Top tips to keep them reading…

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Most sales letters aren’t even opened.

Even if they are, most people stop at the headline.

Here are some tips that will help to keep your prospects reading, right to the very end.

1. Make sure the envelope looks personal, or very important. Sometimes a company logo or name on the envelope shouts “I’m a sales letter! Ignore me!”.

2. Your headline MUST be attention-grabbing. It must persuade your prospect to read more. Don’t say “We offer a great service”, or “We’re brilliant”. Try one of these…

• state a clear offer – “half price hotel rooms if you book today”
• state the main benefit – how will your product or service improve your customers’ lives?
• start with “how to” – this compels us to read on
• use a testimonial
• pose a question – we’re subconsciously tempted to continue

3. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short: they’ll be easier to read.

4. Break up the text using bullet points, lists and subheadings. It will be more appealing to the eye. Also, if your reader is a ‘skimmer’, they’ll immediately see the key points of your offer.

5. Talk to the reader – use the word ‘you’ as often as possible. Too often, sales copy is filled with the word ‘we’. This doesn’t engage people and they’ll quickly lose interest.

6. End one or two sentences or paragraphs with … (an ellipsis). Your reader will be compelled to continue.

7. Give the reader an order. Tell them that they’re going to read every word. “As you read this letter, you’ll discover how to…”

8. Use ‘linking text’ between paragraphs. This helps them flow and encourages the reader to move from paragraph to paragraph. Here are some examples…

• But that’s not all…
• Better yet…
• But first…
• And in addition…
• Here’s why…

P.S. Make sure you add a P.S. at the end. After the headline, it’s the second thing your prospect will read.

P.P.S. And, whatever you do, don’t forget your call to action!

12 steps to writing a great Case Study

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A Case Study, or ‘success story’, is an excellent promotional tool for any business. It describes what you have done for a particular customer, and, by default, what you can do for the reader.

A good Case Study demonstrates the benefits offered by your product or service and offers concrete evidence of those benefits. In my opinion, one Case Study is worth more than several stand-alone testimonials. If written well, it will create a connection between your business and the reader, and will instill a sense of trust.

Want to know how to write a good Case Study? Read on for some tips.
Click here to read more…

Keep it simple

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When writing copy, one of the most important things you must remember is this: keep it simple.

I’ll show you why.

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Advice for wannabe copywriters

I’ve just written an article for Essential Writers, to help budding freelance copywriters take their first steps in the industry. Essential Writers is a great website for all kinds of writers, with news, advice, forums and competition info.

Finding people to follow on Twitter

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I just found a great way to find people and topics to follow on Twitter – Monitter.

There are many websites which allow you to do this, but Monitter is my favourite. You can type in up to three keywords or phrases, and within a matter of seconds you will be shown relevant posts – in real time. You don’t have to sign in with your Twitter user name and password, unlike other similar websites. You can also add a search to your RSS feed so you never miss a post. Make sure you click on the ‘help’ option to find out exactly how to use the keyword facility for the best effect.

So if you are looking for people interested in the same things you are, whether for fun or for business, give this a look.

12 essential copywriting tips

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Here are some simple copywriting tips, which will help your copy become more effective.
Click here to read more…

12 top proofreading tips

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Here are some tips for top proofreading.
Click here to read more…