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Knowing Your Market ~ The Key to Good Sales Copy
Author : Linda Offenheiser
One of the most important facets of good copywriting is
knowing the market you’re writing for. You must know what
this market is looking for and what problems it needs to
solve. Once you know the answers to those two questions you
can write effective persuasive copy that will bring you
results.
Writing generic ads that aren’t directed to a specific
target group won’t work no matter how well crafted the ads
are. So, the first thing you need to do is learn everything
you can about your market.
There are several ways you can do this:
• Surveys - You can simply ask what your prospective
customers are looking for.
• Canvass your customers – Ask your present customers what
they like about your product or service. Ask them what
specific thing makes them keep coming back to you.
• Forums and Message Boards – Visit as many as you can
every week. You’ll be able to tell from the discussions
what problems your market is confronting and how you can
best offer solutions.
• Ezines and Newsletters – Read everything you can find
that reflects the thoughts and feelings of your market.
The more you can learn the stronger you can make your
sales copy.
Once you know what your prospective customers are looking
for, you can write sales copy that targets their problems
and offers them solutions. No matter how wonderful your
product or service may be, if your sales copy doesn’t offer
solutions it won’t be effective.
You’ve heard it a million times and are about to hear it
once more ~ because it’s that important ~ your target
market is only interested in what your product/service can
do for them. That’s what your copy must stress if you want
response.
Push Those Emotional Buttons . . .
When you know what problems your product can solve, show
your prospective customers how they’re going to feel once
they have that solution. That’s where so-called “hot
buttons” come into play. Since most purchases are made on
an emotional level, that’s where you must appeal to your
market.
In other words, if you’re selling a diet program tell your
reader how she’ll feel once she’s lost 20 pounds. If your
words can make her feel she’ll be more attractive, full of
energy, more confident, ready to take on the world with her
new body and attitude, chances are you’ll gain a new
customer.
Writing effective ad copy comes down to knowing what
problem your prospect has, providing a solution and
describing that solution in terms that appeal to her
emotions.
When you apply this formula to your copywriting you’ll find
your response will increase many times over.
About the Author
Linda Offenheiser is the owner of Stress-Free Copy, a copywriting and editing service designed for small home
businesses. You'll find the write words at the right prices.
She also publishes a weekly free ezine, All the Write Stuff!, that's informative, friendly and fun! You can visit her at
http://www.stress-freecopy.com or subscribe at
http://www.stress-freecopy.com/subscribe.htm
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