When writing marketing, advertising and promotional copy, there are specific formulas to increase response and effectiveness. Since your copy truly is the secret to sales success it’s important to familiarize yourself with the formula even if you aren’t writing long copy. Here’s why: There is a psychological process that readers go through regardless of copy length and regardless of reading preference ie: analytical reader who dives into all the copy or scanner who glances at the key points and quickly makes a buying decisions.

Knowing the formula for creating a sales letter will help you connect with your ideal learner. Regardless of the length of your copy you can incorporate the basic formula to ensure you’re providing all the information your customers need to make a sound decision about investing in your products and services.

The reason understanding sales letter copy is extremely important is not only because it follows a specific formula for success – it also allows you to infuse your own voice into a proven method for authentically connecting with consumers.

The formula gives you a solid roadmap to success once you dig in and pay attention.

The basic elements follow:

• Attention grabbing headline that is customer centered
• An opening that includes interesting facts and stories to further connect you with your ideal customers/learners
• Features to explain what your product is all about
• Benefits to demonstrate how life will be better with your product or service
• Testimonials to provide social proof of your claims
• An offer that showcases everything your customer receives for their investment.
• A call to action so your ideal customer takes the next step towards doing business with you or investing in your product or service.
• Add a P.S. to pull it all together and reiterate your offer
• Include captions under your pictures when applicable

It’s a little more complicated than it sounds, especially if you’re not wild about writing copy in the first place, but you get the idea. And, when you wrap your mind around this formula it’s much easier to create copy that works.

There are also specific sections of copy that are the most read. The first thing the majority of readers absorb is your headline. So, you’ll want to make that punchy and customer-centric. The second most read portion of copy is your P.S. So, make sure you include the details of your offer to capture the scanners. Finally, the third most read portion of copy is the captions under pictures.

Now that you have the formula, this information allows you to craft compelling copy to truly connect with your ideal market.

Take a moment to review your marketing materials today.

Does your copy incorporate the formula for sales success?

What can you do to make your message more authentic?

P.S. Still not interested in writing your own copy? Post your questions and let me know what you need.

Copywriting Expert

Lisa Manyon is the President of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. and a Professional Copywriter and Marketing Strategist specializing in POWERFULLY communicating your marketing message to increase results. She’s a published author and is a featured in the International Association of Web Entrepreneurs Official AWE Guide to Emerging Trends Every Online Entrepreneur Must Know and has written promotional, advertising and marketing copy for internet gurus and a wide variety of brick and mortar businesses. She's completed Glazer Kennedy’s Creating Copy that Sells certification and is a Copy Coach for Lorrie Morgan Ferrero’s She Factor Copywriting Bootcamp. Manyon offers a free Copywriting Action Plan with 7 Power-packed Insider Tricks of the Copywriting Trade to Dramatically Increase Sales of your Products & Services on her website

Copy (the written part of any marketing material) is the secret to sales success. So, is long copy or short copy more effective? The answer is both are effective when well written. Publishers Clearinghouse wouldn't send out long sales letters if they didn't work and coincidentally, newspapers wouldn't sell small space ads if no results were seen. Bottom line, it's the copy inside the ads that makes the difference.

As a marketer it's important to realize that there will be a difference of opinion from consumers regarding what is more effective (this mostly depends on where they are in the decision making process regarding purchase).

There's also an age old debate about long copy versus short copy. The long and the short of it is that both are effective when incorporated in your overall strategy. Some marketing strategies will call for longer copy while other will call for shorter copy. This is often determined by price point, delivery method and market. For example: You probably don't need a 19 page sales letter to sell an item that retails for less than $100.00. If you're offering a high-end coaching program a small space ad is not likely going to answer all the questions your prospects might have let alone overcome any objections to empower a well-educated buying decision.

Determining the length of your copy will really depend on your market and where you're placing your ads. Depending on your strategy you may need to masterfully blend long and short copy techniques to customize messages per medium while incorporating direct response techniques. While typically higher-end products warrant longer copy, the emerging trends of social media may force punchier, more concise pitches upfront to create interest and lead to longer, more informative messages. Think pithy Tweets and Facebook status updates or longer Facebook notes, depending on the message. Carefully gauge the approach that gets the most response and blend long and short copy techniques to continue to increase response rates.

Take a moment to review your marketing materials today. Ask yourself the following questions regarding your content (copy):

How does your marketing message measure up?

Are you skillfully matching your message to market?

What's your copywriting style?

Are you getting results?

Copywriting Expert

Lisa Manyon is the President of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. and a Professional Copywriter and Marketing Strategist specializing in POWERFULLY communicating your marketing message to increase results. She’s a published author and is a featured in the International Association of Web Entrepreneurs Official AWE Guide to Emerging Trends Every Online Entrepreneur Must Know and has written promotional, advertising and marketing copy for internet gurus and a wide variety of brick and mortar businesses. She's completed Glazer Kennedy’s Creating Copy that Sells certification and is a Copy Coach for Lorrie Morgan Ferrero’s She Factor Copywriting Bootcamp. Manyon offers a free Copywriting Action Plan with 7 Power-packed Insider Tricks of the Copywriting Trade to Dramatically Increase Sales of your Products & Services on her website at www.writeoncreative.com

Since copy (the written part of any advertising, marketing and promotional material) is truly the secret to sales success and REALLY connecting with your clients - it's important to ensure you're including ALL of the key elements.

Once you craft your engaging headline, create an enticing subhead, clearly show your customers or prospect the "What's In It For Me" factor, you get to the heart of your business by telling your story and you make an offer there's only one thing left to do. "ASK".

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer when creating copy is to always include an offer, otherwise known as a call to action. Just because you've presented an offer doesn't mean people will be compelled to take the next step. It's important to ask them to take a specific action. If you don't have a clear path to the next step you run the risk of losing any engagement you've established thus far.

What do you want your customers to do? Don't assume they'll come to your website or storefront just because you've told them you're there. Results driven advertising, marketing and promotions take more planning and effort than an "If I build it they will come" approach.

Give your prospects and customers a reason to support your business. Invite them in to your storefront, request they visit your website and be sure to ask them to take action by giving them a compelling reason to do so.

What are you "asking" your clients and prospects to do?
Advertisements designed to build top of the mind awareness without any clear call to action are called institutional ads. If you have an unlimited budget this can be effective. I'm simply making a case for the use of direct response tactics in all of your marketing efforts. Direct response ads get better results. They promote action, engage and motivate building relationships (generally in the form of sales). Plus there tends to be a much larger return on investment when you incorporate direct marketing and actually "ASK" prospects to act.

Isn't that what marketing is really all about?

Take a moment to consider the types of marketing or advertisements you personally respond to. If you see an ad on television that is unclear do you immediately gravitate toward the brand being featured? Probably not. When you see an ad with a specific offer, perhaps a solution to a problem you've been experiencing or an item that fills a need you have right now you're more likely to take action.

Ask your audience to take action. What are you asking your customers to do? Are they taking action? Are sales increasing?

Copywriting, Group Mastery Expert

Lisa Manyon is the President of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. and a Professional Copywriter and Marketing Strategist specializing in POWERFULLY communicating your marketing message to increase results. She’s a published author and is a featured in the International Association of Web Entrepreneurs Official AWE Guide to Emerging Trends Every Online Entrepreneur Must Know and has written promotional, advertising and marketing copy for internet gurus and a wide variety of brick and mortar businesses. She's completed Glazer Kennedy’s Creating Copy that Sells certification and is a Copy Coach for Lorrie Morgan Ferrero’s She Factor Copywriting Bootcamp. Manyon offers a free Copywriting Action Plan with 7 Power-packed Insider Tricks of the Copywriting Trade to Dramatically Increase Sales of your Products & Services on her website at www.writeoncreative.com