Good Copy Writing
Good Copy is NOT "power selling" copy! It is merely well written information that is written with an understanding of how the customer will feel when they read it. There is a fine line between the hype and dishonorable pressure sales copy, and the considerate, helpful, and appealing copy of a good ad that reaches out to a target market.
To tell a customer what they do or do not feel, or what they should think, is dumb. I don't care how many people tell you that "hypnotic sales" copy is a good idea, it is not! It assumes that you have the right to control your customer, instead of giving them the respect of treating them like they can make up their own minds.
Using hype and fantasy to conceal the absence of vital information in the copy is also dishonest. People need certain information to know whether something is actually what they need, and if you leave it out, when you know that putting it in would cause fewer people to purchase, then you are being dishonest.
So when I talk about "good copy writing", I mean copy that is totally honest, and that is respectful of the intelligence of the reader.
You have to understand the mind-set of your target audience. You have to understand what they are concerned about, and how they perceive the solution.
For example, if you know that a particular target market needs a specific electronic solution, but that they have a low level of understanding of either the need, or the potential solution, you have to find a way to explain things in a way that helps them to really know if they need what you have. That means you need to teach them to make the choice themselves, and NOT just try to bulldoze them into buying something that may or may not be what they need, or what they can use. The same is true of any other marketing copy.
The point is not just to write copy that sells a product. The point is to write copy that results in good sales, AND satisfied customers. When you describe your product accurately, in terms the customer can identify with, you end up with both.
Good copy will do just that. It will be clean, concise, and well written - it won't have obvious spelling or grammatical errors - , PLEASE do not use "then" instead of "than" (perhaps the most common GLARING grammar error in self-published writing), and spell the word "separate" correctly (a frequently misspelled word - it has two "a"s, NOT three "e"s). Use a spell checker as you write, and have someone check it over for grammar errors before you use your ad!
Not that those two errors are any worse than other common errors, I just use them as an example of something that will lower your credibility in the eyes of the reader. When you make an error that a reader associates with low intellect, they won't care how smart you really are. They will simply assume that you'll be as stupid in business as they think you are in writing.
If you write with arrogance, they'll assume you don't care about them. If you assume you know just what is best for them and that you are qualified to make choices for them, they will feel your self-centeredness, and they'll know you don't really give a rip about them, you just want their money. If you write at the wrong technical level, or too casually for a formal audience (or too formal for a casual audience), you'll lose them. They'll not have any rapport with you, and you'll not make the sale.
Test out your ads. Track responses, and learn which ones give you not just the best sales rates, but the best retention rates as well.
And if you hire someone, make sure they actually aim at the market you are trying to reach. A good copy writer will do that, but many professional writers are proficient in language, but ignorant of emotional appeal. Don't let someone else set the tone for your business if they are not able to understand your product, your target market, and how to reach them honorably.
Written by Laura Wheeler
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