From Blogs by Heather
~~Rachel
Here is another Featured Article by one of my partners, Debbie McNeill ofCraftyPerson Production!
I subscribe to her Technology Solutions newsletter and recently received the following article and wanted to share it with you as I believe it is very important to learn what content you should be writing to appeal to and grow your audience!
Featured Article by Debbie McNeill: Get Your Customers to Hit The Buy Button
I have had the pleasure of working with one of the top copywriters around today, Lisa Manyon of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. I am awed by her talent to write excellent, engaging copy. What i have learned from Lisa is that writing powerful, high-converting copy means understanding exactly how to trigger just the right emotions to induce someone to want to buy your product. She has taught me that what will really make the difference is learning to write emotionally to the prospect, rather than just logically.
You maybe asking, Debbie, what is copywriting? It's the language that you use to entice prospects to buy or engage with you in one manner or the other. We all want that right? This is a skill that you should be working on all the time. So how can you learn to trigger the right emotions in your readers? Here are a few effective strategies that I have learned from Lisa Manyon.
=> Relate to the Problem
If you're going to help them, they first need to know that you understand the pain they're going through. Unless they really feel that you "get" them, they probably won't believe that whatever solution you have will really work.
Describe the problem in detail. Describe it with emotional words. Stories can often make a huge difference. Tell your own story of experiencing the problem first hand, or tell someone else's story in detail.
The more they feel like you "get" them, the more they'll trust you. Also, the more you can get them to relive the pain as they read your sales letter, the more powerful their desire for a solution.
For example: "You may be thinking that you can't make a card like this on your own. That's what I thought too, until I realized there are quick cards that you can make that have a real impact. I used to worry about my cards not being perfect but then I gave my first card to my Grandma for her birthday. I was overjoyed when I heard her say "You made this card with your own hands for me? I feel so special, thank you. I'll treasure it for ever"? I continue to receive the like responses over and over."
=> Pile On Hard-to-Refute Proof
It's not the big claims and benefits that get someone excited. In a really powerful piece of copy, it's actually the proof that really gets people's imagination running.
You could tell someone that they'll lose twenty pounds with your system, but more likely than not they'll just gloss over your claim. It's only when you start piling on scientific studies, real world results and other proof elements that people really start to believe it's possible.
The real skill in demonstrating a product in copy form comes in getting someone to believe that you can really follow through on your claim. Do this by piling proof on top of proof on top of proof.
When you get to the point where the reader can't refute your claim anymore, both consciously and subconsciously, then you've won the sale.
For example: we can easily show proof that making simple, personalized, handmade cards in volume is cheaper than buying cards at the local store. Most of the cards I make are under $1.00 consumable products. Compare that to $4 cards at the store and the cost of gas to go to the store each time.
=> Master Urgency Techniques
The call to action is one of the most important aspects of your copy. It's what pushes someone over the line, from being excited about a product to actually being a customer of a product.
What's the secret to a powerful call to action? Urgency.
If you can get someone to believe that they can't act later, but have to actually physically pull out their credit card now, then your call to action has done its job.
Two of the most powerful techniques to do this are the time-sensitive offer and the limited amount offer. Either one of these two techniques has been proven again and again to yield high conversions.
For example: "I only have 3 seats left for next weeks class. This class has been very popular and I would love to see you join us so sign-up today at xxxxxx."
These are three effective copywriting techniques that have been used by master copywriters, Lisa Manyon. Relate to their problems emotionally, pile on the proof, and make sure you end with a bang by instilling a driving sense of urgency.
