Copywriting is a useful skill to develop if you plan on creating sales or promotional copies. Whether it’s for your own future business, or for an assignment in school, learning how to use words to drive attention toward a particular object—be it a product or service—can go a long way in your future career.
But while it may seem that copywriting is a skill only the best advertising and marketing professionals in the world can boast of having, it is actually something you can develop on your own with hard work and of course, lots of practice. Of course, the first few attempts may fall flat, but as you continue to practice, you’ll find it easier to attract attention to a sales copy.
For starters, here’s a template that works for many copywriters in the sales and advertising industry. It’s a fairly basic template, but one that works well anyway.
Headline
Your sales letter’s first few words, or your headline, should be brief, concise and urgent. A good headline is important, as it is often the deciding factor when trying to get readers to start reading your copy. The best headlines are those that pique a reader’s curiosity right off the bat. It should be compelling enough for people to actually want to know what you have to say.
Introduction
Serving as your follow-up to your headline is your introductory sentence. It’s essentially the extension of your headline. Here you can provide a small idea to the reader as to what your copy is all about.
Story
A good sales copy’s success will depend on the efficacy of the story you want to tell. People love stories, so be sure to use this section wisely to relay a situation or problem your reader can relate to. For example, let’s say your sales letter is for a weight loss supplement. There are a number of ways for you to play around with a story for this example. You can start by saying that you too went through some weight loss problems in the past. Sum up your worries and struggles, and round it all off with your offer.
Offer
The problem with most offers is that copywriters sound fake and too “salesy” in this section. There’s not much you can do here, expect to write about the product or service’s qualities and benefits. It’s often best to sound professional here, as readers often connect professionalism with reliability.
Bullet Points
When writing down your benefits, always list them down in easy-to-read bullet points. Avoid writing features. Instead, write down benefits, and throw in some details about the product or service’s features.
Bonus tips
A good sales letter will also have a guarantee, the type of which will largely depend on the company the copy is written for.
Don’t forget to end the sales letter with a strong call to action. Create a sense of urgency—you may do this by indicating the product or service’s limited availability, or the time period of a specific offer, such as a discount.
Sarah Epstein contributes to a number of marketing and education sites including DegreeJungle.com a college student resource.