Copywriting tips

I though I’d share an article written by one of our writers at www.keywordcafe.com

They are basic tips, but still to be considered when writing copy:

“Five Winning Copywriting Tricks of the Trade
by Tiana Mortimer

Copywriting, whether it is for television, print or web media, employs the same principles. You have to sell a product or service without actually appearing to be selling it. Crazy, isn’t it? Just like people hate pushy car salesmen, people hate obvious selling that has an “in your face” type of quality or insincerity.

Consumers can easily turn that television or computer off or close that newspaper, so something must be done to grab the consumer’s attention. You want the consumer to think, “Oh, I didn’t know that!” or “I could get three for the price of one? Let me find out a little more.” With some of these winning copywriting tricks of the trade listed below, you just may find yourself on the receiving end of a steady stream of customers.

1. Statistics - People enjoy statistics and percentages. Whether it is something like “this product has a four out of five mom’s approval rating” or “over 85% of the population needs a product like this,” consumers like seeing concrete facts, not generalities.

2. Repetition - The mind plays tricks on people. Just think about it … do you necessarily believe something the first time you read it? The answer is probably not. But if you see something repeated over and over throughout an article or ad, you probably would be inclined to believe it.

3. Case Studies and Testimonials – Consumers like seeing “real” people just like them who have used a product or service successfully. They like knowing that they would not be trying something blindly. After all, Joe Schmoe tried it and he liked it!

4. Easy to Read – Copywriting is effective when something is easy to read and scannable. Bold headings, bullet points and sub-headings all draw the eye of the consumer.

5. A Four Letter Word – Use everyone’s favorite four letter word – FREE! No matter what the product or service is, if the word “free” is used, people will take a closer look.”


You can find some other copywriting related articles here: http://www.keywordcafe.com/articles/

Cheers

 

Nice article thanks for sharing m8

 

Preselling works well all the time. Nice write up, thanks for sharing CJJR

 

thanks for sharing.

For most copywriters, the info in this article is like second nature, but for newer writers, this is a good article and should help them out very well.

- Robb

 

thats some good information, tahnks for sharing that

 

thanks for sharing

 

hmmm... just by reading the title it caught my attention! Hehehe nice sharing dude!

 

Excellent tips, thanks for sharing them

 

Thanks for sharing that helpful article Truly enlightening

 

thank you for this article. I always wanted to get into copywriting and this helps a lot.

Chase

 

Thanks alot for sharing this one!

 

Yep, free is good. I'm a sucker for anything, even if it's something I don't want or need, I'll still stand in line, endure a sales pitch, whatever. Just to get "free stuff."

It's a Pavlovian thing in me, I guess.

 

Thanks for sharing this Charles,

 

"Just like people hate pushy car salesmen, people hate obvious selling that has an “in your face” type of quality or insincerity."

Goodness. And here, I thought people loved insincerity. It must sell, because it's everywhere, from consumer ads, to hyped up radio spots where announcers speak 500 words per minute, to sales letters....you mean...it doesn't work??? (Just kidding, by the way, I do agree with this).

"1. Statistics - People enjoy statistics and percentages. Whether it is something like “this product has a four out of five mom’s approval rating” or “over 85% of the population needs a product like this,” consumers like seeing concrete facts, not generalities."

While I agree with statistics, umm... I don't like the examples. Here's the kind of stats I like:
If you install this software, your computer performance will increase by 12.5%*Based upon independent testing by Dell Corporation and Intel

Or..."Last month, 500 Customers who used our SEM service saw their website traffic increase by a minimum of 22% (click here to see traffic logs for 15 companies) We guarantee the same results, or your money back..."

I would never say "Over 85% of the population needs a product like this." (says who? Bill Gates? He ensured this when he package I.E. with Windows...just kidding again).

I do strongly agree with repetition. Great point. And case studies and testimonials, must haves.


"4. Easy to Read – Copywriting is effective when something is easy to read and scannable. Bold headings, bullet points and sub-headings all draw the eye of the consumer."
Yes, when done effectively. Please, don't overdo...

"5. A Four Letter Word – Use everyone’s favorite four letter word – FREE! No matter what the product or service is, if the word “free” is used, people will take a closer look.”
Not anymore, at least online. Some online consumer studies are showing that it has been overused, and is becoming less effective. EVERYONE offers free. Now, it DOES matter what the product or service is, and how good it is. There's too much cr*p being offered online for free, so people are becoming cautious.

Now, they want quality, and guarantees, and proven credibility.

Just my thoughts.

But thank you for sharing this. It did make some excellent points.

 

I wouldn't say people LOVE statistics. In fact, overusing or misusing them is disaster.

I'd say that people love precision. They don't want to know that product x can speed up their cleaning time. They want to know that it can speed up their cleaning time by 76 percent.

Good article for newbs. However, tip #1 should have been about creating solid headlines. If your headline sucks, none of that other stuff matters.

 

What a great article. Many thanks for sharing it with us.

 

Excellent article. Will definately come in handy

Thanks.

 

Content is king!

 

Nice article to begin with.
Although I think that without a strong headline and without "customer focus", selling can be pretty tough...

Totally agree on providing "specific stats".
Bye

 

Awesome article, from a groovy company, with fabulous owners !