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how do you get both clarity + cleverness (the selling part)

by Mogly
8 replies
I've got a new business that I'm writing a sales page for.

In order to keep it simple let's say I'm selling monthly blog content to small businesses. (we work on a content marketing strategy with them, then create new blog posts each month and they pay us on a monthly contract).

On my landing page, I need to both explain exactly what my services are AND sell it to these prospects.

My problem is that I'm not selling something that is already widely known. If I was selling oranges, literally one line could explain what we are offering... but since this is a B2B service, lots of our potential customers won't really know about why they need a blogging service before they hit our site.

So I'm having a really hard time not making my landing page too long, because I'm explaining so many different parts.
#clarity #cleverness #part #selling
  • Profile picture of the author perryny
    Originally Posted by Mogly View Post

    lots of our potential customers won't really know about why they need a blogging service before they hit our site.

    So I'm having a really hard time not making my landing page too long, because I'm explaining so many different parts.
    Your customers don't need a blogging service.

    They want what the blogging service will give them.

    You don't have to explain all the different parts of how your service works. You should try to focus on what your reader really wants and then show him... no, prove to him... your service is the best way to get what he wants.

    gjabiz just posted a thread about "one "swipe" away from becoming rich." Read the letter which is promoting a copywriting course. Look at how much they talk about all the things you'll get by using their service, as opposed to details about the actual service.

    If you get bored while reading and feel like just skipping to the end... it's not that it's a boring letter. It's because you're not the target customer for this letter. Keep that in mind when thinking about your own landing page.

    If the reader isn't the right potential customer for what you're writing, they won't read it. If they don't even know they need a blogging service, why would they click to or read a page about a blogging service?

    Focus more on what your ideal prospect really wants.

    -Rob
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    • Profile picture of the author perryny
      If you're intent on writing this landing page yourself, you will have a much easier go of it if you read one of the copywriting books in the sticky thread at the top of this section.

      I would recommend Tested Advertising Methods. It's a fast read and easy to understand.

      It won't make writing your landing page easy (no book will), but you'll get a good understanding of what your landing page should be trying to do. And you'll be equipped to write a couple and test them out.

      It will also answer the question in the title of your thread.

      -Rob
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      • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
        A lot of your answers to your questions will come from
        the state of awareness your target audience has and how much,
        if any, pre selling you plan on doing.

        Best,
        Ewen
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Gould
      What an awesome font "Averia Sans Libre" is, can't believe I've not come across it before. Thanks for the introduction.

      Originally Posted by perryny View Post

      They want what the blogging service will give them.
      This. Far more of this. Your benefits are far too vague.

      And as Ewen said, get to know exactly who your market is and what they want.

      Then don't think in terms of hard-selling, think in terms of lining up what you offer with what they want.
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      Andrew Gould

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  • Profile picture of the author Mogly
    Thanks Rob + Ewen.. I realize how much gold there is in your answers here. (Really appreciate it).

    I have actually read a bunch of copywriting books/courses and sales/persuasion books... and I've sold this service a bunch of times to people through myself (not the website).

    I guess my problem is that when I sit down and try to write the copy for my own service, I feel disconnected from my target customer (I'm trying to envision my target customer and think about their barriers... their desires... etc.) and that's hard because its for my own service.

    Here's the URL if you want to take a quick look:
    Code:
    viralblogcontent.com
    I think I did alright in the clarity so far -- but I think I really need to sell more because "Your customers don't need a blogging service." << that is my main problem right now.

    Maybe I just need to think about the emotional (benefits?) of the service.

    If emotion sells for consumer products... is that the same for business to business as well?


    EDIT: To clarify further, how can I use traditional hard-selling copywriting tactics on a "professional" business website. Without seeming like a used-car salesmen, if you know what I mean.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by Mogly View Post



      EDIT: To clarify further, how can I use traditional hard-selling copywriting tactics on a "professional" business website. Without seeming like a used-car salesmen, if you know what I mean.
      Your problem lies in that you don't know your prospects well enough.

      If you really did and they have a pre existing want
      then being compelling is going to beat being persuasive.

      Being persuasive implies the reader hasn't made up his mind to buy from somebody,
      or isn't open to the idea of buying.

      This means thinking through if you have already got that environment set up.

      This gets rid of the confused mind.

      Best
      Ewen
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomasOMalley
      [QUOTE=Mogly;8899553]Thanks Rob + Ewen.. I realize how much gold there is in your answers here. (Really appreciate it).

      I have actually read a bunch of copywriting books/courses and sales/persuasion books... and I've sold this service a bunch of times to people through myself (not the website).

      I guess my problem is that when I sit down and try to write the copy for my own service, I feel disconnected from my target customer (I'm trying to envision my target customer and think about their barriers... their desires... etc.) and that's hard because its for my own service.

      Here's the URL if you want to take a quick look:
      Code:
      viralblogcontent.com
      I think I did alright in the clarity so far -- but I think I really need to sell more because "Your customers don't need a blogging service." << that is my main problem right now.

      Maybe I just need to think about the emotional (benefits?) of the service.

      If emotion sells for consumer products... is that the same for business to business as well?"
      Yes, you must use emotions to sell your service and give your prospects logical reasons to justify purchasing your service.

      You can find some good lead generation sales letters in Bob Bly's book, The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, to model. You can get it here:
      The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and...The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Faxes, and...
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  • Profile picture of the author Mogly
    Sorry to be dragging this on -- but I had another question/problem.

    What if my sales letter is too good and it gives clients the wrong idea? I've been thinking about what you said, and the underlying desires that I'm solving is providing more traffic (among lots of other things) to their sites.

    What if they are so enthralled with the service that they get an unreasonable expectation for results... that I can't provide? I've got a high-quality service... but I'm not a magician.

    Is this normal?
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