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The other day, I came across some old essays I wrote while in college. See, I majored in Political Science and minored in English, so I was constantly cranking out 5, 10, 15, and even 20+ page papers. And I always got good marks on them, so I thought I was a great writer.

As I was looking back on those papers, I was shocked by how much my writing style has changed over the years. Back then, I was far too concerned with cramming in large, impressive words that I thought made me sound smart. I realize now they didn’t make me sound smart at all. They made me sound like a pretentious jerk who was trying to talk over the head of his audience.

The importance of clarity was lost on me during my growing days as a writer. Instead of saying “use”, I’d say “utilize.” Instead of saying “total” I’d say “aggregate.” I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Writing is about communicating with your audience

I often urge bloggers and other copywriters to write like they and their target audience talk. Now, if your target audience really does like to use technical terms or big words, then by all means, you can include those in your copy. But chances are that’s not the case.

What’s more likely is that your audience includes the “average Joe” off the street. And the average person reads at somewhere around an 8^th grade level. Don’t believe me? Just grab a newspaper. Newspapers are written a middle school/ junior high level so that the audience can understand the content.

Now, that doesn’t mean it’s dumbed down. It simply means the writers are communicating as clearly as they can by not overcomplicating the copy with big words when small ones mean the same thing.

Your job isn’t to help the reader improve his vocabulary. Your readers are in a hurry. You need to deliver your message as quickly and clearly as possible. Any single word that trips the reader up can derail your entire message.

The best thing you can do is to read your copy aloud before publishing it. If it sounds the way your target audience normally communicates, good. If it doesn’t, figure out which words are muddying up your message, and get rid of them.

We’ve all come across those landing pages that feature long, emotional “hypnotic” sales copy. You know the ones. The author tells you some heartbreaking story (e.g. I was 100 pounds overweight. I tried everything. No diets worked. My boyfriend broke up with me. I was depressed, and wanted to kill myself. AND THEN I TRIED XYZ PRODUCT AND MY LIFE WAS CHANGED FOREVER!)

Now, as a copywriter, my first instinct is to criticize this kind of copy. Why? Because it just screams “Scam! Stay away!” But the truth is this copy converts. Otherwise, you wouldn’t see everyone using this same formula over and over. Take a look at the top selling affiliate products on ClickBank. Almost every landing page features the long, emotional, “hypnotic” sales copy.

So, what is it about this kind of copy that makes it so effective? Here are just a few reasons hypnotic copy works.

1. It uses the power of storytelling—Some of the most effective sales letters of all times harnessed the power of storytelling. Why are stories so effective? For several reasons. First, they stimulate the senses. Great stories put you right there in the middle of the story. Second, stories let the reader relate, saying “I’ve been there before.” And finally, stories appeal to our emotions, and emotions always plays a big role in the buying process. For more information on the power of storytelling, check out this great post “Your Brain on Stories.”

 

2. It stimulates our emotions—In the last point, I briefly touched on the fact that people make buying decisions largely based on their emotions. In the words of Eisenberg in Persuasive Online Copywriting “People rationalize buying decisions based on facts, but people make buying decisions based on feelings.” To go back to our earlier example of diet pills, people buy diet pills because they make them skinnier and more attractive, allowing them to feel better about themselves. It’s all tied to emotions. So, in your copy, you need to focus on tying the benefits to emotional triggers.

 

3. It uses repetition—To keep you “hypnotized”, the writer will continually repeat the main message all throughout the copy. This helps keep the reader focused on the main point, so that they’re ready to take action when the writer asks them to do so.

 

4. It features calls to action throughout—One of the most effective things you’ll find in these long landing pages is that they have a call to action every few paragraphs, rather than simply stuffing one at the end of the copy. Typically, there will be one call to action per screen view, meaning no matter where you are on the page, you have a way to take action. Now, say what you will about hypnotic copywriting, but this is a technique all landing page copywriters should be putting into practice. You want to make it as easy as possible for your readers to jump to action.

 

5. It uses testimonials to back the story up—The hypnotic copywriter doesn’t just force you to take their word for it, they use testimonials to back their story up. And they have a spectacular knack for placing these testimonials in the copy right when you’re about to say “Wait a minute. This sounds too good to be true.” Check out these tips for giving your testimonials more credibility.

What do you think about long, emotional, “hypnotic” landing pages? Are they too spammy for your taste? Or do you believe if it works, use it? Share your thoughts in the replies.

Who would have thought that some of the best copywriting advice you’ll ever receive could be delivered in 140 characters or less? I’ve come up with a list of 33 killer copywriting tips I’ve found on Twitter. Enjoy.

Note: Follow these people on Twitter. You’ll discover even more great marketing and copywriting tips.

1. heatherlloyd: Taking time to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes helps you create copy that’s more targeted and less mechanical

2. charismatickid: If you read your copy out loud and you hear the same keyphrases over and over, it’s time to edit.

3. healymonster: Copywriting tip: Write like you talk. People get sucked into copy that’s easy to read.

4. CopywriterTO: #Copywriting tip: Get your readers’ attention by starting your copy with a compelling story.

5. Mainecopywriter: Copy Tip: Only 10% of your copy gets read. Use subheads to capture attention and draw the reader into the copy.

6. Cbreecopy: Tip: Shorter is not always better. Longer titles are more descriptive and provide better SEO.

7. caseyfleming: #Copywriting tip: Talk about your customers 90% of the time and your company only 10% of the time.

8. CopyByMac: Copywriters: don’t forget to practice writing those headlines and bullets. A simple change to a headline I wrote brought significant changes.

9. companyseo: Copywriting with corporate SEO keywords is one of the best ways to drive qualified leads to your website and convert sales.

10. DGRComms: Copywriting has to be about words that stimulate a response, far from boring yet always professional

11. Copywritings: Copywriting Tip. Starting sentences with But, And is permissible. Advertising copy follows the patterns of speech more than rules of grammar.

12. Copywritings: Copywriting Tip. Write as if you’re speaking to one person

13. Copywritings: Copywriting Tip. Break up your copy with bullet points. Bullets make copy easier to read.

14. JackeeGreen: Copywriting Tip: When Writing A Headline, use AIDA. A=Attention, I=Interest, D=Desire, & A=Action

15. Copysnips: Copywriting Tip: Benefits are reasons to buy at SOME TIME, but if you want them to buy NOW, give them REASONS to do so.

16. Copysnips: Copywriting Tip: We form first impressions of people almost instantly, and the same is true of your copy’s readers.

17. ScottByWater: Copywriting tip: “a writer should always feel like he’s in over his head” Michael Cunningham

18. contentwriteroz : Web Copywriting Tip- Don’t confuse visitors by using various conflicting calls to action on the same page.

19. contentwriteroz :Web Copywriting Tip – Don’t use “click here” or “read more” as link text. Use descriptive link labels for usability & SEO.

20. contentwriteroz : Web Copywriting Tip- Use a professional writing style but a personal and quite casual tone of voice.

21. Contentmakeover: Sales writing tip: Deliver a promise. Show proof. Call for action

22. Contentmakeover: #NLP #Sales #Copywriting Tip: Leave no doubt in your reader’s mind

23. LighthausDesign: Website Copywriting Tip: After writing copy for a page of your site, cut it in half, then cut it in half again. Less is more on the Web.

24. Mainecopywrtr: copywriting tip: make a specific promise in your headline. Then spend the rest of the sales letter proving you can deliver it.

25. Lyricacopy: An adjective phrase beginning a sentence must refer to the subject. So “As a valued customer, we’re offering you…” is incorrect.

26.DMCopywriter: Email copywriting tip: The shorter the subject line, usually the better. Try for 4 to 5 words if possible

27. DMCopywriter: Web page copywriting tip: Let visitors self reflect at your site. Know why they are there firstly

28. SpiritualCopy: Copywriting Tip: Have an awesome product or service… because a great product or service INSPIRES great copy.

29. RobAdvertising: Tip of the day. Have a clear call to action in all your marketing.

30. TopMarketingTip: #Tips – Does your webpage’s headline (preferably H1) describe the problem your customers are having in relation to your solution?

31. farhadkhurshed: #Copywriting Tip: Make a quick transition from your headline to your sales message. Don’t waste time with warm up paragraphs

32. farhadkhurshed: #Copywriting Tip: Be specific with your claims. Superlatives are not credible, concretes invariably are!

33. Prime_Concepts: Copywriting Tip: Use short and long paragraphs for the readers and scanners.

Do you follow any great copywriters on Twitter? Are you a copywriter on Twitter? Leave your links so I can follow more copywriters!

Ideally, you want to keep your web copy as short and simple as possible. However, there are situations where long copy is necessary to give readers the information they need to make an informed buying decision. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to streamline long copy so that it’s more readable. Get stared by following these tips.

• Use a single column—Single-column layouts work best on the web as multiple columns force readers to scroll up and down, making it difficult to scan. More to the point, single-column websites achieve higher conversion rates by controlling the eye-path of readers.

• Avoid wide columns—The wider the column, the fewer the words that will be read. Remember, people tend to scan content online rather than read it word for word. This means the reader’s eyes tend to stay focused on the left side of the copy. By narrowing your column, you put more words in their eye path, allowing you to deliver your message more effectively.

• Stick to short paragraphs—If you’ve ever come across a big block of text online, you know just how unappealing and intimidating it is. Most people would rather click “back” than to suffer through reading a long block of thousands of words. To make the copy easier to digest, you need to break it up into short paragraphs containing about 3-4 sentences each. Always place the most important information at the beginning of the paragraph to ensure it gets read.

• Place descriptive subheads throughout—No matter how long your copy is, someone should be able to scan through it and know what it’s about in less than 30 seconds (ideally, in about 10 seconds). One way you can get your message across quickly is to use bolded, descriptive subheads throughout the copy. Make sure each subhead clearly explains what the section is about.

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As a copywriter, I tend to open a lot of mail that other people would throw away because it’s “junk”. Why? It’s because I want to study what others are doing so I can improve my own direct mail copywriting.

Recently, I had the idea to start blogging about some of the direct mail I receive. Today, we’re going to take a look at a sales letter I received from Allstate insurance trying to convince me to use them as my auto insurance provider. Here are my thoughts on it.

front

back

The Good

First, let’s talk about the positive aspects of this sales letter.

• The headline is strong—The headline of a sales letter needs to hook readers in with a benefit strong enough to keep them reading. Here, Allstate succeeds. The headline tells you exactly how much money you could save if you switch your auto insurance over to Allstate. In an economy where people are looking for ways to trim their expenses, this is a benefit that’s sure to capture most readers’ attention.

• The content is easy to scan—The Allstate sales letter does a good job of using subheads and short paragraphs to keep the copy easy to scan. You can easily eyeball the letter and understand the main message in just seconds.

• The copy is focused on “you”—The most important word in copywriting is “you”. Using it liberally allows you to connect with readers and to answer the most important question: What’s in it for me? The Allstate sales letter has “you” peppered through it, keeping the letter focused on the reader, not the company.

• Statistics are used to back up the claims—Using statistics in your copy is an excellent way to build credibility and to gain the trust of your readers. It shows that you aren’t full of it, and it eliminates ambiguity.

• The letter talks about $$$ saved rather than percentages—Many companies like to talk about how you can save “__ % off” when you use their services, but I’m a big fan of using actually dollars saved. This keeps your readers from having to calculate exactly how much they’ll save, delivering the benefit in clear, easy to understand terms.

The Bad

Perhaps “The Bad” is a bit harsh, but let’s look at some things I believe could be done better with this sales letter.

• The letter covers two pages—While the letter is technically on one page (front and back), it’s still a bit longer than I prefer. My suggestion: Print the addresses on the envelopes so you can use that precious real estate at the top of the page to begin your sales letter.

• The P.S. doesn’t reinforce the main benefit—The P.S. in a sales letter is a good place to include extra information while reinforcing the main benefit. I’d like to see the P.S. in the Allstate sales letter say something along the lines of “To start saving money on your auto insurance, call us today for your no-obligation quote.” This hammers home the benefit of saving money on car insurance that’s so prevalent throughout the rest of the copy.

• The final call to action could be improved—The call to action in this sales letter has a couple of problems. First, it’s just too long. It spans over 4 short paragraphs. Second, it’s missing vital information. The phone number should be printed right there in the call to action. Don’t make readers go searching for the toll-free number to call.

Overall, this is a solid sales letter that I’m sure is getting Allstate some new customers. However, I think a few simple tweaks could improve the response rate for Allstate.

What do you think of this sales letter? What would you change? Leave a comment with your thoughts.