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6 Key Tips for Writing your Own Marketing Materials by Amy Sorkin Kurland

When writing marketing materials for your business, whether it's print or online, the goal is to sell your product. Yes, I used the word "sell" - try not to flinch. This doesn't mean your copy needs to be overly aggressive and cheesy like a used car salesman. But there should be a strategy behind your writing approach. And it should be to get your reader to see the value of your product in their life while convincing them to buy it.

When writing their own marketing pieces, many entrepreneurs describe the features of their business in depth, feeling that if they've covered them all they've done a thorough job of writing. And maybe they have covered all the points. But are those points really the ones a customer cares about most? Will the content convince a reader that the product provided by their company is the best one to choose? Copywriting is only partially about what you present to your reader. The other half is about how you present it. So to help you do both better, below are 6 copywriting tips for writing copy that sells.

1. Stress benefits.
Simply telling someone what you do or offer is not enough. You have to point out how your product will better their life. What this boils down to is features and benefits. A feature is a description of something. A benefit answers the reader's question, "What's in it for me?" It tells them what a particular feature will do for them. Benefits are what you should always be emphasizing.

For example, let's say you sell index cards. On your brochure you could simply write, "Our cards come in many different colors." But it would be of much more value to your reader if you put this information in the form of a benefit: "Our multi-colored cards allow you to color code your work items in order of priority." You can mention the feature, but you should make the benefit the main focus.

2. Lay out the problem, then offer a solution.
We tend to feel more connected to and trust those who understand our pain. To sell through written words, you need to identify and appeal to your readers' pain. By pain I mean their problems and challenges. Then once you've done this, offer a solution…your product.

Many people hire writers because they don't feel confident they can do it themselves. So if I'm writing a brochure for my writing services, I might address this issue at the start. I might write, "Your company brochure is often the first impression you make on a potential client. So you want to be sure it accurately conveys your desired image, your specific services, and how these services will help your clients. But are you confident you can write copy that clearly addresses all of the above? Do you have a specific writing strategy? And even if you do, do you really have the time to write copy that meets your highest standards?" Then I would follow that up with how my service would help in these areas.

By laying out the problem in some detail, you're connecting with your reader. And they will be more likely to trust and therefore buy from you as a result.

3. Speak directly to your reader.
Don't be afraid to use the word "you" in your copy. In fact, use it freely! Often people write to their readers in the third person, like so: "Many people feel like they're stuck and have no choices. But that's because they simply don't see all their options." Instead write, "Often it might feel like you're stuck and have no choices. But that's because you simply aren't seeing all your options."

The third person is distancing. Using "you" creates a more personal relationship, which is what you want to gain trust and keep your reader interested. By the way, it helps to imagine that you're writing to only one reader. This will make your writing come across more personal than if you imagine writing to many people at the same time.

4. Forget what you learned in school.
That's right - it's time to rebel! Academic writing is what most of us automatically default to when we write. Academic writing, however, is stiff and formal. To hook and maintain your reader's interest, your writing has to be lively and engaging. Down-to-earth. This means taking liberties with style and even breaking grammatical rules. Like starting sentences with prepositions. Using phrases for sentences. And talking like you'd talk to a friend - which often means using contractions like "you're" and "you'd."

The key is to write like you talk. Don't allow your reader trip over grammatical formalities. And your writing voice should have an individual personality. The warmer and more human it is, the more you will connect with your readers.

5. Write to yourself.
By this I mean you should put yourself in the shoes of your reader and pretend you're a potential client of your own. Then you have to ask yourself some questions: Why would you benefit your product? What would convince you to purchase it? What would be your doubts or skepticisms about it? And what would convince you that your company is the one you should choose over its competitors? Etc.

Examine things from your reader's point of view. And appeal to their emotions. If you do those things, they'll be one step closer to becoming your client.

6. Write concisely.
For literary prose, wordiness can work. Not typically so for marketing materials. Your point is usually amplified when there are less words to distract from it. So pare down your sentences by ridding them of unnecessary words and phrases.

Readers are in a hurry. You’re lucky if they're reading your material at all. So respect their time: give them what they want and get out. They will thank you by reading the rest of what you wrote.

Amy Sorkin is a freelance journalist and copywriter specializing in print advertising and marketing collateral. Her website (a good example of all the points above, by the way) is http://www.amyswords.com.