Words Have Power

Write marketing copy that sells!

When you are selling a product, promoting an event, or driving subscriptions, you want marketing copy that sells. Fortunately, there are some basic principles that can help you craft copy that moves your audience to action. These principles work because no matter who the buyer is—young or old, fast-food junkie, or organic fanatic—we all have the same set of needs (or underlying motivators) that drive our purchases.

While some products and services meet more than one need, you’ll generally get better results by picking the one most relevant to your product.

Say you sell home security systems. You could pick any number of motivators. The most obvious is security: “If your house catches fire while you are not home, would you be able to save it?” But you could use others, too. For example, love: “Your kids already think you’re the world’s greatest dad. How much more will they love you when you protect them with the world’s greatest home security system?” Or esteem: “Does your neighbor have better security than you do?”

Once you pick the right motivator, you can follow these simple principles to drive your message home.

Keep it simple

Grab the buyer’s attention. What is the one thing that matters most to them right now?

Provide details

Give them concrete details about the benefits of your offer. “Acme Home Security saved 563 homes from destruction by fire last year.” Or “Switching to Acme Home Security can save you $333 per year.”

Be credible

Back up your claims. Use testimonials from experts and customers. Add badges and certification logos. Offer a money-back guarantee.

Get emotional

Make people care about what you are selling. Use stories to tell how your product benefited real people just like them.

Call them to action

Once you’ve got their attention, include a powerful call to action. “Don’t wait! Call us today before it’s too late!” Or “Act now before the price goes up!” Don’t assume your prospects will take this step on their own.

Use these items as a checklist next time you create your marketing copy. Then see what a difference using this approach can make for you.