A passionate debate is currently raging in the Copywriters Forum about long versus short copy. (If you haven't joined, do so. Click the "register" link the top. It's free. There are tons of tips from other very successful copywriters.)
The debate was originally sparked by a comment a very well-known Fortune 500 "guru" made about Armand Morin's AudioGenerator.com.
I love it, because debate ignites passion, provides insights and shows some very interesting clues in the way people think - and feel. Which is the very point I'm bringing up with the issue of "long copy."
Before we begin, let me remind you of a truth we must keep in mind...
Copywriting is "salesmanship in print."
And that hasn't changed since former Canadian policeman John E. Kennedy changed the face of advertising forever with those three words in 1905. (Selling has been around since the beginning of time. As sales trainer Zig Ziglar once noted, selling is the oldest profession in the world. Not that "other" job.)
Because long copy is exactly that: a printed form of a sales pitch. Every question, every handled objection, every attempt the close, all the way to asking for the order, are elements that are applied in long copy salesletters.
Copywriter Paul Myers made a wonderful point: "Your copy needs to be as long as is needed to make the sale, and not one paragraph more."
Gary Halbert once remarked: "There's no such thing as 'too long' but 'too boring'." In other words, if the copy seems too long, it's probably not because of the length, but rather, because at some point it started to bore you.
But the best advice on this comes from Dan Kennedy...
The person who says 'I would never read all that copy' makes the mistake of thinking they are the customer. And they're not. We are never our own customers. There's a thing in copywriting I teach called 'message-to-market match'. It is this: when your message is matched to a target market that has a high level of interest in it, not only does responsiveness go up but readership goes up, too. The whole issue of interest goes up.
The truth about long copy is that, first of all, there's abundant, legitimate, statistical research, that's split-testing research, to indicate that virtually without exception, long copy outperforms short copy. There's some significant research has been done that indicate that readership falls off dramatically at 300 words but does not again drop off until 3,000 words.
The conclusion you can draw from that is this: If they're NOT targeted from the "get-go," they won't read 50 words much less 5,000. (I urge you to read the entire interview available on Kennedy's website.)
If they are targeted and genuinely interested in what you have to offer, then they're going to want more information about it, not less. And that is the key - because the debate really boils down to three important issues:
1. Market.
2. Objective.
3. Results.
Respectively, in that order.
1. The Market
The approach you take (long or short, institutional or direct response, and hypey or toned-down) depends on the product and the offer (such as the price), because both depend on something more important: the audience.
Long copy does outperform short copy in almost every case. But I do say "almost." Different audiences warrant different types of approaches. In a handful of cases, shorter copy is best. It's all about targeting your market.
Target marketing will tell you everything you need to know about how to write your copy. A common obstacle I see is when business owners are "married" to their products and write copy for their products instead of their audiences.
Second, if your message is not targeted to the right audience, no matter how long or short the copy is, no matter how emotionally charged or not it is, and no matter how innovative or poor the product is...
... The copy won't sell. Period.
Find out who your market is. If you have more than one, I also submit that you should have a different salesletter directed at each different market - it's market segmentation, pure and simple. Even if it's the same product.
As the saying goes, "Different strokes for different folks."
2. The Objective
The approach itself will be based on the objective of the copy. Personally, I love direct response marketing (whether it's a long copy salesletter, a direct mail piece or an infomercial) specifically because it's measurable, quantifiable and immediate. It's one in which you ask for the order outright.
Or one in which you directly ask the reader to do something. Anything.
It's different if you wanted to use institutional advertising in order to build the brand of your product, penetrate a new market or create top-of-mind awareness - and not attempting to sell and generate orders on the spot.
Some people choose institutional advertising over direct response advertising. That is, short, pithy, clever copy, with a lot of whitespace, corporate logo and highbrow, highfalutin language. No phone number. No address. No selling.
And no urgency.
That's fine, but this will require a massive advertising budget, a lot of repetition and a ton of patience before knowing if the approach works. But if it does (and once it does), orders will start pouring in. Still, it's very risky at best.
Nevertheless, the question is, what is the copy's goal? Think about this. Is it to educate and inform? To build a brand and penetrate a new market?
Or to make an offer and SELL?
3. The Results
You will approach each market differently. And the language, and particularly the offer, must fit THAT specific market. Again, it depends on #1 and #2.
For example, do you use hyperbole, emotions and even "used-car" vernacular to make your pitch? Maybe. Maybe not. But consider this: while the language may or may not be hypey, "go to the court of last resort," as Claude Hopkins said. That's "the buyers of your product." And that's the key: testing.
If the language is indeed turning them off and causing them NOT to buy, that's what's important. Again, your audience will ultimately dictate your approach.
Is it too hypey? Too cheesy? Too "scammy?" If so, how do you know? Aside from your market and objective, the language you choose depends on your offer. But more important, it all depends on the results your offer creates.
Whether the reader likes the language or not is not the issue: if the language makes the sale, that's the true test. In the end, your prospects will cast their votes on your copy not with their opinions or feedback but with their wallets.
Projecting a professional, poised and credible image doesn't mean you can't be emotional in your pitch. People buy on emotion first and justify their decision with logic. Even engineers, C-level executives and politicians.
You can still fire up hormones and press hot buttons and stir emotions - without appearing cheesy, overbearing or downright crude. Some final words.
Don't go on long-winded tangents, and don't add copy just for the sake of making it long. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stick with the sale. Be relevant. Make your case, tell your story and provide as much information as is needed to make the sale... And not one word more.
Because the bottom line is this: the length and tone of your copy are dictated not by what you think, and not by what a copywriter or advertising agency thinks, but by your audience, your objective and, above all, your results.
About the Author
Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker and consultant. His specialty are long copy sales letters and websites. Watch him rewrite copy on video each month, and get tips and tested conversion strategies proven to boost response in his membership site at http://TheCopyDoctor.com/ today.
Now that you've decided to hire a copywriter, how do... Read More
One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions... Read More
One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to... Read More
Sometimes learning what not to do is as important as... Read More
Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an "art." While... Read More
I know, I know. Times are tough. You have to... Read More
Think you have what it takes to be a freelance... Read More
Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You... Read More
When you come to 'know' something, there is a temptation... Read More
Site visitors generally stay with you for as long as... Read More
A letter or postcard allows you to "talk" one-on-one to... Read More
Content is king. Without content your website is an empty... Read More
As with any business, becoming a freelance business plan writer... Read More
Yes indeed, that's all you've got, 30 seconds to make... Read More
When you receive a sales letter with typos or grammar... Read More
Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication? Try the... Read More
Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while... Read More
Doing the copywriting for your own website without the proper... Read More
IntroductionA pencil. Yes, a pencil. In my opinion, every great... Read More
When making a purchasing decision, people have their "rip off... Read More
As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more... Read More
Once a upon a recent time in a galaxy not... Read More
Headlines are, without a doubt, one of the most important... Read More
It's a common approach to writing copy. You begin by... Read More
Did you ever wish you could afford to hire one... Read More
Overlooking simple steps such as proofreading and grammar can affect... Read More
"It's the headline, stupid," is the sign that hangs over... Read More
If your ad is not generating a lot of sales,... Read More
Back in the late nineties, the phrase 'Content is King'... Read More
Year after year people make the same mistakes in direct-response... Read More
You're ready to launch that new product or promotion, &... Read More
One of the most important priorities of evey online business... Read More
When I show some people my advertisements, I sometimes get... Read More
Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy?... Read More
Whether you're an executive or a small business owner, chances... Read More
You have a choice. Do you want to be constructive... Read More
Your initial freelance writing assignments are the best way to... Read More
This week we're going to reinforce the training that Recruits... Read More
WHAT'S THEIR PROBLEM?How do you begin a dialogue with a... Read More
Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More
A subscriber to my newsletter asks: "Got any good pointers... Read More
Whether you run a home-based business or Microsoft, one thing... Read More
Want to get the most media attention and spotlight for... Read More
Ripped content: well the term itself is self explanatory. Content... Read More
Most people with an online presence will have to regularly... Read More
Your definition may differ, but I define a lapsed donor... Read More
You're ready to launch that new product or promotion, &... Read More
Do you want to make $5000, $10,000 or more every... Read More
About once a month I fly off somewhere to give... Read More
My name is Ann and I'm a grammar geek. There,... Read More
Subhead..How to bundle for valuable results without devaluing your productI... Read More
One of the most important priorities of evey online business... Read More
Nothing irritates me more than being told that there are... Read More
Where can you find out about freelance technical writing pay?... Read More
Doing the copywriting for your own website without the proper... Read More
While traditional marketing can work for the book author or... Read More
No doubt, the headline is the most important part of... Read More
Only about 20% of your copy is going to get... Read More
Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve... Read More
Ever wish for your own copywriting business?Ever wish you could... Read More
I imagine you are the type of person who really... Read More
I recently sponsored and attended Joel Christopher and... Read More
You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material... Read More
Writing for the search engines is much different than writing... Read More
Just because you're running a small business doesn't mean you... Read More
In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More
Copywriting |