Sales and marketing writing
The first step in writing a sales and marketing web page is to create a profile of your target audience - the people you are hoping will visit your web site and read the relevant web page on it.
This will make it easier to connect with your audience. Use headers to summarise the points you are making and bullets to itemise the points you are making. This will draw your audience’s attention to both, and will also make it easier for your audience to follow.
Focus on advising your readers of the advantages of the product, rather than focussing on
its features.
There are a couple of simple formulas which you can use to remind yourself which priorities are the most important. One is called AIDA, which represents: attention, interest, desire, action. Another formula is called IEEO, which represents interrupt, engage, educate, offer.
Write in a style of English that is easy to understand, and don’t use obscure or outdated words, or words which are ambivalent, which can mean several different things.
For example, rather than write something obscure like `this product will satiate your needs’, write `this product will satisfy your needs.’ The word `satiate’ is ambivalent, it doesn’t just mean to satisfy, it means to satisfy to the point of being bloated.
Focus on the advantages of your product and also explain to your audience why they are an advantage. Just as importantly, tell your audience why they should be interested in these advantages.
Paint a picture for your audience, use colorful evocative words that will stimulate your visitors into action.
Be aware of the difference between the advantages of your product and its features (see above).
For example, a sentence such as `The product features several major advantages’ describes a feature, not an advantage.
Prioritise your content, don’t just list it in a random way. Arrange it in a way that retains the audience’s interest. Close your copy with a strong message - the `call to action’ kind of message, one that urges them to take a course of action.