This is the fourth and final article in the series. Here is a quick overview of the topics covered in each article:
After a thorough analysis and uncovering your prospect's pains, you are ready to send them your UVP. But how to make sure your sales copy is clear and delivers everything that you need?
In this article, I'll guide you through the process of creating your draft and editing it to perfection.
As always, you don't need to be a copywriting expert to deliver your message loud and clear. But, what you need at this point is a thorough knowledge of your customers' pains and you need to have a solid UVP that will make your prospect want to buy.
If you’re still struggling with the mentioned requirements, then don’t worry. In my previous articles, I already covered how to find the most important pains and guided you through the process of picking your strongest UVP LINK TO ARTICLE 3.
Before we start, take a look at the framework of this article:
Now, let’s talk business and create a sales copy that will impress and intrigue your prospects.
The framework will be available to download later below.
LEVEL ONE: Creating a solid draft
In the first article in this series, I covered thoroughly the “world building” of your copy and how exactly it works. Feel free to check that article but for now, we will go briefly over the main points that are important to both know and understand.
STEP 1: Create the structure
1. Set a context (Why: Why should they listen to you?)
Here you have an opportunity to explain and cover what you’re selling, for who, and, most importantly, why. Here is your chance to show the value you can deliver.
2. Rising intensity ( Try: Let them understand your product)
Now that you know the problem, it's time to explain the solution. The best way to do this is by describing the benefits of using your product or service: explain how it will help your prospect achieve their goal. This will create excitement and anticipation around your solution, which is exactly what you want.
3. Call To Action (Buy: Let them buy your solution)
Now is the climax of your message. This is the result of all the tension you've built up. Guide your prospect into taking an action: offer them your solution and give them incentives to do so.
This flow is straightforward to follow for both you and your prospect. So, now that you've seen the major system of any sales copy, we can move on to the second paragraph of telling a complete tale in your message.
STEP 2: Layer your gathered data
The framework described in the first step is simple, but the way you combine it with your data is even easier.
At this point, you should have thorough data on your prospect's motivation, perceived value, and anxiety. If it’s not your case, then feel free to check my article here, where I guide you through the data gathering process.
Now, assuming you have this data, let’s apply it to our framework.
1. MOTIVATION (Setting the context)
(Desired outcomes/UVP/Pain points/Problems/Purchase prompts)
2. VALUE (Rising intensity)
(Unique benefits/Advantages/Product features/Deal breakers/Needs/Requirements)
3. ANXIETY (Rising intensity)
(Uncertainties/Objections Or Perceived Risks)
Here you can use my template to actually systemize your flow and turn it into an easy checklist process.
You see, creating a draft itself is pretty easy but requires a lot of groundwork behind it. Now, as we created our first draft, let it sit for a little bit because finalizing requires fresh sight, eyes, and readiness to change some things.
LEVEL TWO: Editing your copy to perfection
I’m a believer that the editing process can both heal and harm your text.
Sometimes people do the right thing and indeed edit their copy to the best shape. But also there is a large possibility to edit out things that were necessary, and important; you can also add things that make your copy actually worse than it was in the draft state.
So, to save you from crisis and overthinking, let me introduce you to 7 secrets of editing that will change your copy for the better:
Say what you mean.
Yes, I get it, that intriguing copy piques the interest of your prospect. It drives attention and can really boost traffic to your page. But when it comes to sales copy you can’t afford to be too intriguing and too vague.
Here you need to tell your prospect enough information to make them want to buy. You need to describe your product as best as you can and express the value as thoroughly as possible to pique the prospect’s interest. Though, don’t write too much, because if a person wants to really read something, they will choose to read a book, not the sales message.
Match readers questions
Here I’m talking about specific voice-of-customer questions. It all comes back to the process of gathering data, that I talk about in this article.
You can think of the headline or the main body text over and over again, but nothing will come close to questions/comments/reviews that your prospect leaves on the internet.
Make your copy hit the right target and make your text relatable by using words that your target audience really uses.
Impress the reader with the value
Now, try to re-read your text, and ask yourself:
“Does my UVP really hit differently? Does it impress my customers?”
You want to be memorable and you need to be unique in your own way to sell. So, here re-read your text and just edit your value proposition to perfection.
Quantify your proof
Numbers are known to behave much better and more predictably than people. That’s why if your copy has a number of positive reviews, clients, partnerships, and solutions - then you’re golden.
Fun fact though, people like odd numbers, somehow we tend to trust them more.
Create a cinematic experience with your words
In our world, we always talk about business: it’s all about strict numbers, benefits, revenue, and all that is delivered in a dry tone.
But what I offer here is to create a whole cinematic experience within your copy. Make your prospect feel your solution, make them relive their pains and anxieties, and effectively solve them by offering your product.
Remember, movies always enhance dramatic scenes by using heart-wrenching orchestral pieces, or they emphasize the meaning of the dialog between the characters by silencing everything else to leave the words hanging in the air.
That’s what we can do too. In the sales copy, your perfect tool is words, they have the possibility to create said cinematic experience. So, let me explain how:
- Use metaphors and analogies. Make those analogies so on-point that your prospect would instantly see/hear them in their mind.
- Replace general nouns with specific ones.
- Replace generic adjectives with vivid ones.
- Replace weak verbs with punchy ones.
- Barke the 4th wall. Make your reader feel like you're talking to them.
The whole point of the experience is to become memorable and so unique that your prospect won’t be able to forget you, so spice up your text a bit by adding an emotional element.
Show and Tell
The traditional fiction-writing rule of "show, don't tell" is risky for sales copy since it's often implicit. Sales copy can't afford to be subtle because people must understand your message in order to convert or act. So use imagery and express what people should notice with annotations and extra text.
Cut out the unnecessary details
At this point, after thorough research, you’ll be able to edit your draft the way you want it to be. And that also means that you’ll not only see but also feel text that is out of place.
To sum it all up trying to do this:
To enhance and polish your page copy, apply the 7 sales writing secrets. Make an effort to accomplish the following (for around 400 words of text):
- Add 3-5 analogies.
- Replace 3 dull adjectives with 3 vivid ones.
- Replace 3 weak verbs with 3 punchy ones.
- Come up with ways to prove that your product is good. This can include testimonials, data, and press quotes.
Try to cut your word count by 30-50% while still including all the important information.
Now you’re a pro at both creating and editing your sales copy!
