For the next few days, I'm writing about how to craft an advertorial style sales page. This is important for anyone trying to do business online, no matter what product or services you are selling.
Some of these posts are more appropriately posted over on our writing blog, at www.coachezines.com. But the points are salient to anyone wanting to do business online:
You must learn to write content that persuades.
The general outline for this follows:
1. Grab attention with a list of 3 or 5 horrible mistakes people make
2. Positioning: Why should anyone read or listen to you?
3. Explain the problem
4. Explain why most solutions fail
5. Present your solution
6. Address objections
7. Provide proof
8. Make an irresistible offer
9. Clear call to action
I'm rewriting some sales copy for The Blog Squad so you can see how this works.
In this case, it is sales copy to attract visitors to join our Mentorship Program, Blogging and Beyond.
Here are points one and two, with the sample paragraphs I've developed:
1. Strong Attention Grabber:
Attention Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Authors and Consultants:
The 3 Worst Online Marketing Mistakes...
Which ones are you making?
To read more about grabbing people's attention, read this post: Hey Stupid! Are you listening NOW?
2. Positioning - why should anyone read or listen to what you say?
This is soooo important. You must convince you are a credible expert and know what you're talking about. But it's not about you. You must keep the focus on the reader and their needs.
You show them that you understand them and their challenges by talking to them in a conversational way that lets them know you know what their issues are. Here's my proposed sample of part two in this advertorial process:
2. Positioning: why should I listen, why should I listen to you? Why should I listen now?
We don’t honestly think you’re stupid or ignorant when it comes to Internet marketing – you probably have some success at it already. But we’ve got to ask you:
Are new clients regularly finding you on the Internet?
Is your website working for you?
Or are you working hard trying to attract clients, only putting in long hours with few results?
If you’re not frequently getting new leads from all your hard work at Internet marketing… then maybe you’re going about it wrong.
You may have the best looking website, and some great clients who refer new people to you, but if you’re not attracting fresh leads off the web on a regular basis, then maybe you’re spending your time, energy, and money in the wrong places.
You may be smart in your business, but if you really want to be smart about marketing it, then you need to read what The Blog Squad has to say about the 3 worst mistakes online marketers make.
I’m Patsi Krakoff, an ex-psychologist who’s teamed up with Denise Wakeman as The Blog Squad. We’ve been working with independent professionals like yourself for a number of years now and we know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to marketing your business online. We tripled our own business within the last two years by using smart marketing habits and tools, and we feel strongly you can too.
Now I'm no high-priced copywriter, so I'm open to suggestions and feedback. Does this section do the job it's supposed to do? Does it lead you to believe that I understand some of the issues involved and does it lead you to want to read further?
Next up: section 3 - Explain the problem
Related Post:
Are You Educating or Promoting?
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