Copywriting Tips – Making Every Word Count

You know what I like about some forms of advertising? They really make you think. For example, with a small classified ad, some sites only allow you three lines. With pay per click, you get three lines but you’re limited to about 30 characters per line. Some forms of advertising only allow you one line. When you’re this restricted, you really have to make every word count. Well, even though you’re not as restricted when writing copy for a sales page, you still should try to make every word count. If you don’t understand why, maybe this article will help shed some light on the subject.
Human beings have very little patience and an even shorter attention span. The last thing they want to do is start going through a sales letter that rambles on about your trip to San Diego if it has nothing to do with the message. Nobody cares about your trip or whatever it is that you decide you want to ramble about. All they care about is what your product is and how it can help them. Cut to the chase.
In doing this, you still want to stay away from flowery prose. Every word should cut through the copy like a knife. That’s why it’s good to keep on hand a book of power words. I do. I refer to them whenever I write a sales letter. This way I make sure that my message is as powerful as possible.
So what are these power words? Well, there are quite a few. Off the top of my head, some of the most powerful are save, money, love, powerful, new, easy, improved, and a list way too long to get into in this one article. What makes these words powerful? Each one paints a picture in the prospect’s mind. Each picture further influences the prospect to make a purchase.
Another reason that you want to make every word count, and this may be the most important reason of all, is because even though, when writing sales letters, we can make them as long as we want, eventually we can reach the point where the letter is simply too long. The prospect can’t stand to read another word because it has already gotten to be “War and Peace” in length and they simply just give out from exhaustion. Say what you have to say and be done with it. If it takes 20 pages to do this, then take 20 pages. But don’t take 20 pages when you can present a powerful message in 15 pages.
If you remember that people just don’t have a lot of patience when reading sales letters, you’ll become a much better copywriter in the process.
To YOUR Success,