When we think of a sales letter, we think of someone trying to sell something in the form of digital marketing such as emails or something through social media.
But what is a sales letter and how is it relevant in your marketing strategy efforts in the marketing world as we know it today?
Most importantly, how do you write effective sales letters that convince people to buy from you?
What is an online Sales Letter?
In a nutshell, a sales letter is exactly as its name suggests! It is a digital letter, often long-form and displayed on a “landing page” with several calls to action to get you to buy. It is designed with the express purpose of persuading the reader to purchase something without it being done through physical sales personnel.
Sales letters can generate tremendous revenue for your business, irrespective of whether you are selling physical products via an e-commerce store, ebooks or digital programs or membership sites. There were 1.66 billion global digital buyers in 2016, and that number keeps growing.
Creating a compelling, convincing and converting sales letter is essential if you have an online product.
This is an important tactic to hone in digital marketing and knowing how to produce a great sales letter that can generate effective online sales is a great way to move things forward with your business.
The Sales Letter: Basic Format
- Headline – Spark enough interest to hook the reader into reading further. You cannot afford to lose the plot here, but it’s with the very heading that you’re going to “go for the kill” “all in or nothing”. Some professionals say certain words prove more effective than others like the world “imagine” for instance, as this sparks food for thought within the reader’s mind.
- Introduction – Introduce what you’ll be talking about in your letter and how it will be beneficial for the reader who is now looking for a reason to continue reading. You cannot lose them at this point and have to drive them straight to the point in an interesting manner.
- Body – Tactfully tell your customer (reader) about your service or product and how it’ll benefit them. Answer the potential questions that the potential customers may have in mind while bearing in mind that the customer could very well be the reader.
- Conclusion – The ABC of marketing teaches us to “Always Be Closing” a sale. In the conclusion, you’re going to stir up the need for your reader to become your customer. Here is the chance to really convert sales with an effective call to action tactic.
Key Components of Effective Sales Letters
Master these components to improve your sales letter.
Capture your reader’s interest immediately
Of the many things to bear in mind when going about the construction of your sales letter is the very heading you’ll end up using.
The point of a sales letter is to sell something or to get your readers to purchase, but this cannot be done if you cannot attract their interest or attention with your heading. This being said, think of a catchy, attractive heading that is both punchy and effective for the copy that will follow suit.
Make it about them
When writing copy with your readers in mind, you should remember that this is not the time to ramble on and on about your business, but instead, the time to showcase how your service can benefit the reader without forcing them to buy the product.
This is a good stage to guide the potential buyer into purchasing by saying how it will benefit them. Ask yourself does your service or product answer your reader’s questions and could it help them?
Check your structure
It’s all good and well to know what you want to tell your readers, but having structure plays a vital role.
You need the copy to flow easily and read well because if anything, readers don’t want to struggle to understand what they’re reading at the end of the day as that may put them off and you could risk losing a potential lead.
Another great way to improve the quality and effectiveness of your sales letter is by reading it out loud, this can be done during editing but it will greatly help you improve the flow and overall readability.
Easy to read
As with structure, the copy should be easy to read. This point goes hand-in-hand with the structure as flow and readability will count in your favour at gaining good leads and even creating conversions.
You should be careful not to use industry lingo or jargon to avoid readers not being able to understand. Shorter sentences and paragraphs can help break down the content and make it a lot simpler to read.
Before sending out your sales letter, be sure that it’s been thoroughly edited and correct, and free of grammar and other errors that will really put a damper on its effectiveness.
Speak plainly but effectively
Another important aspect to remember when conducting an effective sale letter is to speak effectively and tell a story that will count.
People enjoy good stories, so speaking in conversational terms and letting flow effortlessly is key to achieving a positive result with your readers.
Telling a story is far more entertaining than reading something that is awfully serious and also boring for that matter.
Keep the excitement flowing
You need to maintain the interest of your readers throughout the sales letter and build a constant flow.
Readers could get bored along the way and for this reason; some newsletters don’t even get opened and read.
Keeping things simple to read whilst writing in an active voice, and writing in the most natural manner of speaking gets the reader more involved and able to relate to what they’re reading.
Make them want your product
As mentioned before, you don’t want to scare off your readers and potential customers by trying to fill their heads with sales talk.
Generate more sales with great sales letters.
To get people reaching for their credit cards, be sure to explain how the product, e-book or program will benefit them and answer in advance any questions the readers want to be answered.
Be sure to state your returns policy or money-back guarantee on the sales letter – these steps help to build trust with the reader and make it more likely that they will make a purchase.
Emotional gain
Playing on the reader’s emotions may sound unfair but it is actually a very effective strategy.
On the upside or positive sense, your letter could focus on how the service can improve the individual’s lifestyle for example. However, there is also a negative-like approach that plays on the readers fears and its here they will learn how difficult it could be had they not considered the product or service you offer.
The hints may be subtle but it should get the message across enough for the reader to make a clear decision.
Don’t forget to promote action
“Action speaks louder than words” is a true saying. Once you can get the readers to take action, it turns them into more than simply a warm lead and instead converts them into buying customers.
This is how to boost your conversion rate in one way, urge them to take action by “clicking here to purchase” or “limited stock available” or “book your visit”.
There are many great ways to introduce action. If there is no call to action at the end of the letter, you may miss the opportunity of “closing the deal” with the reader and potential customer.
Be sure to make purchasing from your website completely effortless.
The Takeaway
In the world of digital marketing, advertising tactics play a large role when it comes to being noticed above your competitors.
Make your offer irresistible.
In marketing online, tactics and approach can come in many forms but the way you use them and what you do about them is what will count the most for your business at the end of the day.
As a business owner, you’ll consider various methods that are going to help your business do well such as creating more leads and increasing your conversion rate with sales letters and other forms of marketing tactics.
Online selling doesn’t have to be a gruelling affair, but when done properly, it can be a whole lot of fun, plus you get to expand your ability and continue improving your business and your own methods as a business owner.
When constructing your sales letters, following the simple basic steps as mentioned in this post will go a very long way at improving your advertising and marketing abilities.
