In a podcast I did a few weeks ago, GhostwriterDad Sean Platt said something that really stuck with me about how writers can beat the recession:
“If you can learn how to write copy that sells products, you’ll never go hungry.”
It’s so true. If you help companies make money with your words, you will always be in demand. There’s no recession for writers who can help drive sales.
Now, if you’re like I was a few years back, you may think writing sales copy for companies is akin to selling your soul to the devil. Joining the Dark Side of the Force.
But I’ll let you in on a little secret — if you focus on companies that sell things you like, you may well find it challenging and fun. I know I do. And I’ve yet to do a client project where I felt like I needed to take a shower afterwards.
Selling doesn’t have to feel sleazy. Just stick to the facts, and you won’t go wrong.
Have I convinced you to jump in and add writing sales copy to your arsenal of talents?
I think every writer should learn this skill — after all, you need to write a page like this on your own writer website to sell your writing services. Why not learn to excel at this skill and make more money doing it for others, too?
This is not a super-difficult type of writing to learn. In fact, I’m going to teach you the basics right here in this post.
Here is what you need to know to write a sales page:
Learn the basic structure. I’ve seen the format of a sales letter boiled down to this simple set of points:
“Here’s what I’ve got.
Here’s who I am.
Here’s what you get.
Here’s what customers say about it.
Here’s why you need it now.”
Here are a few tips on how to convey these important facts:
Listen to your customer. Aspiring copywriters can be baffled by how, exactly, they will write a sales letter the client will love. The answer is simply to buttonhole a key company leader and get them to talk to you about what they do. Ask them loads of questions — what makes them different from competitors? What do they love most about what their product or service does? Note key phrases they use. Then, make the letter sound just like them. Works every time.
Sell benefits, not features. What will the thing do for the buyer? That’s your emphasis. Read it from the consumer’s point of view and answer the WIIFM question — what’s in it for me?
Expensive products need longer sales pitches. If you’re selling a $1,000 product, you should write a long page. A $50 product might work better with a short page.
Include testimonials. Ideally, with pictures of the customers, which have been proven to increase conversion rates. You can blab all day, but one short testimonial from a celebrity — or barring that, someone relatable by the customers — will sell it better in just a few lines.
Remove objections. Think of the reasons customers might hesitate to buy this item now, and then address their concerns.
Offer a guarantee. Again, lots of study data shows that the guarantee offer removes objections and helps you make sales.
Create scarcity. Are there only 50 of these left? Does the price go up tomorrow? Or maybe, as with the Freelance Writers Den, the doors are closing on Friday? If so, you’re going to want to prominently feature this fact.
Need to learn more about copywriting basics? Ask your questions in the comments below.
