When you start selling things online to make money copywriting looks easy. If you're in IM, you've read your fair share of sales copy. Do you think it's really all that difficult to write that stuff, and a lot of times the letters aren't very long. If you are like most new internet marketers, it didn't take you long to figure out just how important and how difficult copywriting can be.
So what many IM marketers do is outsource their copywriting if they can afford it. Also, a lot of people aren't good writers, plus they don't like doing it. At the same time, every internet marketer should have at least a basic knowledge of how to create good copy-especially if you cannot afford to hire a professional to help you.
Headlines are, in some ways, the most important part of your copy. Readers see your headline first, and then make a split second decision to either read or not read the rest of the page. Amateur copywriters usually write loud, "in your face" kind of headlines. They use a lot of exclamation points and bold fonts to cover up the fact that their headline isn't anything special. Good headlines practically force your readers to keep reading, make them open to what you are going to say and prepare them for your pitch. It's not easy to do all of this with so few words. Look at the headlines that your competitors are using. Whose headlines compel you to read more? Which ones do you find annoying? Keep track of these things and use this knowledge when you create your own headlines. Good copywriting creates a sense of urgency without making the reader feel pressured into making a purchase. You're almost guaranteed to never make a sale if you try to pressure the reader to do anything. Just think about your own experiences. If a clerk follows you around saying "buy this buy this buy this" you will eventually leave the store (probably without buying anything at all). But you most likely did buy from the person who offered no pressure, explained the product benefits, and who was just polite and friendly.
You can also insert headlines into the text to introduce a new concept. If you want to prepare readers for the next section of your sales letter, you can use a bold headline in a larger font to do this. This is also a good way to reach readers who may be skimming your page before reading all of it. Many website visitors will do this to decide if they want to read the whole page or click to another destination. Copywriting is an art form that people work for years to master. It's the mark of a professional copywriter that he makes it appear effortless. At the same time, for internet marketers, copywriting is a skill that must be learned. Knowing even the fundamentals of copywriting can really help you a lot in your business. When it comes down to it, you have to use copywriting to sell anything. Without this skill, you will have a hard time selling anything.
