5 tips for marketing copy that sells 💸 (+ parallel parking tips)

------=_Part_4493370_2065677267.1682085936625 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_4493371_1324936559.1682085936626" ------=_Part_4493371_1324936559.1682085936626 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ============================================================ MarketingProfs Communication Today Today let's focus on writing marketing copy that sells. Read this issue on the Web. Just follow this link: ============================================================ You received this newsletter at this address ({EMAIL}) as part of your subscription to MarketingProfs.com, or because you subscribed to our newsletter. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. Manage your mail preferences: If you prefer to no longer receive MarketingProfs Communication Today, you can always leave this list: Copyright 2000-2023 MarketingProfs LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1985 Riviera Dr, Ste 103-17 | Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 | (866) 557-9625 ------=_Part_4493371_1324936559.1682085936626 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 A monthly newsletter o= n marketing writing & communications, by Ann Handley.=20 =20 =09 =09 =20 =20 =20 =09 =20 =09 =20 =09=09=09=20 =20 [3D"MarketingProfs] =20 =20 =20 April 2023 =20 =20 =20 Hello, friend. One of the things I love about writing is that you're never done improving. =09=09=09=09=09 One of the things I hate about writing is that you're never done improving. =09=09=09=09=09 It's both, isn't it? =09=09=09=09=09 There's always room to grow. There's never a point where you check or consi= der the task (BOOM!) finished. =09=09=09=09=09 It's like a lot of things in life, I guess. Public speaking. Personal relat= ionships. Parallel parking. =09=09=09=09=09 There's always room to get better. (Except me and parallel parking. I'm lyi= ng about that; I'm already very, very good at it.) =09=09=09=09=09 Anyway: writing. Today let's focus on writing marketing copy that sells. * * = * "But I'm not in Sales," you might be saying to yourself. =09=09=09=09=09 Yet you will probably write sales copy to market something you cre= ate. =09=09=09=09=09 You'll have just a few hundred words to convince someone to take action. =09=09=09=09=09 To click Download Fill out a form Buy something Love you a little more =09=09=09=09 Time out for a quick i= nternal debate: Is "love you more" an "action" someone might opt to ta= ke? Or is love instead a feeling that flourishes? Is "love" the goal? Or is= "love" a byproduct? =09=09=09=09=09 The trick in parallel parking is to know exactly when to turn = the wheel. =09=09=09=09=09 * * = * Here's how to give your copy a glow up! =09=09=09=09=09 =E2=9E=A1=EF=B8=8F 1. Conjure up your buyers. =09=09=09=09=09 Fix them in your mind with permanent adhesive. =09=09=09=09=09 Speak directly to them, reflecting empathy for the problem that you solve. =09=09=09=09=09 » What hell is your buyer in? » What salvation does this offer? ([h/t Aaron Orendorff](3D"=)) =09=09=09=09=09 Manifest what you hope your buyers will do. =09=09=09=09=09 Close your eyes. Literally SEE them take the action you want them to take. =09=09=09=09=09 Time out for a reality= check: Does Manifesting actually guarantee a desired outcome? No. Thi= s is an empathy exercise. =09=09=09=09=09 But then again... maybe? What's the harm? And what's that line from Hamlet.= ..? There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt= of in your philosophy. =09=09=09=09=09 =E2=9E=A1=EF=B8=8F 2. Write the salvation in 3 or 5 bullets.= g> =09=09=09=09=09 Your salve eases the pain. =09=09=09=09=09 Odd numbers work best. [That's ju= st science](3D"). =09=09=09=09=09 Bullets. Not paragraphs. This is a get-in/get-out situation. =09=09=09=09=09 =E2=9E=A1=EF=B8=8F 3. Keep the phrasing and structure of your bulle= ts consistent. =09=09=09=09=09 Each bullet should follow the same sentence construction. Don't flip around= between approaches, giving your reader whiplash. =09=09=09=09=09 Don't begin one bullet with "You'll understand how cats bark" and the next = one with "Witnessing why barking cats confuse the canines" and the next wit= h "Dogs, though, just can't meow." =09=09=09=09=09 It's a small thing. =09=09=09=09=09 But why install a tripwire in the middle of a situation where you're trying= to encourage the reader to keep going...? =09=09=09=09=09 Parallelism matters. In writing and in parking. =09=09=09=09=09 =E2=9E=A1=EF=B8=8F 4. Mirror the voice. =09=09=09=09=09 Any sales copy should sound like the product it's promoting. It should feel= like the same author wrote it. =09=09=09=09=09 Don't let it sound like marketing. =09=09=09=09=09 Don't sound like you're hawking Ginsu knives on QVC. (But wait! There's= more!) =09=09=09=09=09 Do you believe your product helps people? Of course you do. Just say how. =09=09=09=09=09 We don't need to overcomplicate marketing. (Although we love to, don't we?) =09=09=09=09=09 =E2=9E=A1=EF=B8=8F 5. Consider word choice. =09=09=09=09=09 Discover sounds more adventurous than learn. =09=09=09=09=09 Packed with is stronger than offers or contains. Use action words you can "see" in your brain. =E2=9E=A1=EF=B8=8F Bonus Tips: Eyeball for white space. Read it out= loud; listen for the music and flow. =09=09=09=09=09 Always. Do this with everything you write. =09=09=09=09=09 This is 2023. White space is oxygen. We won't read chunks of text. =09=09=09=09=09 Your goal is to appeal to the skimmers & scrollers. (We are all skimmer= s & scrollers.) =09=09=09=09=09 Your goal is to stop the scroll. * * = * =09=09=09=09=09 The trick in parallel parking is to align your car with the parked car in f= ront of the open space meant for your car. Turn the wheel hard toward your = parking spot as you slowly back up. When your front tires align with the ba= ck tires of the car you're parking behind... STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL NOW. = CUT IT CUT IT CUT IT!! =09=09=09=09=09 ...and glide in like a pageant queen. =09=09=09=09=09 =09=09=09=09=09 =09=09=09=09=09 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 =20 [3D"Ann] Chief Content Officer, MarketingPr= ofs Author, Everybody Writes: Your New and Improved Go-To Guide to Creating= Ridiculously Good Content =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09=20 =20 [3D"[On-Demand](=3D") The 10 Things Great Marketing Writers Do That Set T= hem Apart* [On-Demand Webinar] Everybody writes—but not everybody wants to read i= t! Good news, though: This webinar can fix that for you. Join me, Ann Handl= ey, to discover the 10 things you can do to stand out with excellent conten= t. You'll also get the Writing GPS system I use to write my books, emails, = and more. [Discover how to cre= ate](3D") ridiculously good content! =09=09=09=09=09 *Available only to those with MarketingProfs [PRO membership](3D"=). =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 Marketing Communication Resources =20 [3D"Article"] [Article] [F= ive Ways to Make Your Marketing Copy a Whole Lot More Engaging](3D"=) [3D"Podcast"] [Podcast] [T= he Mechanics of Running a Content-First B2B Marketing Department: Joe Puliz= zi on Marketing Smarts](3D"=) [3D"Article"] [Article] [W= ant Better Sales Copy? Take a Tip From Zig Ziglar](3D"=) =09 [3D"Research"] [Research] [= Why Tone Matters More Than Ever in Business Communication](3D"=) [3D"Article"] [Article] [T= he True Cost of Bad Writing](3D"=) =09=09=09=09 =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09 A Message From Augie Handley [3D"Augie!"] =09=09=09 Spring greetings from Augie and best bud Mini * * = * Th= anks for reading this far. Like this? Want to see something specific? [Please hit reply and let me know]! I re= ad all your emails personally, and I'd love to hear. =09=09=09 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =09=09=09 Your Communication Today Team Your team for this issue (in alphabetical order): Megan C= ordero, production director; Vahe Habeshian, publications director; Ann Han= dley, chief content officer; Augie Handley, naps expert. =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 [3D"Ma=](3D"=) Copyright © 2000–2023 MarketingProfs, LLC All Rig= hts Reserved Read our Terms of Service [here](3D"=). This email was sent to {EMAIL} as part o= f your MarketingProfs subscription. If you prefer to no longer receiv= e MarketingProfs Communication Today, you can always [l= eave this list](3D"). =09=09=09 Did someone who cares about you forward this to you? [Subscribe here](3D=) to get your own copy. MarketingProfs, LLC | 1985 Riviera Dr, Ste 103-17 | Mount Pl= easant, SC 29464 | (866) 557-9625 =20 ------=_Part_4493371_1324936559.1682085936626-- ------=_Part_4493370_2065677267.1682085936625--