By Karon Thackston © 2008, All Rights Reserved

Does it seem like copy is shrinking? Everywhere you look you find pay-per-click (PPC) ads, Twitters and mobile ads, the longest of which is a total of 95 characters. I’ve had lots of questions lately about writing short and compelling ads so I thought I’d reveal a few tricks I use that might help you out.

1. Remember Your Goal - The purpose of short copy is not - I repeat NOT - to close the sale. The purpose is to drive traffic to someone or someplace that will close the sale. Take for instance, PPC ads. Google gives you a URL with your ad so that you can drive traffic to a web page that provides enough details for a visitor to make a decision. Mobile ads are the same. Piquing curiosity so that mobile web users will call your office or click to your site is the primary goal. Don’t wear yourself out trying to close a sale in the 24 - 36 characters allowed for a mobile web ad. Leave the heavy lifting to your call center or website.

2. Read Headlines, Titles and Opening Sentences - If you have experience in writing headlines and titles, you can quickly translate that knowledge into Twitter-ready skills. In 140 characters or less, you can get people very interested in what you have to say. Take, for instance, article titles. Here are some clever ones that make you want to read more:

· Get Cold Cash in Tough Times (30 characters)

· 50+ Easy Ideas for Losing Weight Without Dieting (48 characters)

· What the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner Man Taught Me About Copywriting (62 characters)

These would work well in a mobile environment or in tweets.

In addition, draw on your skill of writing compelling opening sentences when you write for Twitter. Go beyond using benefits and create interest by writing sentences that make people say, “Hmmm.” For example:

· It wasn’t the first time this catastrophe took over my life.

· It seemed normal to everyone else, but I knew something was very wrong.

· I couldn’t believe she told me that! I was expecting a surprise, but that really took the cake!

3. Know Who You’re Communicating With - The most important of the 3 tips by far! How can you entice or tantalize anyone and persuade them to click for more information if you have no idea who you are communicating with? Simply put… you can’t. Take the time to understand the target audience you hope to reach, then deliver tidbits of copy tailored specifically for them.

4. Start Large and Whittle Down - For many people, it’s very difficult to write ultra-short copy off the tops of their heads. If that’s the case with you, start with a complete thought… maybe a paragraph in length. Then whittle down the idea until you get to one or two sentences. From there, work the thought into PPC, mobile or Twitter format.

5. Think of End Results - Just as with the weight loss and cash snippets above, give your readers something to look forward to. Let them know what the end results of buying your product/service will be: Lose weight, get cash, learn copywriting. Whatever the result is, define it in a few words and build the copy around it.

Chances are you already have the skills you need to write short copy. By revamping what you’ve learned about crafting headlines, titles and opening sentences; you will be well on your way to mastering the art of saying a lot in a little bit of space.

Need help writing high-click PPC copy? Get Karon’s PPC copywriting ebook How to Write Successful PPC Ads at http://www.writeppcads.com. Subscribe to Karon’s copywriting blog at http://www.marketingwords.com/blog

Funny how people interpret consumer behavior. Take, for instance, the email I got from a prospect a few weeks ago. His introductory message stated that he needed ultra-short copy because his site visitors were “web adverse.” Curious… I asked him to explain.

He told me that he had a pretty low conversion rate and that the visitors to his luxury travel site preferred to book via telephone, not through the web. So?, I thought. In his mind, this meant they hated content and had no purpose for the website other than to provide contact information. They came, they instantly looked for the telephone number without reading any information whatsoever on any of the pages. They immediately called the office, all the while keeping their hands over their eyes so they wouldn’t be tempted to read any copy during their visit. Silly, I know. But that’s how he saw it.

I tried to explain that just because people don’t buy from your site doesn’t mean they don’t do research before contacting your company. Here’s proof.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project:

> > 81% look for information about a product or service before buying it.

> > 73% get travel info online.

> > 51% take a virtual tour of a location online.

Know what else? According to BIGResearch:

> > 87% of consumers research products online before buying them offline.

Does that mean that all websites are useless? Certainly not!

What my prospect failed to understand was that you have to provide information to fill the visitor’s need during the information-gathering phase. They want to know about your company, they need details about your products or services and they seek out ways to determine which choice is the best for them before contacting you to buy.

Does this sound like a situation where you’d want to provide customers with as little information as possible? No way! It sounds like a situation where you’d want to offer persuasive copy that is heavy on benefits and makes it amazingly easy for visitors to choose you over the competition.

My prospect’s assumption will no doubt cost him lots of business. What should we do instead of assuming we know why people behave in a certain way? Before jumping to conclusions and writing copy that could be way off the mark, do a little research and find out for sure.

It would be oh-so-simple for this site owner to send previous clients a link to an online survey. Here he could ask them what they thought of his site, what they liked, disliked, what they thought could be improved, what they did on the site, why they called instead of booking online and lots of other questions. Then he’d know for certain why his sales were minimal and how to fix the problem.

Looking for professional web copywriting that’s proven to work? Karon specializes in writing natural SEO copy targeted to your specific audience. Visit http://www.marketingwords.com for more information.

Low-carb diets be cursed! I’ve always loved potatoes. When the low-carb fad struck the marketplace, it didn’t phase me one iota as far as my potato-eating habits were concerned. Why? Because I read labels. I knew from comparing the nutritional facts of other vegetables to the label on my bag of potatoes that:

• Potatoes are fat free and a good source of fiber making them heart-friendly.
• Potatoes have 5 times less sugar than carrots.
• 1 medium potato has more vitamin C than equal servings of watermelon, peaches and plums combined.
• Potatoes have almost twice the potassium as bananas for 30% fewer calories.
• Potatoes are loaded with antioxidants that have been reported to fight cancer.

And that’s just scratching the surface. The latest research indicates that potatoes contain a vitamin called B83 that may prove to be a potent inhibitor of the enzyme that is partially responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.

In essence, potatoes were getting a bad rap.

No doubt that’s why the National Potato Council has stepped forward to overcome this scarlet letter that’s been hung around its neck. By highlighting the benefits and end results of the lowly potato on their Potato Goodness website, they are swaying public opinion.

Their copy - that includes celebrity endorsements and scientific study references - has the makings of a marketing campaign bound for success. Remember the egg?

Years ago, nutritionists tried to hang a big, black X on the egg. The American Egg Board finally stood up and said, “Enough!” Launching their memorable “incredible, edible egg” advertising campaign helped turn the perception and sales of this hearty protein source around. How did they do it? By showing the benefits of eggs, quoting scientific data that countered the distorted or questionable “facts” issued by others and by publishing nutritional egg recipes.

You know, I’ve got several ideas for the National Potato Council if they’re listening. I’ll give you one for free. Rather than doing one, broad-sweeping campaign, gather all the current research available on the benefits of potatoes then segment your ads to fit the sectors of your target audience (dieters, for example).

What could you say? For starters, serving-per-serving, potatoes have 41% fewer carbs than whole wheat pasta, 10% fewer carbs than fresh corn and almost half the carbs of two slices of multi-grain bread. Plus potatoes have 0 grams of fat. Add to that the fact that you can load them up with all sorts of yummy, good-for-you toppings like lean ham, chicken, turkey, broccoli, bell peppers, green onions, jalapeños and cheese, salsa, spaghetti sauce and low-fat mozzarella cheese, and practically any other healthy item and you’ve got a real dieter’s friend. Pair a baked potato with a cup of tomato soup and you’ve got a healthy meal that’s really satisfying.

I applaud the Potato Board’s efforts. It’s a vital public service. People love potatoes! All those dieters who have been made to feel guilty unnecessarily are just waiting for somebody to tell them it’s OK to eat potatoes again. I’m glad to see they’ve put their gloves on and started to fight!

Looking for professional web copywriting that’s proven to work? Karon specializes in writing natural SEO copy targeted to your specific audience. Visit http://www.marketingwords.com for more information.

Feel like you’re caught in a time warp? You might if you’ve begun to notice the resurgence of layaway at stores. With the country in a financial funk for the moment and everyone watching their dollars, it seems retailers have fallen back on an oldie but a goody. Why? Simple. The old-fashion payment plan offers important benefits to shoppers.

Wait a minute, you might be thinking. If layaway has so many benefits, why was it phased out a decade or two ago? As times change, so do the perceived benefits of products and services. Let’s draw a timeline.

1970s and 1980s

Credit cards are born, but are mostly for commercial use and personal emergencies. The marketplace has not yet exploded with the use of revolving credit. Customers need a way to delay payment for items they purchase. Enter layaway.

What are the benefits copywriters promoted in their marketing pieces?

· Shop now and pay later.

· Pay a little at a time.

· The exact merchandise you select will be held for you.

· Receive your items immediately upon making your final payment.

The third and fourth benefits listed above would turn into drawbacks over the next 10 years.

1990s - 2000s

The credit invasion happens. Thanks to Bill Clinton, qualification requirements are loosened making it easier than ever for people to receive credit cards… even people who are already deeply in debt. Instant gratification takes over and the general population is lured in with the benefits of using credit cards instead of layaway.

· Shop now and pay later.

· Pay a little at a time.

· Take your merchandise home immediately.

Seems like the perfect situation. So why is layaway back and why would we want it since it was passed by 20 years ago? Changes in the economy.

People have too much debt. Prices on most things have risen dramatically. Unemployment is high. Because customers have too much debt, a lack of self-control when it comes to buying and the need to save money, they now want to avoid using the very credit cards they once cherished. They view layaway as an important feature for stores to offer. They are willing to forego the instant gratification of bringing home goods until after they have paid for them in full in exchange for paying a little at a time without the enormous interest rates credit card companies sometimes charge.

Layaway has, in effect, come full circle. Have the benefits changed? Nope! Copywriters still write about this service in the same way. Public opinion has changed.

That happens a lot in the marketplace and not just with payment plans. Doctors that use to make house calls don’t any longer because the need disappeared. With both parents working and kids in school, nobody was home to call on. However, for several years more and more parents have been staying home with the kids. Now, you see a few doctors and even some veterinarians bringing back the practice of house calls because society has changed.

As a good copywriter, you need to be aware of such changes so you can adjust your copy (or your clients’ copy) to match upcoming or recurring trends. Letting customers know products or services they once loved are back is an excellent way to boost sales.

Need effective SEO and web copywriting that converts and ranks well?  Visit Karon’s online copywriting site at http://www.marketingwords.com.

]]> http://www.marketingwords.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=189 http://www.marketingwords.com/blog/?p=189 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarketingWordsCopywritingBlog/~3/433595040/ http://www.marketingwords.com/blog/?p=185#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:57:40 +0000 Karon http://www.marketingwords.com/blog/?p=185 submit_url = 'http://www.marketingwords.com/blog/?p=185'; An interesting post hit the High Rankings Forum today. The question? How do you know when longer or shorter copy is required? What triggers do you use when deciding on copy length? (OK, so that’s two questions.) Here’s my reply: It’s a combination of several factors. What communication style does your target audience use primarily? Are they CEOs [...]]]> submit_url = 'http://www.marketingwords.com/blog/?p=185';

An interesting post hit the High Rankings Forum today. The question? How do you know when longer or shorter copy is required? What triggers do you use when deciding on copy length? (OK, so that’s two questions.)

Here’s my reply:

It’s a combination of several factors.

What communication style does your target audience use primarily? Are they CEOs or accountants who typically prefer shorter, to-the-point communication? Are they stay-at-home moms who usually like longer communication?

Is your product/service new or well-established? If it’s new, you’ll need more copy in order to explain and educate your audience than if it is well-known.

Does your audience primarily consist or men or women? If it’s men, they typically prefer shorter copy. Women typically prefer longer.

Many factors go into the decision.

What medium are you using? Websites give an unlimited amount of space while TV commercials do not. If you’re writing for the web, is the site a service-based one or ecommerce?

What’s the purpose of the copy? If you’re giving a sample away free of charge or encouraging sign ups for a free service, you won’t need much copy. If you’re trying to convince people they need more life insurance, you’ll need a good bit.

Notice I’ve been saying “typically” a lot? That’s because, like everything else in copywriting, there are few absolutes. These are research results based on a broad base. Obviously, individuals are not all the same just because they work in the same vocation. And, your target audience isn’t going to consist of one type of person. It will have several types. Even several separate segments.

Creating personas is an excellent way to tap into the information you need regarding who your specific target audience consists of.

What you don’t want to do is choose the length of copy before taking into consideration your audience and your offer. Sales letters, for instance, work best when there a single offer. You wouldn’t put a sales letter on the home page of an ecommerce site. It just wouldn’t work.

And search engines? Do they play a factor in the length of your copy? Not so much. I’ve gotten pages ranked that have 1,500 words and others that have 75. Because copy is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the SEO recipe, it need not be especially lengthy – depending on the other factors at play.

Don’t guess. Take the time to look at the various factors in determining copy length then test whether short or long (or somewhere in between) works best on your particular site.

Karon’s Copywriting Course teaches you how to better understand your target audience, choose copy length, write for the search engines and much more. Get it today at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

Have you seen the new Walmart commercials on TV? The money-saving super center has launched a campaign that includes several television spots that focus on the measurable benefits of shopping at this mega-mart. Not only is the copy a great example of branding, it also does a phenomenal job of portraying the end results of buying groceries at this national chain.

Pizza

In only 16 seconds, Walmart accomplishes several important tasks. First, they tell people (who might not otherwise know) that they have their own brand of take-and-bake pizzas. Second, they make a comparison to take-out or delivery pizza. (Often an important step in consumer decision making.) Third, they show that the end result of buying Walmart pizza (that can be baked fresh at home) is a savings of over $300 a year! Because Walmart gives quantifiable information in the commercials, the spots are very convincing.

Cereal

Another spot takes a similar strategy as it compares a fast food breakfast (at $5 per person on average) to that of a cereal breakfast (from Walmart, of course) at only $ .50 per person. Saving a family of 4 about $900 a year!

Most people caught in this trying period of economic uncertainty are looking for ways to save money anywhere they can. These practical tips are real attention-getters and - while they would most likely work for practically any grocery chain - they especially play well considering Walmart’s long-standing brand of being the low price leader.

Nicely done!

Want to learn how to write results-driven copy that also boosts your search engine rankings? Get Karon’s copywriting course today at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

While speaking at SMX East in New York earlier this month, I was invited to stop by the Webmaster Radio booth to do an interview about - of course - SEO copywriting.  Host Jim Hedger and I talked about what’s recently changed in SEO copywriting, what most copywriters do wrong and other tidbits.

Listen to the interview now.

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Linkscape(TM)

I saw an old friend at SMX East last week.  Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz was exhibiting in the expo to show off his new prize tool, Linkscape.  Another back link checker?  Hardly!  SEOmoz indexed the entire web in order to create a truly unique linking analysis tool that shows you who is linking to your site a long with tons of other cool details.

As copywriters, that can give you enormous insight into who is visiting your (or your clients’) sites and reading the copy.  And, of course, the more info we have on our target audience, the better the copy we can write, right?

Right now there is a free version you can demo so you have no excuse for not checking it out.  SEOmoz members get access to the full version included in their paid accounts.  Find Linkscape and other free SEO tools on the SEOmoz site.

Good job, Rand!

It’s actually pretty easy to add emotion to your copy. (Read: “feeling” not hype.) As you write your copy, consider the following.

Problem Solve

Acknowledge the pain, frustration, fear or other emotions your customers feel because they don’t have a product like yours. Then position yourself as the best solution to that problem.

Justify

Have a product that might be considered a luxury? Maybe your service costs more than others in the marketplace. Justify the cost by countering what your audience might be thinking. Phrases like:

Why settle for ordinary? For only $____ more, you can have _______.

Low price isn’t considered “value” if the quality is low.

Pay me now or pay me later. It only makes sense to get the best quality right from the start.

Deliver Proof of Performance

Countering hesitation, apprehension and fear is easier when you offer your customers proof that your product or service does what you say it will do. This can be proof in the form of specific testimonials from satisfied customers or social proof in the form of unsolicited product/service reviews.

Offer Comparisons

Demonstrate value, luxury, security or practically anything else by showing how your product stacks up to the competition. Comparison charts are highly persuasive especially if you offer unequivocal sources. Put notes under your chart that denote, “Rates found on ABC Company website 1/15/2007.”

You’ll also want to highlight your strengths as shown on the chart. “While ABC Company offers 6 features, you’ll enjoy 10 features with our widget for only $2.00 more.”

Show End Results

Giving a glimpse into the future is a good way to help your clients envision how much better off they’ll be when they buy from you. Whether you’re creating a fantasy or giving a real-life case study, seeing how others have benefited after using your product or service goes a long way to fostering feelings of confidence and trust in your customers.

For example: Just ask Jan. As an administrative assistant making $16,820 a year, she had lost all hope of being able to save for retirement. Her two kids, mortgage payment, bills and insurance managed to devour her paycheck practically before she ever got her hands on it.

With just enough left over to feed and clothe herself and her kids each month, retirement looked like something that was only meant for rich people. Until Jan discovered, ABC Company, that is.

Continue with telling Jan’s success story and watch your readers eat up every word.

Want Karon to write emotionally-driven copy for you? Visit her web copywriting site at http://www.marketingwords.com.