Suppose that you’re writing to convince people of something.
Suppose that you’re making your living writing sales copy.
Suppose that you have the best product ever and you want to spread the word to as many people as possible.
GET PEOPLE TO STOP
What do you do? How do you make them stop and read the copy? How do you get them to even pause? People are busy, people have short attention spans, people have hundreds of demands on their time–and none of them are going to stop to read an article unless you make them.
Good point, you’re saying, but how?
START WITH A GREAT TITLE
First, you need a great title. Something that will catch them and grab them and make them stop turning pages or clicking web pages. Something fabulous. (For more on headlines, Copyblogger always has great information.)
- How I Discovered the Miracle Muscadine
- 10 Ways the Muscadine Grape Can Make You Healthy
- How the Muscadine Grape Changed my Life, (or even better…)
- How the Muscadine Grape Can Change Your Life
USE EQUALLY GREAT SUB-TITLES.
Next, you need good subtitles, so people who may have paused at the title, can get an idea what your article is about. They might not stop to read the copy (yet), but it will give them an idea of why they should.
- Why is the Muscadine Grape Special?
- What Can the Muscadine Grape Do?
- How it Made My Life Better
- How Can it Improve Your Life?
USE TEXT THAT EDUCATES RATHER THAN “SELLS”
Then, the copy itself. The best way to convince people of anything is to make them WANT it. It’s one of the first rules of Sales–you’re going to sell more if the buyer comes to you than if you go chasing after him.
Your best Sales Copy is text that doesn’t sound like a “sale” at all. Mention the benefits. Describe your personal experience. Educate your reader about how the product could help them.
Doctors have been telling us for years about the importance of Antioxidants in fighting free radicals. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is the measurement of antioxidants in foods, and some of the foods with high ORAC scores are fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, broccoli, carrots … and grapes. Especially Muscadine Grapes.
SHOW YOUR PROSPECT HOW IT CAN HELP THEM
It’s not about the Product. It’s about the Buyer. People buy things because they need them, or because they think the product can help them.
Muscadine Grapes are helpful in the fight against free radicals, and drinking juice–not to mention the seeds and the skin (known as pomace)–from this grape can help your body fight inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, allergies, atherosclerosis, colitis, and many other conditions. It benefits your blood vessels by reducing inflammation and atheriosclerotic plaque. It can even inhibit LDL cholesterol and help reduce blood pressure. It’s even been proven to help fight cancer.
TELL THEM WHAT TO DO
Once you’ve educated your reader, and you’ve explained how your product can help them–all without any sales pressure, you understand–You Make it Possible for them to Act.
If you don’t tell them where to click, or who to call, your best writing efforts are pointless.
There are a number of sources out there, but one of the very best is the Heartland Select health drink, which is carefully formulated to combine the juice, seeds, and skin of the Muscadine grape. Just two ounces has 4000 ORAC units–2 to 4 times more per serving than its nearest competitor. Click here to learn more, or visit my website at InhaleNow.com.
BE HONEST
The most important “trick” to remember, though, is to be sincere, honest, forthright. If you sound like you’re “pitching” you’re not going to convince anyone of anything. Most adults have heard thousands of sales pitches in their lives, and they have a highly sensitive “skepticism radar” working overtime. You’re not going to convince them of anything they don’t already want to believe.
By sounding like you’re just sharing information, though, you’re being helpful. You’re not trying to talk them into anything, you just have something too good, too valuable, to keep to yourself.
DON’T MAKE CLAIMS YOU CAN’T BACK UP
And, that’s the last point–You will always be more convincing if you believe what you are saying. Can you write sales copy for a product you don’t believe in? Yes. People do it all the time. BUT your copy will have that ring of truth if you believe what you’re saying. Somehow, sincerity always shines through.
What other tips do you have for being convincing?
(Muscadine text borrowed from my father’s Squidoo Page. Honestly, it’s good stuff and has done wonders for my asthma–go take a look!)
You sure hit the nail on the head with this post. Great advice, and it definitely reminds us to keep purpose in mind. These are all the points I make sure I cover when I write business or website copy 😉
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..The Benefits of Journaling
Good, easy to understand writing examples Deb!
Went to your Dad’s blog to see more about the muscadine grape (proving the effectiveness of your writing) and looked at the product that contains it. I already take two packs a day of highly reputable supplements: one B complex and one antioxidants. Along with calcium and cod liver oil (vitamin D) I’m feeling maxxed out on supplements. But I would like to buy muscadine grapes if I found them in a store. Is this one of those things from another part of the world that you can only buy as a supplement or do they sell it at the supermarket?
Muscadines are native to the Southeast US and I understand you can find them to eat during their growing season, there, but otherwise you’re pretty much limited to products that contain them. For the Heartland Select (which, I know, is expensive), right now it just comes in the liquid form but there’s supposed to be a capsule on its way–I don’t know how much that will cost, but just judging by the way my asthma has improved since I started drinking the juice, I’d say it’s a good thing–especially with some of the more serious health issues it helps, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Anything that really helps those is worth the money! (grin)
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