Did you know that an effective sales copy can boost your sales by 98%?
Although images and video can be used to supplement your content, the words on the page have a significant impact on what action customers take.
For example, a snapshot of a smartphone does not reveal its specifications. A video about a running shoe will not generate search traffic unless it is accompanied by compelling material. To urge action, the copywriting component of your sales page is required.
Unfortunately, far too many marketers have no idea what sales copy is or why it is important. Worse, they write uninspiring content that alienates customers and provides competitive advantage to their competitors. But you don’t have to be one of them.
In this article, we talk about 6 tips that will help you write a sales copy that can increase the conversion rate for even an everyday boring product. Let’s dive in!
6 Tips to Write Compelling Sales Copy
You have something to sell, a single shot at making that sale, an interested buyer, and a limited amount of space and words to make your pitch. This is where a compelling sales copy helps you out. At the very least, your product copy must convince your potential customer that your product offers a solution to their problem.
Here are a few tips on how you can write a sales copy for any product:
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Understand the Product
Even if it’s an everyday product, you need to know its features and selling points to the T. You might think that you know everything about it, but each product has its unique selling proposition (USP) that you might not have thought of.
Try answering these questions:
- Is it of higher quality than similar products in the market?
- Is there a special feature or benefit for buyers?
- Does it provide the customer with ease of use?
- Does it fix a problem?
You can learn more about what your target market wants by conducting market research and trying out competing products.
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Evoke an Emotion
If there’s one definite way to encourage someone to buy something, it’s to appeal to their emotions. Emotional appeal has always been a business and advertising strategy, and recent studies show that despite us feeling a wave of emotions through the day, the four primary emotions that compel customers who have landed on your page are ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘afraid / surprised’, and ‘angry / disgusted’. These emotions, in turn, make people share, purchase, or reject a product or a piece of content. Emotions are not always rational, nor are they always practical. That is why, realistically speaking, they can be useful in persuading a prospect to purchase something they may not require.
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Use Sensory Words
Think for yourself, what would you rather enjoy – ‘The coffee is delicious,’ or ‘The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, promising a bold and invigorating flavor?’
Obviously, the latter, right? Words that appeal to the senses—touch, taste, smell, and sound—can stimulate the somatosensory cortex (an area of the brain). So, your aim should be to activate your ideal customer’s somatosensory cortices.
Also, pair your product with phrases that sound like it. For example, use terms like ‘sparkling,’ ‘effervescent,’ ‘bright,’ ‘fizzy,’ and ‘fresh’ to describe a sparkling wine. They give clients a sense of lightness and buoyancy.
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Focus on the Benefits; Not the Features
Given how short and sweet sales copy is supposed to be, you’re better off jumping right to the benefits they’ll see. Tell them about the outcomes that all of those traits will produce.
This is because the sales copy is a hook, not a product page; it should pique your prospect’s curiosity and get them to take action. For example, instead of listing the features of a Pinot Noir, emphasize on the experience your customer will derive from drinking it, from falling in love with the exquisite taste.
This text gets right to the point about what your buyer may expect from the product, and it piques their interest.
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Write Upward
A product may not be difficult to write about in and of itself, but differentiating among a line of identical products may be.
Suppose, you’re writing about a series of red wines, then the differentiation between the varieties comes from age, dry or sweetness. Or, you could classify them based on the variety of grapes, soil, or climate. Begin with the least exciting detail first and work your way up, persuading your reader of its advantages. Every differentiating point is a key selling point. Writing upward makes each successive selling point sound more exciting and advantageous.
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Have a Clear Call-to-Action
Every piece of sales copy has a purpose – increase sales, get more subscribers, or anything that leads the prospect to engage with your brand. To fulfill this purpose, you need a strong call-to-action that is easy to navigate and lets your customers know what they need to do.
Effective calls to action for a wine company, for example, could be as follows:
- Join Our Club
- Free Delivery
- Order Now
Example of an Amazing Copy
Now that you understand how to write a compelling sales copy, let’s look at an example to get a better idea:
A Classic for a Reason – Absolut Vodka
In 1980, the advertising agency TBWA made an ad for Swedish vodka brand Absolut featuring the product with the description ‘Absolut Perfection.’ It was an instant hit and spawned one of the most remarkable ad campaigns, leading to more than 1,500 designs all including the Absolut bottle in a variety of unique displays.
Bonus Writing Tips
Here are some additional tips to help you write a compelling product copy that converts:
- Encourage readers to take immediate action by using time-limited offers or limited quantities.
- Acknowledge potential concerns or objections your audience may have and provide reassurance.
- Share testimonials, reviews, or endorsements to build trust and credibility.
- Share anecdotes or narratives that relate to your product or service.
- Make sure that your headline is attractive and grabs attention as it is the first thing that readers see.
Conclusion
Well-written sales copy is all about striking that balance between being engaging and informative. The most important thing to keep in mind is the customers’ interests. Write something they can connect with, take an interest in, and be engaged by. If you can do that without being too wordy or technical, you would have hit the right spot.
Other Useful Resources
