Long-Copy Sales Letters
You've seen them in the mail or read them on the Internet: mammoth sales letters that run on for pages or scroll down your computer screen for what seems to be a vertical mile. Do people really read these things? Direct marketers wouldn't spend time and money creating these unique and often controversial promotions if people didn't read them. Direct marketers often use long-copy sales letters to sell information-based products, such as pricy newsletter subscriptions or expensive how-to audio/video programs, via direct mail and Web sites.
Direct marketers know long copy works for their particular products because they test promotions continuously. If a two-page letter performs better than a twelve pager, they're not about to waste paper and ink on the latter. Direct marketers use long-copy letters in their promotions for one simple reason: It works.
There's a difference between long copy and long-winded. It's not easy to hold a reader's attention over a four-, six-, or even sixteen-page letter. You have to make sure every page is fresh and compelling. Write just one lazy, dull paragraph and you risk losing the reader — and the sale.
Long-copy sales letters are one of the most difficult copywriting skills to master. But those who do are among the highest-paid practitioners in the freelance market.
So how do you write one? In addition to the copywriting basics explained in other sections of this book, here are the essentials:
Make a big promise in the headline. But not so big as to be completely unbelievable. Empty promises such as “Double Your Income” don't work. However, a headline that says something specific, “How to Lose 2 lbs. Per Week and Never Feel Hungry,” can be effective. (So long as you can prove that claim.)
Write a great lead. Because the copy is so long, your first two or three paragraphs must be extremely compelling. Your words here must pull the reader in and motivate him or her to stay with you through the rest of the letter.
Create vivid word pictures. The sheer length of long-copy letters gives you plenty of room to paint scenarios, examples, and stories with your words. Take advantage of this!
Use descriptive subheads. The reader should be able to get the gist of the most important key messages just by skimming the subheads. (And many readers will do just that.)
Summarize the benefits at the end. Some readers will skip to the end of the letter. Others will forget details they read earlier. So on the last page, remind them of all the great reasons why they should respond to the offer.
In addition to these tips, be sure to follow all the other rules of effective copywriting. (See Chapter 5.) If you're weak in just one area — if you fail to prove a claim or bring some benefit to life — your copy may not have enough oomph to make the sale.
