5 Ways to Start Incorporating Strategy into Your Sales Copy
Ah sales copy, (unsurprisingly) one of my favourite topics!
But there’s one thing so important about sales copywriting that I have decided to dedicate a whole blog to it.
And that thing is strategy.
THE TRUTH BEHIND SALES COPY
I come from a strategy background so my approach to copywriting will always have a strategy behind it. This also means I’m hyper-aware of when people aren’t thinking about strategy.
And unfortunately, I’ve been seeing a lot of just that! People just write copy but don’t want to (or don’t know how to) implement strategy. And this means that you could be wasting a lot of your precious time.
Because the truth of the matter is, there are so many things that need to happen and that have to flow together for sales copy to actually lead to conversions.
So if you’re feeling a little stuck or don’t have a clue where to start when it comes to adding some strategy into your copy, here are some things to start thinking about:
1) WHERE IS THE OFFER SITUATED WITHIN THE REST OF YOUR BUSINESS?
Take a moment to think about the copy you’ve sat down to write.
Where does it fit in your buyer’s journey? Where are the people reading this coming from before they land on this page? Is it a Facebook ad, an Instagram post, are they finishing off a challenge?
Thinking about this is really important as it will help inform the length, style, and depth of the page you’re about to write.
For example, if they are coming from an Instagram post, they won’t know a lot, so you’ll probably need to include a bit more information about you, your business and whatever it is you’re selling.
On the other hand, if they are heading to the page because they’ve just finished a challenge, they are already going to know a lot about you and potentially your services. So the page will need fewer of these in-depth explanations.
2) CHOOSE ONE FOCUS
One pattern I notice quite a bit when I read sales copy is that people tend to be all over the place. What I mean by this is they are writing about so many different things at once!
Unlike a blog post (such as this where you’re giving several tips), sales pages should have a clear main focus.
So take some time before you start writing to figure out what this main focus is and hone in on it.
Now at this point, I can hear you saying “But Kristen, the goal is obvious…sell the product!” and you’re right, it is!
But who exactly are you selling it to? What segment of your audience are you selling to? What are the exact frustrations you’re addressing by offering this new service/product you’re writing about?
3) HOW DO THE PEOPLE YOU’RE TARGETING APPROACH THINGS?
This can also play a big role in deciding how you write your sales copy.
For example, if your audience is filled with millennials, they’re likely to want things quickly. So get your point across in a succinct and clear way. You will also need to include more ‘buy now’ buttons.
However, if you have a slightly older audience, they’ll probably want to read a bit more and might want to be able to deep dive into your copy and the information you’re providing them.
Knowing who you’re writing for also determines the placements and format of your copy (like where your CTA buttons will go, how the text is structured, and the length)
4) HOW DOES YOUR AUDIENCE CONSUME CONTENT?
This point is really an extension of the previous one as it all comes down to knowing who you are writing for!
If your audience is used to consuming quick, video content, don’t be afraid to include videos in your sales page and keep the copy short and snappy! Or if they are likely to respond better to gifs and memes, include those (who doesn’t like a good gif?).
Or like I said before, maybe they like a good deep dive and want more words! It changes on a case by case basis, so make sure before you have a clear target in mind before you start.
Want to cover all your bases? Start with a great heading, a short video, and a CTA button. Then you can expand on things down the page with a couple of gifs or memes and a few more CTAs. That way you’ve got the short and sweet for some readers and the lengthy copy for your detail-oriented folks … broken up with fun gifs of course because this isn’t a college paper!
5) TELL STRATEGIC STORIES
If you’ve hung around any copywriter for long enough, chances are they’ve brought up the importance of storytelling.
And that’s because it’s true. You should absolutely use storytelling as the number one way to connect to your audience.
BUT, you have to be strategic about it! Think about what story you pick, the point of the story and how it connects to what you’re talking about- because even though storytelling is a great tool, if it’s irrelevant…it’s pretty pointless (and your audience will wonder why you wasted their time)!
These are just a few tips to get you in the strategic copy mindset and I really hoped they helped! But if you’re looking for a bit more strategic guidance, my Sales Page Sanity Saver might be just the thing!
Especially if you’re finding yourself repeatedly sitting down at your computer, staring at a blank page and having no idea where to begin. I often find the main cause of this is not having done enough prep…so let me provide the guidance for you to prep and you can do the rest!
And as usual, if you have any questions or need an extra hand when it comes to strategically whipping up some sales copy that converts, get in touch!
originally published at www.kristenwestcott.com/blog
