unique Selling Points – A Must for Sales Letters Another essential ingredient of any good copywriting sales letter is that you define what your unique selling points (USPs) are. You must remember that every time a person makes a purchase, it involves them making a decision to do so. The decision they finally make is based upon a number of different elements, which we’ll be looking at through this chapter. Therefore you should always put yourself in your customer’s shoes when writing anything thing to market your business in order to ensure that they have everything they need, and which will make their decision making much easier. Remember, you want them to say yes to what you are offering, and so end up purchasing from you, rather than a competitor. The Price In many cases, you will find that a person will purchase a particular product or service because of the price. Many people will take their time before making that all important purchase, and will shop around to see what is on offer before they make that final decision. But there are times when they will choose a product or service without bothering to compare prices, as Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 18 they are pretty sure that what is being offered to them is not only the best, but the cheapest also. Those people who are able to get customers in this way have been able to effectively use the power of a good marketing strategy. The Quality of the Product/Service Many people will tend to pay more for products or services, as they feel that what they are getting is of a much better quality. Normally this will often relate to those products which have been bought because of the performance capabilities, as well as because the person prefers it to other similar products or because they know that they can rely on it. Often these purchases are for those products which a person knows that they will have for a long time to come. However, whenever someone is purchasing something that little bit more expensive, they need to know that they can trust the seller, and in another chapter of this book we will be looking at credibility and how you can win the trust of your customers. Is it Innovative? Many people will often stick to those brands or products that they know and trust, and just may, on occasions, decide to try out something new. But there are particular items that we will all look at purchasing that we have never considered before such as electrical goods, software, the latest audio equipment etc. This is because we are a world of technology buffs, and every body likes to be up with the latest crazes and fads. Plus we all like to ensure that when it comes to our PC’s etc, we have the latest possible software to ensure that it keeps running well. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 19 Marketing At some point in your life, you would have made a purchase because you liked the packaging or the advert for a particular product or service. The simple reason for this happening is that this form of marketing actually tells you what you want to know, and how the product is beneficial to your particular needs. Also, it tells you that the product is cheap, as well as being the latest model, or a completely new innovation that no one has ever offered to people before. But there are some products which a person will choose simply because of the brand name, and it is one that they know and trust and would not consider buying anything else of a similar nature, even if it is cheaper or newer. The Convenience Many times, people will be willing to pay more for certain things just because it is convenient. Certainly, you only have to look at supermarkets to understand this philosophy. Although you may be able to purchase the same items in a little corner shop close to where you live, you would rather spend money on those items in a supermarket, as they have everything else that you need all under the one roof. Plus, supermarkets offer their customers a number of additional benefits, including free car parking, carts for you to place all your items in, as well as 2 for 1 offers, or cash back, or even discounts on certain lines. Therefore, when it actually comes to providing your unique selling points of your particular product to your customers, you should compare yours to your competitor’s to ensure that what you are offering has an advantage over what they are offering. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 20 So once you have been able to work out exactly why it is your customers will choose your product/service over those of your competitors. you will have been able to define just exactly what your USP is. So being able to understand what your USP is will then provide you with a competitive advantage. but also provides you with the basis of how the content of your sales letter should look. But if you are starting to find that actually identifying those advantages that your product/service can offer is difficult, then you may well need to look at ways of improving them. Below are a number of questions that you should be asking yourself to ensure that you are able to identify your Unique Selling Points. 1. 2. 3. 4. Are your Unique Selling Points vastly different from those of your competitors? When potential customers visit, will they find value in your USP’s? Are your unique selling points actually going to be of benefit to your customers? Will the unique selling points you are providing to the customers actually get them motivated enough to make that all important purchase? Once you have identified what your unique selling points are, then you can take a look at what your competition has to offer, and this will help to ensure that the product/service you are actually offering has a distinct advantage over theirs. It is this which sets you apart from the others. Pagina 21 Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Chapter 6 – Credibility – The Reason Why They Should Trust You In any sales letter, once you have actually introduced yourself and your product or service to the customer, you now need to think of ways in which you can help to build up your credibility, and so gain their trust. The first thing that you should do is present your credentials to them. A great way of doing this is through one of the following:1. 2. Present them with case studies that have been successful. List those companies or people that you have done business with before, and are renowned in your product or service area. Tell them how long you have been involved in this particular field, and what your experience and expertise is. Any conferences where you may have actually been asked to speak at. Any important awards you have, or where you have recognition with regard to your expertise on this matter. 3. 4. 5. It is important that you give the impression to those who are reading this part of your sales letter that you have been there and done that. It shows these readers that they can expect the same Pagina 22 Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs results if they are ready to apply themselves in the same way that you have. Once you have done this, you now need to start presenting the readers with the benefits of your particular product or service. What you should not do in this section is actually tell them all about its features, as people are more interested in what the product or service can do for them, rather than what it actually does. The best way of preparing this part of the sales letter is by getting a piece of paper and dividing it in half. Then, on the left hand side, right down all the features, and then for each one of these features, write down on the right what the actual benefits of each feature is. Often, you will discover that your product or service has hidden benefits that not just you, but other people will not have naturally thought of. The best way to present the actual benefits within your sales letter is through using either bullet or numbered points. This is because it makes them actually much easier to read, and certainly those that are just skimming through a document will automatically head for these rather than spending time reading the letter in full. Also, you will often find that the benefits you list will be what many people will base their purchase of a particular product or service on. Next, you need to provide them with proof, and this can be done through the use of testimonials from other customers who are satisfied with what you have provided to them. By providing such testimonials, you are actually showing that not only what you say is true (so that they trust you more), but it also provides credibility in relation to who you are and what you are offering. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 23 If you really want to make these testimonials even more powerful, and therefore more credible to potential new customers, then include a picture of the customer along with their name. You can include an address, say, the city and state where they live will suffice. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 24 Chapter 7 – You Need to Make it Personal Certainly the most effective way of advertising a service or product is through word of mouth. I bet you are more willing to listen to what your friends have to say about a particular product or service than you would when you see an advert for it. The one thing a good copywriter is looking to achieve when producing anything is to turn themselves into a friend of the reader, who feels that what they are saying can be trusted. So you need to write as if you are actually sitting with the person, rather than to an audience. This strategy has been proven to work time and time again when it actually comes to direct marketing, and is now becoming the most popular way for people to sell their services or products online. Often, a letter which has been written in a more personal way will help to bring them in to your confidence, and so reduce any negative thoughts or ideas that may make them actually resistant to purchase what you are offering. In fact, if you really want to be effective with your copywriting, you need to make it as emotional as possible. Many people today will base the purchases that they make on emotions, rather than through logical reasoning. No matter what the size of the purchase a person is making, they will, in the end, always be guided by what they feel with regard to it. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 25 Unfortunately if you do not produce a letter that a person can personally identify with, then you are at risk of losing those all important potential sales. Below, we provide you with a number of different ways in which you can make your sales letter more personal, and therefore more appealing to those potential customers. 1. Write it as if you are sitting in front of the person, and in the way in which you would be talking to them about what you are offering. It is important that those who are reading your sales letter feel as if you have singled them out for special attention, and that they are not just another potential sale on your product. Tell them a story that is personal to you. For example, if you have created a product or service which helped you to solve a personal problem, tell them about it. Often, these readers will be feeling closer to you, as they will be struggling with the same issues and problems as you were before you were able to solve them. Include a picture within your sales letter if at all possible. By adding a face to your letter, you will increase the emotional appeal that you are presenting in your letter. But be sure that you are presenting an image that will not offend those you are trying to reach. So if you happen to be a 24 year old bodybuilder who is trying to sell something to those who are in the older age bracket, then it may be wise to omit this. Pagina 26 2. 3. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs 4. Always include your signature. you are worried about using signature, you could instead written font style. However, if your actual use a hand 5. Admit that you are human, and that you do have weaknesses. Many people will prefer to know that you are real, rather than those who think that they know it all. Whenever possible, if you can, use testimonials. If you have received e-mails or letters from previous customers regarding your product or service, then ask them if you can include these. People are interested in those people who have a story to tell. Always write in a way as if you are having a conversation with them. The easiest way to do this is by using contradictions such as I’m, can’t, who’d etc. as well as ellipsis (these allow you to show pauses in your conversation…). By doing this, you are actually providing the letter with a more spoken feel to it, rather than the written word. This can easily be achieved through the use of conversational wording such as “listen up”, “do you want to know something”, “I have something to tell you that you may find interesting”. By using these kinds of phrases, you are actually making it more audible, and when a person reads, they will listen to the voices in their head (as I am doing now). The use of punctuation within your letter will help to emphasize those words that you consider to be important, and build up the rhythm so that it flows more easily. This, Pagina 27 6. 7. 8. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs then, makes it much easier for the person to read. 9. Identify with those reading your letter as much as possible. It is, therefore, important that you know the type of people you are writing for. By being able to understand who they are, and what they want and like, will help you to tell your story in such a way that they can easily identify with it. By providing your sales letter with more personality, you will actually be convincing more people to buy your product or service. Soon, word of mouth through those customers who have already purchased will spread and will help to continue to tell your story…which is what you really want. So you can not really get any more personal than that. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 28 Chapter 8 – How to Ensure That You Produce Good Copy Whenever someone talks to you about copywriting, what they are talking about is the marketing messages that you are producing in order to reach all those potential customers. The messages you produce should consist of a few sentences which describe how wonderful the product is, and then at least 3 pages to describe what you are introducing to them. But regardless of just how long you make your sales letter, the goals that you are aiming to achieve are the same. You are writing a message that is so strong, that it will inspire those people reading it to purchase your product or service. But in order for you to write strong first of all need to provide it with foundation. In order to provide foundation, you need to be aware of the three things. 1. 2. copy, you a strong a strong following You must know the niche in which you are involved. You must be able to tell your potential customers what you do. Pagina 29 Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs 3. You must show them exactly what it is you do, and what it is that your product or service can do for them. Below we will now take a closer look at these 3 things in a little more detail. Knowing your Niche It is important that you know your niche if you are to ensure that what you are writing is strong. You will find it difficult to write anything if you do not know who you are actually targeting when it comes time to start marketing and selling the product or service that you are offering. By knowing your niche, you will know exactly what it is that these people need, and then you are able to write your sales letter geared to this. It is best if you choose a niche which you are very intimate with, and can fully converse easily with others about. By being able to do this, you will find that you are able to create a sales letter that they will find easy to connect to, and will make them feel more comfortable about what you are offering them. Tell them what you do and what the product can do for them If you don’t tell them what you do, then you probably won’t be able to get their attention. So it is important that if someone asks you what it is you do, you should be able to clearly and easily tell them without the need to stop and think about what you are going to say, or you just find yourself rambling on, and they will soon lose interest. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 30 A great way of ensuring that what you say within your sales letter regarding what you do is articulate is by practising answering the question to yourself. Now write down the answer you have given, and then slowly begin to rework it and refine it over the next couple of days. Often, as your business grows, you will actually find yourself refining this answer even more. But what is important is that the answer always remains clear and easy to understand. By remembering to do this, not only will they understand you better, but they will also be able to understand more clearly what you are offering, and what it can do for them. Never make your copy too elaborate, as what you need to remember is that you are trying to gain potential new customers for your business who are going to then being buying from you. It is best if you keep it as concise and simple as possible, and tell the customer exactly what they need to know. It is very easy to overcomplicate your language, and scare off potential customers. You are looking for clean, interesting and as simple as you can make it. Never over think what you are actually writing, just look at it so that it is easy to read. So study other people’s sales letters and see what they have in theirs that appeals to you, and then use the same methods, but refine them to suit who you are. The great thing is that you do not actually need to be a gifted writer in order to produce great sales letters. All you really need to take into consideration is what your niche is, what your customers needs are and how the product or service Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 31 that you are offering can help particular needs or requirements. with their Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 32 Chapter 9 The Importance of Words in Your Sales Letter The power of the words that you write within your sales letter are just as important as the product or service itself. It is important that you make a bold statement in just a few lines of text. But just how does one go about setting up these words so that they grab the reader’s attention, and what are the essential words to include within the text of your sales letter? The arrangement of your words is important. It is important that you get your point across to the reader (your potential customer) as clearly and quickly as possible. Often, if a person’s attention has not been grabbed after three seconds of reading an article, they will stop and move on to the next thing. Place it all in a logical order so that it leads the reader on from one action to the next. It is important that you make a decision on what it is you want you readers to do, and then guide them using only the power of your words. Remove any words or paragraphs which you feel are actually moving away from the goal that you are hoping to achieve, and which will then cause your reader to deviate away from the action that you want them to take. Also eliminate all those words Pagina 33 Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs which you feel are unnecessary, and will just make the reader turn off. Below we will now take a look at the essential words that you should include within any of your sales letters that you write, and which are known as the “Magic Words”. These are words that, no matter what style of writing you use, are going to attract those people to your site and turn them into potential customers. These words are used in all kinds of industries, and not just in marketing online. Sale 1. When you are using this word, ensure that you only use it at specified times of the year. Only ever offer genuine savings to customers. So it is important that actually publicise the exact nature of sale. This should include how much customer is going to be saving i.e., off. your you your the 20% 2. 3. Identify those products or services to which this saving applies. Tell them for how long the sale will run for. So if it ends next Friday, or they have only 2 days in which to buy it at this discounted price, then tell them that. 4. Free This is one of the most powerful words a person can use. Certainly more people are willing to purchase something from someone if they are likely to get a Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 34 little something in return for free. You could offer anyone of the following things as part of your sales letter, it can either be a free gift, expert advice, demonstration or download. Guarantee Whenever selling anything on or offline, there are a number of things you should ensure you tell your customers within the content of the sales letter and this includes the following:1. 2. 3. Guaranteed same day service, or delivery the same day, or within 48 hours. If the product or service being provided comes with a lifetime guarantee. If it comes with a service guarantee. Now finish off strongly You have finished writing your sales letter in an order which leads the reader from one action to the next, now you should start to specify just what action it is you need them to take, and what they will benefit from taking this action. Certainly if you write your closing paragraph in the following way you will find that the people will respond to it much more effectively. So write in the following way:“It’s time to (specify the action you want them to take) and then write (what is in it for them)”. Also, if you happen to be limiting the offer, then specify when they will actually need to carry out the action in order to get what they need. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 35 So for example:“You should click on the button below in order to receive your 15% discount”. Also, when it comes to including your contact details, then don’t put them all in bold and capital letters. Instead, select the method best suited to the action you are asking them to take, and then make it stand out. All of the other contact details can be placed below in much smaller text instead. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 36 Chapter 10 – Tips to Ensure That Your Sales Letter Writing Is Effective If you want to ensure that your sales letters reach all those potential new customers, and are truly effective, then you need to ensure that you take note of these guidelines before you actually start writing it. 1. Do not worry about filling it with clever words…it is best if you simply word it so that your customer can easily understand what you are saying. Give it that personal feel, as they are more likely to trust someone who they feel is talking directly to them, rather than to the masses. It is best to word it as clearly as possible, so use bullet points where ever possible to emphasize certain things. You need to gain their trust, and a great way of doing this is through the use of testimonials from customers who are satisfied with your services, or just quotes from other experts in the business that you are in. However, it is best if you use these sparingly, as you don’t want to make yourself look too desperate. Pagina 37 2. 3. 4. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs 5. Tell a little bit about yourself so that you gain credibility about you. But don’t go overboard, as this could well alienate all those people who may in fact be potential customers. Make it as attractive as possible. Remember, it is what it contains that counts, but if the look is not right, then this could turn away those people who would have been customers. Why not try and include some useful hints or tips within the letter that they may find useful? Certainly they will feel more inclined to purchase something from you, as you have given them something for free. Deliver firm instructions to your reader in order to know what they should do in order to purchase your product or service. Ensure that you have all the necessary answers ready to any questions a potential client may have, and answer them as quickly and efficiently as possible. Don’t leave them hanging around for days, or they will just go and look somewhere else for the answers they need. If you can, include an incentive with what you are offering. Say, if they buy one, they get another one free, or if they buy a particular piece of software, they can then download updated versions at a later date for free. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Always include your signature, as this adds a personal touch. By writing a letter that lets your customers know what you are talking about, and which you really Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 38 care about, you will soon have them taking action in order to get the same results. Soon, you will see your profits begin to increase, and all because you produced a great sales letter. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 39 Conclusion Remember that if you want to produce a really great sales letter that is well written, and will help to make your business more profitable, you should also remember the following points. 1. Always put yourself in the shoes of your readers (potential customers,) and don’t write it like a sales letter would read. Instead, write it in a way that is personal to them, and make them feel as if you are singling them out for your attention. Always refer to “you” through out your letter, as this will make them feel even more that you are specifically focusing on them rather than the masses. Within the first paragraph of your letter, always inform them what the reason for the sales letter is. This is extremely important if you want to ensure that you have their attention. Be direct and clear with what you are trying to convey to them. Do not over complicate your letter using words that your readers are unfamiliar with, instead, keep it nice and simple. Always write in a conversational tone. So be as upbeat and friendly in the way you are writing, as this will help to keep them interested in what you have to say. The best way to write this kind of letter is by 2. 3. 4. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs Pagina 40 imagining you with your best something you should consider 5. are actually sitting down friend and explaining about really like, and why they buying it as well. Read it through as many times as possible. It is important that you make sure that what you have actually written will make an impression on those who are reading it. Remember, at the end of the day, you are actually trying to sell them something. Also, it provides a much more professional look to what you are trying to produce. Take a look at what other copywriters are doing, and take note of any tips that they can offer to you. Certainly these will be extremely invaluable when you are first starting to write sales letters. Remember also that practice makes perfect, and if you are not satisfied with what you have initially written, then start again. It is better if you take your time and produce something that you are happy with, rather than just typing something out… which in the end will not achieve the results that you are looking for. Always list the benefits of what you are offering. It is best if these are placed within the middle paragraph in a bulleted format, and start with the one of most importance at the top, and then work down to the one of least importance. Then, once you have listed them, read them through and see if they really make you want to purchase what is being offered. If they don’t, then start again. Also, make the person who is reading them feel that, if Pagina 41 6. 7. 8. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs they do not make that all important purchase, they could be losing out. 9. It is very important that you write with passion about what you are offering. The more passion and emotion you can include within your sales letter will make the reader more keen to purchase. Remember, vast amounts of purchases are made through our hearts (emotion), rather than through our minds (logic). How many times have you gone out and brought a particular thing because you liked it, and not because of what the manufacturer says about it. Finally, once you have completed it, just leave it for a day or two, and then go back to it and read it through again. It is during this stage you will need to ensure that you have included the following things within the context of your letter. a. b. Are you always talking to “you” through out it. Always make sure that the headline, as well as the first paragraph cover, what the most important benefits of this particular product or service are. Have you included these important benefits within the last paragraph of your letter also? Also, within the last paragraph, have you shown them what will make them take the action you are looking for? Do not forget those post scripts, as this can help to further entice them into taking action in order for you to achieve your goals. Plus, it helps you to reiterate the main points you Pagina 42 10. c. d. e. Write at home and get paid to write novels, stories and blogs have provided to them within the main body of your sales letter. What you need to remember is that your sales letter is not only there to help promote the product or service that you are offering, but is there to help generate those all essential sales. Remember, a good sales letter will help to generate sales, which will result in profits for business. 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