Entries from May 2009 ↓

What am I talking about?       

OK, let me ask you this. What is the purpose of copywriting on your adverts?

The answer is simple – it is designed to make your reader buy. At times though, your readers may need a slight nudge to get them to arrive at that buying decision. So, the words that you use within your advert are really important.

There are 10 words in particular that can make your reader change their minds in your favour.

Curious?

I thought you might be. Prepare yourself, here we go…

• Limited – People love to think they are getting something ‘exclusive’. Tell them your product is in limited supply and they won’t want to miss out.

• Discount – Don’t you just love to think you’re getting a bargain? Well, your readers will too. They could be time limited, BOGOFs, money back schemes etc.

• Guaranteed – This is the all important peace of mind. It will give your readers confidence in your company knowing you believe in your product so much you’re prepared to give a guarantee.

• New – Every one likes to have something that is new that will improve their lives whether its information, technology etc.

• You/Your – These are so important. Talk to your reader directly and you’ll build rapport and make them feel special.

• Fast – Whether it’s fast delivery or fast results, time is an extremely important commodity these days.

• Testimonials – Seeing is believing. Your readers will be reassured if they can read from others that your product works. Just make sure the testimonials are specific and reputable.

• Easy – People are inherently lazy. They want easy ordering, easy instructions, easy to pay and easy to use…

• Important – This is one word that makes people sit up and take notice. They won’t want to miss out on important information that could affect them.

• Free – This doesn’t mean you have to give your product away. Free information or a free trial is a great hook and incentive to buy. People love to get something for nothing.

Although these 10 effective words are great for adverts, they can be used in virtually all your sales writing on and off line. They are incredibly powerful and can alter your readers mind in your favour.

Sally Ormond (Briar Copywriting) is a freelance copywriter who specialises in website copywriting services. Visit her website today for further details about her full range of UK copywriting services.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what to say to make someone buy from you?

Well, that is pretty much what this blog post will do. I have mentioned in the past that people have to justify their buying decisions, so all you need to know is how they go about it.

Think for a moment – how many times have you bought something you didn’t really need but you wanted? Come on, own up how many pairs of shoes do you own – or gadgets – that you managed to convince yourself you needed even though you didn’t?

I have compiled a list of 10 reasons why people buy products – see how many you recognise.

1. They want to make money – more money makes them feel more successful
2. They want to save money – maybe investing for the future to make them feel more secure
3. They want to save time – hands up who wants to work less and have more leisure time to help them gain a better quality of life
4. They want to look better – perhaps lose a bit of weight, tone up their body or have the odd nip and tuck to make them feel more attractive
5. They want to learn something new – a new skill will make them feel more intelligent
6. They want to live longer – by getting in shape and changing their diet they will feel healthier
7. They want to feel better – finally getting shot of niggling aches and pains will bring them relief
8. They want to be loved – no one wants to be lonely, everyone wants friends because they like to feel wanted
9. They want to be popular – whether it is to the degree of wanting to be famous or just to be liked it will make them feel admired by others
10. They want pleasure – by satisfying their inner most desires they will feel more fulfilled

Did some of those sound familiar? Just think about it for a second who doesn’t want to be more successful, more secure, have a better quality of life, feel more attractive, feel more intelligent, feel healthier, feel wanted, be admired or feel fulfilled? Isn’t that pretty much what we are all striving for?

All you have to do is convince your readers that buying your product will result in at least one of these ‘wants’.

As a freelance copywriter, Sally Ormond has worked with many businesses helping them save time and money while increasing their sales and market visibility.

Your call to action is probably one of the most powerful parts of your advert. Assuming your copy has been compelling enough to keep your reader engrossed to the very end, you want to make sure you end with a bang not a whimper.

The following list shows 8 desire drivers that will convince your reader (if they aren’t already) that your product is the one for them.

Your call to action is your last opportunity to get your reader to buy. By utilising the power of these desire drivers you will optimise your chances of making that all important sale.

1. End on a high note – tell them how better their lives will be if they buy your product. Use the most powerful benefit your product has as the example.
2. End with a warning – this is the opposite of number 1. Tell them what will happen if they don’t use your product.
3. End with a short review of your advert – repeat all the major benefits and features they will receive.
4. End with a deadline – restrict your product with a limited time offer or closing date.
5. End with a guarantee – this will add peace of mind. If you guarantee the product it shows that you have faith in it and that so should they.
6. End with a testimonial – use one or two of your customers’ testimonials but make sure they are believable and contain specific results.
7. End with a free bonus – this could be a free sample or a trial period. Whatever it is, it will add to the perceived value of your product.
8. End with a discounted price – further up in the body of the ad you can show your normal price but offer a discounted price if they order straight away.

Using desire drivers is a simple but highly effective way of achieving a sale. Why not try it out on your next ad.

Sally Ormond is a professional freelance copywriter. She works with businesses covering a diverse range of industries helping them save time and money while enjoying higher visibility in their market place and increased sales.

It doesn’t matter how many people see or read your advert or website, if it doesn’t compel them to buy it’s no good.

How many times have you landed on a sales page or looked at an advert just to think “interesting…” and then move on to something else?

Interesting doesn’t get you sales. Your copy and your approach has to be proactive to make people part with their hard earned cash.

Here are 7 tips to help you convince people to buy from you.

1. Make your ad copy like a conversation

Don’t talk at your readers, talk to them. Write as though they are in front of you and you are having a conversation with them. Use words such as “you” and “your” to build a relationship with your reader.

1. Participate in online forums

Online forums are great for promoting yourself and increasing your credibility as an expert in your field. Fill out your profile (gaining those all important back links) and visit the forums as often as possible. Why not contribute articles – giving free advice helps build trust.

1. Make your call to action clear

A website sales page is no good if you don’t tell your reader exactly what you want them to do. Your call to action must be clear, leaving them in do doubt about what they need to do – tell them to “buy now”, “subscribe to your newsletter”, “call to make an appointment” etc.

1. Focus on your reader

There is only one thing your reader is interested in, and that’s themselves. You must focus your copy on what it is they want. If they can’t see what’s in it for them, they won’t be interested.

1. Keep it simple

There is only one thing on your website that will sell to your reader – words. Graphics and pictures all look pretty but they won’t sell a sausage. It is through the power of the written word that you will convince your reader your product is the one they have been searching for.

1. Create your own ad copy

You will probably have several competitors out there. By all means study their copy but don’t be tempted to copy their style and content. Try something different – stand out from the crowd.

1. Update regularly

Your readers will get bored if they are constantly faced by the same old adverts and web copy. Change your ads regularly to keep them fresh and relevant. Don’t forget people normally have to see an ad 7 times before they actually buy anything – they’ll soon get fed up if they keep reading the same stuff.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter offering a comprehensive range of copywriting services to businesses locally, nationally and internationally.

Every business should have a website, but not just any old website.

How many times have you seen a website that has been unreadable? I’m not just talking about dodgy website copywriting that has been over stuffed with keywords, or bad translations of foreign sites. I mean where the site is literally unreadable because of the layout and colours.

If you already have a website or are thinking about building one, here are 8 tips to bear in mind to make sure your site is readable.

Make it easy to read

Don’t use light coloured text on a white background, for example yellow on white, because it will be unreadable. By the way that works for dark text on a dark background too.

Get them in the mood

Use colour to create the mood – red for excitement, green for greed etc. But don’t over do it, rainbow text looks very unprofessional.

Attention grabbing

Use headlines to get their attention. Use a different colour or font to make them stand out from the rest of the text.

Highlight important words

Emphasise words and phrases that are important – super, fast, free, new etc., by using bold, underlining, italics and colour.

Font size

Getting the right font size is vital – too small and your reader will struggle to read it. Make sure your headings are in a larger font size to the rest of the text so they stand out.

Spare the capitals

DON’T USE ALL CAPS AS IT WILL LOOK UNPROFESSIONAL AND AS THOUGH YOU ARE SHOUTING AT YOUR READER.

White space

Make sure there is plenty of white space on your page to break up the text. There is nothing worse than being faced with a solid wall of letters.

Use sub headings to help your reader navigate their way through your web page. Key points should be listed as bullet points to make them stand out.

Check and double check

Once you have created the perfect layout and written your web copy, check the spelling and grammar before it goes live. But don’t forget, sometimes you need to break the rules of grammar to get your point across so don’t be afraid to get creative.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter providing a comprehensive range of copywriting services to businesses across a diverse range of industries.