We work with a lot of clients who fall into two schools of thought: they either see the benefit of great sales copy and want to be able to produce it themselves, OR they don’t realize how necessary great copy is to gaining new leads, converting sales, and raising prices.
Let’s start there. Sales copy is essential… and great sales copy? Well, that’s necessary if you want to get a maximum return on all the hard work you’ve put into developing a business.
Great copywriting tells your story well to the right people – your prospective customers and returning clients. Great copy is the difference between an email campaign that falls flat — no opens, no replies, no sales — and an email campaign that tells a story, provokes desire, and results in dollars spent. In short, an email that generates income for your business.
Great copywriting is part of your brand narrative and represents who you are, who you’re for, and what you do.
So what does it take to write great copy? You don’t have to be a professional writer to learn how to communicate your business, service, or product well. The good news is, the more you practice, the better you’ll get.
We’ve put together three simple tips to help you become a better communicator through your writing so that no matter what it is you’re saying, your message is clear and gets the job done.
So without further ado, here are three simple tips to help you write better sales copy.
Your Sales Copy Message Should Be Clear & Concise
Before you sit down to actually write out your message, it’s best to know and grasp what it is you’re wanting to communicate.
That may sound a little obvious, but the truth is a lot of people will sit down to write sales copy feeling very motivated and inspired, getting caught up in the excitement of a big sale, a new product, or a signature service launch — only to forget the basic message they’re trying to get across.
Throw in the variety of platforms for which you must write (social, web, email, ads, video, etc.), the unique audiences of each marketing channel, and having to narrow your message to speak to that audience with brevity and poignancy. It can be a challenge. All things considered, it’s easy to become discouraged and find yourself trying to formulate the copy with low enthusiasm.
So before you start, identify the main message you’re trying to communicate.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Am I selling a product or service?
- How will it better my prospective client?
- Am I introducing myself or my business?
- Does my reader know me or are they a brand new lead?
- Am I trying to highlight a certain aspect of my business that I need to focus on in the message?
- Who is my reader and what would they want me to tell them specifically?
Jot down some answers to the previous questions and compile your thoughts. Compose a few draft sentences. Later on, you’ll find some sample sentences to help develop your main message.
Identify Your Target Audience
You want to be sure to consider the type of person you’re wanting to reach. Picture who might be on the receiving end of your message. Think about how your message might come across to people in different stages, seasons, and situations. What are they currently facing that might present a challenge or hesitation for them? What might they be celebrating that could encourage them to pick your product or service today?
As you review your focal sentence, imagine how people on the following list might interpret it.
- Young single
- Older single
- Retired
- Young, newly married
- Older, newly married
- Recently divorced
- Living on a fixed budget
- Just moved
- Married for 30+ years
- New parent
- Parent of kids
- Parent of teens
- Empty nesters
- Grandparent
- Struggling with fertility
- Introvert
- Extrovert
- English is second language
- Depressed
- Flamboyant
- Pessimist
- Optimist
- Fellow business owner
- Struggling financially
- Wealthy
- Different races
- Healthy
- Unhealthy
Decide who you’re attempting to sell to. If you were them, what would you need to hear? Do you think they would be drawn to you and your product or service?
Put yourself in their shoes to imagine their life and why they would want your product or service. What style of communication would that person most likely read and receive – simple or detailed? Warm or direct?
What aspects of your business would most likely resonate with them? What might be important to them – your values or your prices? Perhaps your personal story or another detail?
How does your target audience spend their spare time? Are they outdoorsmen, homebodies, or club hoppers? Maybe they enjoy reading, loud concerts, or hiking…
What are your people most concerned with in their circumstance or stage of life – is it health, finances, safety, or singleness? Are they stressed over work, their children’s behavior, their weight, or their aging parents?
Now that you’ve imagined several different types of people and taken some time to put yourself in others’ shoes, make note of the top three types you think your product or service would resonate with the most.
Taking your sample sentences from earlier and the list of possible target audiences you just made, check out the following examples we’ve provided to help you narrow down your final message.
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes to imagine their life and why they would want your product/service. What style of communication would that person most likely read and receive – simple or detailed? Warm or direct?
Example 1: House Cleaning Service
>Who am I trying to reach?
- People (single, married, or families) who can afford high-level house cleaning services and care about natural, safe cleaning products.
>What sets my business apart from others?
- Deep cleaning options, attention to detail, experienced professionals, and organic cleaning products
Sample sentence: Our experienced professionals provide full house cleaning services that range from light to deep cleanings, for adults and families in all stages of life, using organic cleaning products.
Example 2: Modern Pet Care
>Who am I trying to reach?
- Pet owners who value their pet enough to provide a high standard of boarding for when they travel and medical care for their pet when it is injured or ill.
>What sets my business apart from others?
- Newest technology and systems in the industry, customized monitoring for each animal including their own assigned sitter, personalized menu, and temperature control.
Sample sentence: An all-inclusive pet care facility that uses the newest technology in the industry to monitor animals’ health and needs during their stay for boarding or medical care.
Example 3: Vintage Coffee Shop
>Who am I trying to reach?
- Coffee lovers or artsy entrepreneurs of any age who share concern for fair trade and environmentally sound practices, and also enjoy being part of a community that celebrates both history and modern, green upgrades.
>What sets my business apart from others?
- Attention to how our coffee beans are grown and processed, care for the environment by upgrading a historical building and incorporating energy efficient, sustainable resources in the remodel — maintaining most of the original look & feel of the space. Our employees are knowledgeable about health standards, friendly above all else, and careful to get details and respect right for every encounter.
Sample sentence: A vintage coffee shop remodeled to preserve the history of yesterday and maintain sustainability for today, welcoming coffee lovers and artsy entrepreneurs of all ages, serving fresh, sustainably sourced coffee beans.
Now, write down one sentence that includes your main point and with whom you’re sharing that message.
Write for the Platform
Consider the literal type of message you want to deliver — or rather the type of message your audience would most likely be receptive to. It might be an email campaign, social media, blog post, or article.
The platform you choose might depend on what you think your audience will expect. What type of delivery do you think your target audience would most likely look at, engage with, and have time for? Figuring this out might take a little experimenting and seeking feedback from people that belong to your target audience.
Be sure to speak to the reader on the other end by imagining that very person as you write, and pay attention to your message style so it fits the platform you’re using.
Your style of copy should vary a bit depending on what platform you’re writing for. Take some time to assess the different platforms you’d like to use to reach your audience, then break down your ideas within the following categories.
- If you’re creating content for a website, follow guidelines for headings and subheadings.
- With social media you’re free to be more creative, remembering to write shorter content and get to the point.
- Within an email campaign your audience has already opted-in to hear more about your product or service, so you’re free to be more forthcoming. Write more descriptively and tell a story.
Your style of copy should vary a bit depending on what platform you’re writing for. Take some time to assess the different platforms you’d like to use to reach your audience.
The More You Write Sales Copy, the Better You Will Become
We hope you found this article helpful as you begin your journey of writing great sales copy for the product or service you offer.
Take some time to think about the three tips we shared before you dive into creating copy for your business. If you do, you’re sure to gain:
- more confidence to write for your business (which will translate into brand authority)
- accurate perspective as you spend time developing your voice (which will convince the reader you understand them)
- more customers due to the clear message and reach that you have (which translates into increased ROI to then put towards achieving company goals)
If you have questions or comments regarding this article or how we could further assist you in your business, we’d consider it an honor to support you.
