5 best copywriting principles to help you sell more products
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links to products or services that I recommend. I may receive a commission should you sign up through my link (but at no additional cost to you). I only suggest products and services that I wholeheartedly support and believe in and have either used myself or have used on behalf of a private client.
You could spend years learning the ins and outs of direct response copywriting, not to mention the thousands of $$ that it could take to study with the best (like I did). Or you could learn a few principles to add to your bag of tricks for when it comes to writing sales copy. Here are my top 5 principles for writing copy that sells.
5 best copywriting principles to help you sell more products
Being honest here, no you’re not going to become a top-rated copywriter from learning these 5 copywriting principles but they will equip you with some of the foundations to get you writing better copy that sells more of your products.
These principles can be applied to sales pages, emails, social media posts, product descriptions… you name it, you can apply it. So let’s dive in now shall we?
1. Know the goal
It seems simple, but you must know the goal of the copy you’re writing. You might think, the goal is to sell your product and that IS the ultimate goal, but there may be a nuance like “to learn more” or to “sign up to your email list” or to “share an article”.
These sound like a Call To Action but there’s a difference between the goal or purpose of the copy compared with the CTA.
The CTA is the instruction of what to do.
The Goal is the reason behind it.
Once you know the goal, you’ll be able to then think about what needs to happen in your reader's mind (or heart) that will get them to take the action you want. And that’s where the next two principles come into play.
2. The “so that” principle
Whenever you are highlighting aspects of your product, you’ll want to go beyond what the features are (ingredients, materials, what it does). You’ll want to apply the “so that” principle so that your customers can really understand the benefits of buying your products (see what I did there?).
For example you may want to talk about the almost real-look faux leather strap on the new shoulder bag you’ve just released. You’d say..
The new SENTIUM bag comes with a faux-leather strap, so real, [so that] you’ll never have to choose between your ethics and your style again.
Or perhaps for your new hair product…
By-Bye Cow’s Lick contains a secret formula of coconut oil and cherry extract so that not only will your hair shine bright like diamond, you’ll also never have to worry about the kinks in your fringe again.
Write your copy and then add “so that” to the end and write more copy. And of course like in the first example, you can remove the so that if it doesn’t make sense.
3. What’s in it for me?
This principle is one to remember for all the copy you write but especially any long form or story telling. Whilst your story might be about you or your brand you must remember to tie it back to the customer and WHY it should matter to them.
This is where you’ll always need to bring the point or purpose of the copy back to your reader. Once you write you copy, ask yourself one of these questions…
What’s in it for my reader?
Why does this matter to them?
By bringing the message back to the reader you’ll always be poking (in a nice way) at their desires and motivations for change – which is what your product allows them to do.
4. The bookend principle
In any copy that you write you’ll have a message or a promise.
Think of The Bookend Principle like an essay you may have written at college or university. You start with an opening, you get into the meat of what you’re saying and you end with a conclusion.
The opening and conclusion should both be tied to the main message or promise that you want to communicate so that you don’t confuse your reader.
For example, a product description may state..
Ethically sourced, hand-made copper water bottle. Stylishly designed to fit inside your backpack with additional on-cap cup for sharing. With the benefits of copper helping to keep your water fresh and ionised (for total wellbeing and energetic alignment), you’ll be happy knowing your purchase helps maintain sustainable sources of materials for a better future for us all.
5. Specificty
When it comes to writing copy, there’s nothing more powerful than being specific in your words. This works for highlighting results, promises, messages and even stories. The details are what connect with your reader and help them imagine themselves using your products, or seeing themselves in the future enjoying the benefits of your products.
For example, don’t just say…
The recycled coffee grounds combined with our patented secret formula in our hair serum help your locks grow faster than anything you’ve experienced before.
Instead say…
The recycled coffee grounds combined with our patented secret formula in our hair serum help your locks grow up to 3 inches in just three months.
A storytelling example, instead of…
I bumped my head on the toilet and that’s what gave me the idea of the “carbon capacitor” which is what makes “easy carbon foot-printing calculations” possible.
Let’s try this...
I was standing on the toilet seat, hanging a picture, when my foot slipped on something suspicious. I lost my balance and as I fell, my head hit the cistern and knocked me out. When I came to, I had a picture in my mind of the “carbon capacitor” which is what makes “easy carbon foot-printing calculations” possible.
More memorable, right? (bonus point for you if you’re able to guess what film my story takes inspiration from!).
What to do next?
Choose one or two of these principles and go write an email or re-write one of your top product descriptions to see how just a simple tweak can change the power of the words that your customer reads. I’d love to see the difference – so why not send me your changes via my form here? Send your before and after and I promise to give you feedback.