Copywriting - Memorable Sales Copy -- How To Write It

Memorable Sales Copy -- How To Write It

Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your customers long after they've finished reading it?

Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your customers' heads.

If you can describe your products or services in such a way that it forms images in your customers' heads, well, then you've just created something that will last long after the marketing is over.

Why else do novels stay with us for so long? Those "pictures" we see draw us into the world of the novel, and those pictures stay with us long after we've closed the book. If you can create that kind of staying power with your marketing materials, think about how much ahead of your competition you'll be.

So, how do you get started? Below are three tips. (Note how all three tips have the word "specific" in common. Be specific whenever you can. We don't think in generalities, we think in details. The more specific you are, the stronger the pictures.)

1. Use specific nouns. Quick -- what springs to mind when I say the word "bird"? Now erase that image. What pops into your head when I say "cardinal"?

When I said bird, you could have pictured any number of bird species or maybe even some sort of generic bird (something brown with wings and feathers). When I said cardinal, I bet you saw a bright red bird with that distinctive triangle head.

See the difference? Cardinal is specific and it brings a specific picture to mind. Bird is generic, and it brings a generic picture to mind.

Whenever possible, use the most specific noun you can. (However, if the most specific noun is something most people wouldn't know, say some rare exotic insect only found in the Amazon jungle, then make sure you describe it as well.)

2. Use specific verbs. Verbs breathe life into your copy. They're the difference between words lying flat and comatose on the page or jumping up and dancing a jig.

Verbs bring movement to your copy. They tell your readers if someone is walking, jogging, sauntering, skipping or crawling. Or maybe that someone is exhausted and has decided to lie down for a bit.

Now, when I say verbs, what I'm NOT talking about are "to be" verbs -- am, is, are, was, were, etc. Those verbs don't paint a picture. Not like hug, skate, sail, run, fall, spin, flip, etc. See the difference?

While "to be" verbs are necessary, the idea is to use them as little as possible. In fact, I have a fiction-writing friend who has a "was/were" rule. Only three "wases/weres" per page.

Yep, you heard me right. Per page.

Yes, it can be done. I didn't think I could do it either in my novels. And let me tell you, when you start pruning those "wases/weres" out of your prose, it's amazing how strong your writing becomes.

3. Describe specific situations. Compare:

"Our bookkeeping service is the best in the area. We can take care of all your bookkeeping needs, from invoices to paying bills to reconciling your bank statements."

To this:

"Do your invoices go out late because you can't stand the idea of sitting down to do them? Does your cash flow suffer droughts each month because no checks arrive in the mail (because your invoices went out late)? How much hair have you pulled out over the years because of accounting mistakes? Never fear, those days are over when you hire us to do your bookkeeping."

The first example is generic (take care of bookkeeping needs). The second example shows you HOW the business does it. (In fiction we call it "show, don't tell." Good advice, even for copywriters.) You can actually "feel" those business problems -- late invoices, cash flow droughts, loss of hair. It's the difference between something cold and impersonal that really has nothing to do with you and something that wakes you up with a spark of recognition ("Hey, that's me. I need that.")

Creativity Exercises -- See what others are doing

Pick a piece of copy. Something with meat -- at least 300 words or so. No, it doesn't have to be something you wrote either. In fact, this exercise might be easier if it isn't yours.

Now analyze it. Look at the nouns. Are they specific? Or are they a bit too generic? What about the verbs? Could they be stronger? And does it describe a specific situation, something that you can actually feel and touch?

Try this with a variety of writings -- novels, nonfiction books, newspaper articles, Web sites, sales letters, etc. Look at both "good" and "bad" examples. (Although good and bad are somewhat subjective, follow your gut.) See what trends you discover.

By analyzing what others are doing, you're better able to see the strengths and weaknesses in your own writing.

Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at http://www.writingusa.com

Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites

Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE Newsletter

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 1 Of 2
One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too. This...(related: Copywriting)

Increase Freelance Sales With An Online Resume!
Freelancing is a competitive business, especially in today's fast-paced, e-focused world.Often there are hundreds of writers competing for t...(related: Copywriting)

A Little-known Secret To Writing Sales Copy, For Serious Copywriters Only!
Have you ever wondered how your copy sounds to your prospects when they're reading it?If you have, here's a little-known trick to making your copy sound as clear as a bell, and feel as comforting as a warm fireplace in the winter.The very best way to figure out how your copy sounds to your prospects, is NOT to read it, but to read it out loud. And actually, if you can have someo...(related: Copywriting)

Copywriting: Engage Prospects By Involving Their Senses
Imagine a bland, colorless existence. Where food had no taste, silence surrounded you and everything smelled the same.Not very appealing, is it?Now imagine a crisp, fall morning. The sun is burning away the last of a lazy fog. Robins are singing sweetly on branches covered with bright yellow leaves. You swing gently on a creaky porch swing, sipping your Chocolate Caramel Latte and thinking about how much better this is than the first paragraph.Did you see it? Did you hear the Robin, and the creaky swing? Did you taste the coffee?Most importantly, did you notice how much easier it was to get involved emoti...(related: Copywriting)

8 Tips For Writing Headlines That Grab Attention (and Keep Prospects Reading!)
Effective headlines make all the difference in whether your prospect reads your marketing materials or simply tosses them to the side. You don't even have a chance for a sale if the audience won't read what you write. One way to keep prospects reading is to give your copy attention-grabbing headlines. Here are eight tips to make sure your headlines get the message across:1. Turn each headline into a problem or benefit-oriented statement. What interests a prospect most about what you offer? Reading headlines that tell how great your company is or focusing only on the features of your product or service won't cut it. Instead, speak to what appeals most to a prospect ? usually, that's the fact that you offer the solution to their problem.2. Make headlines short, sweet and to the point. Your reader's attention span can be measu...(related: Copywriting)

How To Really Connect With Your Customer In Your Copywriting
One of the least talked-about areas in copywriting education isvoice. This is probably because it's tough to set general rulesfor something that's so personal to each of us. After all, thesame things go into building your copywriting voice that go intomaking you who you are!Personality, upbringing, environment, education, audience,purpose?all these and more go into forming your voice, n...(related: Copywriting)

Copywriting Tricks: Nailing The Voice
Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what's commonly referred to as "the voice." What is this exactly, and why do you need to master it in your writing?If writing is icecream, then "the voice" is the flavor in your scoop. You may be slurping on mellow vanilla, while I'm over here crunching Rocky Road. Sure, we're bothing having a cold and creamy treat, but our wa...(related: Copywriting)

Sales Headline Copywriting ? Two Quick Steps To Success
Get a Good Start for Sales SuccessThe headline to a sales letter is like the doorway to a store. The purpose of both is to draw people in. To get people in the store, a doorway has to be both attractive and inviting. To get people to read the letter, the headline has to both make the prospect take notice and make them want to know more.When you write a headline to sell something, make sure it does these two things:1. Gets atten...(related: Copywriting)

Write Benefits In Your Headlines To Deliver The Dream!
When you create headlines, do you put benefits into your headlines to deliver the dream? Do you create headlines that draw your reader deeper into the rest of copy?Let me ask you a simple question. "Why do people read any printed material beyond the headline?"The answer, because there was something in the headline that attracted their attention, raised their interest and curiosity, or contained a perceived benefit for the reader. At that moment in time, the headline was an irresistible headline to your reade...(related: Copywriting)