Tate Clemons lists 4 Steps to Create Great Sales Copy

The power of words is often enhanced by writers. Words are magical wands common to mankind. People have communicated through letters, postcards, and now emails to express themselves well to others. Sales copy is no different. For Tate Clemons, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of ScaleBold, a Florida-based ad agency, a written word is the arrow that is capable of penetrating through all barriers. Here Tate lists 4-steps to create an excellent sales copy.

Be interesting. Stay honest.

A good product speaks for itself, but it may not be in the same language that your consumer understands. Your sales copy has to bridge that gap. It needs to bring the reader closer to the product. Many experts believe in exploiting the fears of customers. “For me, it’s a mere tactic, a last-ditch hope, and not a genuine strategy to make people stop, read and consider. The shock-and-awe approach is short-lived in success and long-lasting in infamy,” states Tate. “Instead, try and establish how a product acts as a real solution to a genuine need. People crave real solutions,” he adds.

KISS

“Keep It Short and Simple” is a piece of advice that’ll never go out of (writing) style. Clemons shares that “simplicity is a tough nut to crack; it’s easy to wax poetic. It widens your audience and creates a connection. It’s not about dumbing your copy down and underplaying the intelligence of your consumer.” To write a good sales copy, you need not wear the garments of a poet, but you need to get under the skin of your reader. Once you know what they want, you’ll find it easier to speak to them in a language they understand.

Treat the subject line seriously

Think of it as the cover you would wrap around a precious gift. You’d like the gift wrap to match the gift. You need to think of the subject line in the same way. Keep it interesting, don’t be afraid to experiment. “If your single line can bring out a chuckle, move the reader; you’ve got them engaged at hello,” shares Tate Clemons.

Just remember, some of the timeless dialogues in films are one-liners. “If you are good at something, never do it for free (Joker),” “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse (Godfather), “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. (Forrest Gump)”. You get the point.

Gentle persuasion

 There’s no denying that there’s anywhere between a little to a lot of goading present in advertising copy. However, if we only consider how little we like it, we’ll know that our readers reject such sales copies. “Use every word with purpose. Keep your sentences short, their idea large. That makes for easy recall,” concludes Tate Clemons.