I am often asked how to write sales copy. Sales copy is written text that has the objective of persuading a customer to purchase a service or product.
It is important to understand the product or service, before you start writing about it. Perhaps this is why external writers sometimes don’t quite ‘get it’.
Here are seven tips for writing effective sales copy:
- Identify the market segment. Think about who the buyer is and what their needs are. This will help you to tailor your sales copy for people who are interested in what you are marketing.
- Write a compelling headline. The headline that you write is the first thing that a reader will see. It is important to make it attention-grabbing and informative. (Tip: write your headline last).
- Write about benefits, not just features. Focus on the benefits that your customer will receive and how their life / business will be improved as a result.
- Include as much social proof as you can. Include testimonials, case studies, reviews and other forms of social proof to show that other people have had success with your product or service.
- Include a call to action (sometimes referred to as a CTA). Tell the reader exactly what you want them to do, whether it’s to purchase the product or service, or request more information.
- Keep it easy to read. Use short words, sentences, paragraphs and bullet points to make the sales copy easy to skim and understand.
- Test and optimise. Experiment with different versions of the sales copy to see which one performs best.
Nigel Temple provides copywriting training.
