When most people think of advertising copywriting they tend to think of large lettered blurbs like “On Sale!” or “Half Off!” that always seem to announce the latest and greatest bargain to be had. This is quite honestly, a very narrow glimpse of what sales copy is and what sales copy does.
A very broad but accurate definition of advertising copywriting would be: Any and all text based material in any way relevant to your business a potential customer comes into contact with. Whether it’s in the form of a catchy headline, a compelling email, or an iron clad money back guarantee, these are all various forms of sales copy.
The important thing to remember is that no matter what the format for presentation, all sales copy is designed to accomplish three main tasks. Good sales copy should essentially perform the task of good sales person. Those three tasks are…
Introduce the customer to the service or product…
Explain the benefits of the product or service…
“Selling” the customer on the offer…
There are several key elements that make up a strong effective letter of sales. However, each element is designed to help accomplish your main tasks and smoothly transition your customer through the process of making a purchase.
There are two basic types of advertising copy to become familiar with; long copy and short copy. The common rule of thumb regarding which type is most appropriate is this: multiple products and or services (i.e. a catalog of products) use short copy, and for a single service or single product with limited variation long copy is by far the most effective.
Long copy works extremely well for small business, especially for a new startup because long copy gives you the best opportunity to properly introduce customers to your company, product and or service, as well as begin building a relationship with your customer
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