Long Sales Copy

Probably only 1% actually reads it all.

Less isn't more and more isn't less and more isn't more and less isn't less.

What's just right is the least amount of words it takes to
tell the story EFFECTIVELY. Sometimes that's two paragraphs.
Sometimes it's ten pages.

Do you know who reads every word of long copy? The target market, that's who.

When one see long text, most of the time, he aloof himself from this long text. If he really need, then he may read. I think no need to write more & more unusable content. Every one should write the main points first. Thanks

If you take a good look at the spacing and headings within the copy, you'll see the way it is broken down to make it skimmable.

When i'm reading the long form for something that I am interested in (say working out) i'll see what grabs my interest and read parts here and there on my way down to the buy button - where i'm looking for a guarantee to see if I have a safety net in case of purchase to put my mind at ease.

So yep - target markets read it, and good long form copy will teach you a few things throughout.

Long copy versus short copy is a question that has been around for years - it goes back to the times when print adverts and mail order were prevelant.

Read Scientific Advertising and you'll know more about how it works.

Not everyone will read every word (although Google's computers will "read" and interpret your text) but as slammer81 says quite a few will skim it.

There will also be a section of the market that reads the parts of the sales page that answer their particular questions - likely different parts for different people.

If you want to know more about long sales copy, take a look at Dan Kennedy's book Ultimate Sales Letter. The principles apply to the web just as much as printed letters.

OK for the record...One more time so people who missed it the other 1000 times its been explained somewhere on this forum

We know people dont read long sales letters from start to finish...

Here is what they do (and why a good long sales letter works)

First they scan the headline and the first paragraph (so this should be your strongest reason for buying) Then they scroll down to the price... Which is why your PS: and PPs should be right under the price, and they should reinforce the headline and strongets selling points. (there is room to add a 3rd USP in the PS that wasn't in the top of the fold)

Then if we still have them (IE they are the prospect we aimed at) then they will go back to the start of the letter and skim it. So the highlighted and boldened parts should be your short form sales copy, by that I mean if the bold parts were taken out and put on a seperate page it would read like a mini message and make perfect sense.

Now some of those will convert at that point... Still others will have questions

The rest of the sales letter is designed to answer those questions, and over come any objections

Different people will have different questions, which is why the long form letter comes into its own, use it to answer any conceivable question your prospect may have. Not all the questions will be relevant to each prospect, but you must cater for everyone so the sales letter ends being long enough to make sure every question or objection that could come up is covered somewhere in the letter.

For those that just need the bullet points and the price they have them

For those that need the bullet points the price and a specific question answered they have them

For those just needing a short form letter they have them in the bolded parts etc etc etc

Testimonials should be used to reinforce the message in the sales letter... for example if the sales letter says its easy to install any 5 year old can do it... then add a (real) testimonial here from someone who says... "wow im such a clutz with techy stuff and the install was a breeze thank you very much for making it so simple"

In ofline selling situations the salesman comes armed with a presentation for the prospect, which is pre written in most cases and has to be learnt parrot fashion... this is the short form sales letter. Any fool can be taught to deliver this... and it will result in some sales

The true selling only starts after the presentation has been delivered...

The best salesman know that in order to be the best you have to know how to counter the prospects objections...As a sales trainer i have seen new salesman get up from a presentation to leave at the first objection and sit down again as i counter that objection this can go on for minutes. I one case i watched a fledgling salesman get up 5 times to leave

5 times i countered the objection and in the end the customer (no longer a prospect) bought 7 units

The real selling starts once the short copy is delivered, remember that phrase...

The objection countering is the long form sales letter and the reason it exists... And the reason why if you just rely on the presentation that any fool can deliver your going to lose sales hand over fist.

This is now officially the end of this subject and it should never rear its ugly head again (fat chance)

Direct marketing techniques are employed in online marketing. Hence the lengthy story based sales letters with P.S.'s at the end of them that we see today.

You right NerdyGuy365, most people only read the P.S. at the end of the sales letter.

Some use long text copies and others use long video presentations to sell their stuff. For you it may seem too long but these long sales copies do make sales.

I don't really believe in "less is more" or vice versa... It all depends on how the content is presented and the value that one can get out of reading it.

But in reality, long, very long sales copy is not something that most if not everyone will spend time reading. If you have one of those, just make sure to have a compelling and attention grabber headline that will summarize the entire content of your long ad or sales copy.

What matters is the conversion rate.

No one cares whether you read all of that or not. If the long sales page converts better than the short one, then it naturally makes sense to have a long sales page.

Simplez.

For me, I don't normally read all the big chunks of words in a WSO. I only read what's important to me. Like its features, what can I gain from this WSO for my business, etc.

-Ethan

I tend to read the headline, a bit more text and then scroll to the bottom to look at the price,.
Really don't like long sales copy & the more glossy it is the less I am likely to read or buy.

One factor that is always overlooked in these discussions about how many
people do what, is CONVERSION.

A typical sales letter would have, let's say, 3% conversion? This means that
the other 97% of prospects didn't buy. So if we went along with what the
majority of the people did we would stop using sales letters altogether.
In fact, we would stop advertise altogether.

So let's talk effectiveness and not what the majority of the people does
because the majority seldom buys our product or service.

-Ray Edwards

If you are interested in what the text is all about, I guarantee you that you WILL read it all! It's just like it was mentioned before, the targeted audience will most likely take the time to read it. That doesn't necessarily mean they will also take action though. That's a totally different story.

Long gone is my answer, if it doesn't catch my interest in title, forget about it, who has time to read what is usually a bunch of sales hype and very little substance. Turns me off to see long sales page. Most are all the same as I have learned, never mind how many people use the same template and do not spend the time writing their own copy.

Success to all,

I think that if people are interested in something they will read it all.

Almost like reading a book for those who finish they were into the book, others want cliff notes.

If your promoting something expensive you may have to go into more details vs if your selling something for a dollar you may not need that many words.

In "How To Write A Good Advertisement" Victor Schwab masterfully simplifies this entire debate through a story about Max Hart and his ad man George Dwyer.

Hart and Dyer were arguing about whether or not anyone will read long copy.

Dyer said, "I'll bet you $10 I can write a newspaper page of solid type and you’d read every word of it.”

Hart disagreed so Dyer continued,

"I don’t have to write a line of it to prove my point, I’ll only tell you the headline:

‘This Page is All About Max Hart’.”

Most folks chuckle at the punchline but sail right past the crucial lesson in the story.

Do you recognize what it is?

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Dear NerdyGuy365,

Sorry, can't say anything else. Because nobody reads anymore.

Too many people who comment on copy length are looking at it through THEIR eyes.

If you're in that specific market the copy is about... it could be 30 pages long and you'll
read it because it's all about YOU.

Well, as long as it's not boring as hell.

If you're not in that market, then even 2 paragraphs is too long for you.

Long copy works for THOSE it's intended for.... for those who are interested
in what you're selling.

Sales copy is simply channeling pre-existing motivation to a particular product
or service.

And in most cases... those in that market, who may be interested, want to know
as much about it as possible.

Like John Carlton said...the more you tell, the more you sell.

You're writing to the people you want to talk to... those who are motivated
to possibly buy what you're selling.

You're not writing for those who are not interested.

Golfers will read 30 pages of copy, if it's all about their needs.

Non-golfers, they won't read 2 pages.

I had a 38 page sales letter that sold over $2 million bucks of a fitness program.

I know thousands of other marketers who wrote 5 to 10 pages of copy who didn't
sell a tiny fraction of that.

The length should be long enough to make the sale, and that's it.

But again, it's all about your market... you're writing long copy for them.

All the rest who you're not targeting? You couldn't care less if they read or not because
they won't be interested in it, whether it's 2 pages or 10 pages.

Personally... if I'm in the market for something, as a buyer, I want to know more about
it than less, so I can tell if it fits my needs.

The one thing that's helped me most, is to stop looking at things through the eyes
of me, the marketer, and start looking at things through the eyes of me, the consumer,
if I want to buy this item... what would I want to know about it.

Does it vary with price?

If you're giving away something for free, or selling a $5 product, I'd assume the sales letter wouldn't need to be as long.

We're preaching to the choir now - they've moved the thread from Main Discussion into the CW subforum.

Depends. Long Sales Letters are really big in IM - mostly because of the "suspicion" involved. Not everybody believes it's a real thing lol. But in other niches, I tend to stray away from long form sales letters.

Myself and some of the other experienced members on here are working on a device which administers and electric shock every time someone tries to post this dead horse topic again.

In the meantime,

Let me google that for you

...someone really ought to sticky one of these threads ^. Although, it is interesting to see all the self-proclaimed experts chime in on this. It separates those who speak from experience in this craft from those who simply guess based on their own assumptions about what works.

The point isn't that everyone will read all of it. The point is getting the most sales. A long sales letter grabs the most customers because it offers something to every type of customers. The impatient person can just rush to the bottom; the person who wants to know everything will read everything; the person who has little bit of patience will skim, etc. A short sales page will only get you the impatient buyers, so it cuts off a percentage of your sales.

Depends on several things.

But in today's fast paced society. Most people SCAN, then decide if they want details.

If your asking does short copy beat long copy, that is a bootstrapping question.

Long or short. It don't matter as long as the darn thing convinces them WHY they should take action.

From this very interesting article http://www.slate.com/articles/busine...lick_on.2.html:

“Research on persuasion shows the more arguments you list in favor of something, regardless of the quality of those arguments, the more that people tend to believe it,” Norton says. “Mainstream ads sometimes use long lists of bullet points—people don’t read them, but it’s persuasive to know there are so many reasons to buy.”

I think I read the same reasoning in the Adweek Copywriting Handbook...

Personally, I think length depends on your sales argument and where your prospect is in the buying process... and of course, the medium (ie. no long copy on a highway billboard... )

I like long sales copy a lot.

Yup,

-Cam