One of the most popular questions I get from subscribers about copy is, “Do people really read all of that copy?” Of course, they’re talking about the long copy sales letters online that you have to scroll to the bottom of to find out how much they cost. These letters can be anywhere from 5 to 15 pages or more and annoy some people.
The answer to the question is: “No. Yes. And maybe.” It all depends on where your prospect is in the buying process mentally. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Let’s first take yourself as an example. Are you currently in the market to buy a car? If not, you probably aren’t paying much attention to the car market right now (unless, of course, you’re a car buff). So you wouldn’t care much if a particular car got better gas mileage than another or came with an Island Blue paint job. But when the time comes to get serious about YOUR purchase because you will be intently concentrating on every little detail. It will scrutinize every word you can get about the specific make and model you want to park in your garage.
So back to them: Is your target market really going to read all that copy?
1) No. Some people won’t even find their copy in their universe. Billy Joe in Iowa is more concerned with his next day off from the construction site so he can have fun with his friends. Billy Joe is not his target market and there is no reason to waste time trying to reach him. I only mention Billy Joe to illustrate that everyone has a natural drop in leads. Everyone can NOT be his client.
2) No. Some people just won’t be interested in doing business with you for whatever reason. Jane is in the market for a water filtration system. You sell them. Unfortunately, Jane will only buy from pygmy goat breeders in Norway and you don’t qualify. Go figure. You can’t do anything about it.
3) Yes. People read your copy when they begin to recognize a need for your product/service. This is called the stage of peripheral interest. They may not be focused on buying what you sell today, but on some level they are interested in how you can benefit them in the future. Let’s say you sell a vitamin supplement for hair growth. His potential client, Archie, has noticed premature weight loss, but isn’t too concerned about it yet. If he stumbles across your sales page, he’ll flip through your copy looking for nuggets to help him make a buying decision later. For now, he may just buy a hat and continue looking for options as he finds them. He just isn’t urgently motivated right now.
4) Yes. People read your copy when they’re ready to make a buying decision. This is called the deep investigative stage. These are the serious contenders. And they will read ‘all that copy’ because they are ready to trade dollars for your product/service. It doesn’t matter if the purchase is for $37 or $397 or $3997. Nobody likes to make a bad investment. Veronica has been looking for a business coach. If you provide that service and she finds you online, she remembers that you’re not there personally to answer all of her questions (but she certainly will). That’s the job of her copy: to fully represent him when she’s not there. Therefore, she must ensure that you overcome all of her objections IN WRITING. She will have an internal dialogue in her head of frequently asked questions. Your copy better anticipate and respond to each one. Trust or mistrust is also conveyed through your copy. (As you know, no one will do business with someone they don’t trust.) She must visualize how her life will improve with her service.
Your copy can convey that by focusing on benefits. Do you have a guarantee? Are there signup bonuses? Who else have you helped? When you’re thorough, it doesn’t take long for the copy to become long. There is a distinctive pattern to keeping your prospect informed while maintaining interest. As advertising leader David Oglivy said: “The more informative your advertising is, the more persuasive it will be.”
5) Maybe. If Betty stumbles upon your site out of the blue with no predisposed idea to buy what you sell. The copy of it is informative, interesting and entertaining. She finds herself mesmerized, taking her credit card out of her wallet to rush over and order her product. This is a rather rare action, though not unheard of. Especially when the copy follows the proven formulas of the masters.
Long sales copy exists because it works.. If it didn’t work out, he’d go the way of the dodo bird. As it is, it shows no signs of losing its effectiveness. In test after test, the long copy outperforms its short copy sibling. Tea Wall Street Journal You’ve been sending out a four-page direct mail sales letter with excellent results for decades. Then, just a few years ago, they compared the four-page book to a longer letter to see which drew more subscriptions. The longest letter won. In fact, the long copy format has been introduced across all industries and has been a resounding success. Again to quote David Ogilvy, “If you tell, you will sell.”
Long copy may also work in your industry. But I have to tell you a little secret. A long copy sales letter is the lynchpin of your marketing campaign, but it doesn’t work by itself. On its own, it’s not strong enough to get cash flowing for your business. There is also supporting copy that is often ignored in the writing process, but is just as critical to the overall success of the sales letter.
When you’re ready to improve your marketing message (even if you’re not a writer), skyrocket your profits, and HAVE FUN, you’re ready to be recruited into the world famous *Bootcamp Red Hot Writing teleseminar series! www.redhotcopy.com/rhcbootcamp.htm