5 Hot Copywriting Tips
If you’re looking to make money writing one of the best things you can do is learn how to write sales copy. Copywriting can be very lucrative if done correctly, but many new writers struggle when it comes to writing that first piece. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when you sit down to work on your first copywriting project.
5. It’s OK to be Personal
When writing copy it’s OK to take a personal tone. Even better than talking TO your clients with words like “you” and “you’re” is talking about yourself with words like “I” and “We.” Your clients will identify with you as a person and they’ll be more likely to believe your story.
4. Avoid Humor
Unless you’re selling a product or service that’s supposed to be funny you should avoid using humor as the basis of your writing. It’s acceptable to throw in a funny line every once in a blue moon, but your goal is probably to sell a product and that won’t happen if your audience isn’t interested in your writing.
3. Write an Amazing Headline
Most readers will pick up a sales letter and immediately scan for three things: headlines and subheadings, bullet lists, and P.S. remarks. If they like what they see in these three areas they’ll probably go back to the beginning and read your content. Your headings will convince your readers you know what you’re talking about and that you have something they need.
2. Include a P.S. Paragraph
P.S. paragraphs at the end of your letter are incredibly effective copywriting tools. Your P.S. will either reiterate a key selling point, remind users of a benefit, or direct them to an order page. Because readers are likely to read this section BEFORE the rest of the letter, you need to make sure the content is strong. Hadn’t planned on writing a P.S.? Do it anyway.
1. The Call to Action
Let’s face it, the entire point of a sales letter is to encourage the reader to take action. That action might be more passive in nature, such as merely signing up for a free newsletter, or it may be a bit more active, such as purchasing a product right away. Regardless, you’ll need to create a sense of urgency for your call to action to work. Place a deadline on your sale, advertise limited quantities, or offer a special discount for certain social groups. Your call to action should be subtle enough to be avoid being intrusive yet strong enough to encourage your reader to take immediate action instead of putting your letter aside for later.
Copywriting can be fun and, if done correctly, very profitable. We highly recommend writing a few practice pages before you offer your copywriting services to clients, but guarantee that once you become good at it you’ll wonder how you ever worked without incorporating copywriting into your list of services!
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