5 Deadly Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Sales

Chances are that you are making many, if not all, of these 5 copywriting mistakes. I call them "deadly" because theyre killing your sales and your profits.

Let me make you a bold promise: examine your own sales copy and eliminate these copywriting mistakes, and you will see an instant improvement in your sales.

Lets get started:

Deadly Mistake #1: Being Focused On You, Instead Of On Your Market

This is the easiest mistake to make, and the most common. Most ad copy is focused on the advertiser, not on the consumer. Big mistake.

When you read copy that says things like, "Were the best in the industry? weve been in business since 1979? we have the most well-trained associates? our facility has won many industry awards?" what is your reaction?

Most likely, your reaction is, "So what? What does that mean to me and my life?"

If youre using copy that says "we", "us", and "our" a lot find a way to change that copy so that it says "you", and "yours". Speak about the things that matter to your customer.

Heres a hint: those things are probably not what you think they are. Why not ask your customers? They know the answer, and theyll be glad to share it with you if youre wise enough to listen.

Deadly Mistake #2: Using a Weak, Wimpy, or Just Plain Bad Headline

In the beginning, you only have one chance to grab the readers attention. That chance is the headline. Make sure your headline is strong, aggressive (without being pushy), and compelling.

Think of your headline as the sales pitch to get the prospect to read the whole ad. It has to be compelling enough that the reader thinks, "Hey, if this is true, I need to know about it?"

You get one shot. You cant afford to blow it.

A poor headline for an automotive shop: "Our Experienced Staff Can Tend to Your Every Automotive Need, And Are ASE Certified with the Guaranteed Lowest Prices."

A much better headline for the same client: "Are Hidden Mechanical Problems With Your Car Threatening The Health And Safety Of Your Family? Our 9-Point Safety Inspection Could Save Their Lives And Give You Peace of Mind?"

Deadly Mistake #3: Not Using Enough Bullets

Bullets break up your copy into short, readable bursts. Especially on the web, people tend to scan copy before they read it; breaking your benefits into bullets increases the chances your copy will "catch the eye" and thus get read.

To recap the benefits of bullets:

• They break up copy (just like this) into short pieces.
• Makes the copy easier to scan.
• Makes it easier to pick out key words and phrases.
• Gets more of your copy read.
• Makes you more sales.
• The more the better.

Deadly Mistake #4: Using big words and jargon.

Copy should read like conversation; it should flow naturally and be easy to process.

Using big words and jargon might sound impressive, but it wont get you sales. Which would you prefer?

Use strong, punchy words. Write simply and clearly.

Read Strunk & Whites Elements of Style and follow its advice.Avoid jargon.

Deadly Mistake #5: Using Weak, Wimpy, or Just Plain Bad Sub-Heads

You should use subheads every 3-4 paragraphs in your copy.Make subheads strong and compelling; think of them as headlines for each section of your copy.

If read in sequence, your subheads should sound like an abbreviated version of your sales pitch (which is what they are). Sub-heads done correctly are a way to "stop the eye", catch the readers interest, and get him to slow down enough to read that section.

What to Do Now

Heres your "takeaway" from this article: Grab your own current sales copy, this list of copy mistakes, your favorite beverage, and go through your copy line-by-line.

Ferret out these mistakes and eliminate them from your copy.

Do it now, and dont put it off.

Youll be glad you did.

And if writing is "not your thing" hire a professional. Having great copy is the single most important tool you have at your disposal to sell your products or services.

Get a Free Marketing Critique from the Author
Ray Edwards is a sought-after Copywriter and Marketing Consultant. Get a free critique of your marketing materials or copy (a $197 value) at http://RayEdwardsCopywriting.com.

Copyright © 2005 by Ray Edwards. All rights reserved. You may post this article on your website, or publish it in your newsletter, free of charge as long as you do so without altering its content in any way, and as long as you include the "About the Author" information. Other conditions may apply.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Copywriting Information:

Related Articles

Boost Your B to B Marketing Copy: 3 Major Copywriting Blunders and How to Correct Them
When you're writing or evaluating copy for a B to B marketing (also referred to as b-to-b or business to business marketing) campaign of any kind, you may think it's only appropriate to write formal copy in which you refer to yourself as "we" or "our organization" and let lots of other copywriting basics fly out the window.Sadly, these sorts of mistakes are the result of the major misconception that you have to be cold and impersonal in your copy if you want to seem professional.
Progressive Headlines Guide Customers To Buy
Headlines are, without a doubt, one of the most important elements in copywriting. As has been said countless times before, if you don't get your readers' attention with the headline, the chance of them reading your copy is virtually none.
Getting Paid for Your Articles
If you've been writing web articles to help promote your business, you may also wonder if you can write articles and get paid for it. What type of articles will land you some extra cash, and what control do you have over the resubmission of your content once you hand it over to the editors?Type 1.
10 Tips for Tech-Writers
Tech-writing is a tricky business. It's not a very high profile industry, so there's not much support around.
Tomorrow's Clichés Today
I went to Google and entered a couple of different search terms.The first was, to my mind, the cliché of all clichés: "Tomorrow's Solutions Today".
Copywriting Makeover: Search Engine-Friendly Can Also Mean Visitor-Friendly
When it comes to search engine optimization, copywriting plays a big role. You want to have excellent copy that appeals to both your visitors and the engines in order to create pages that will rank highly.
Copywriting Tricks: Nailing the Voice
Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what's commonly referred to as "the voice." What is this exactly, and why do you need to master it in your writing?If writing is icecream, then "the voice" is the flavor in your scoop.
Some Copy Tips From An Old Hand
I have been in the ad game for a long, long time. I have trained hundreds of writers, and I've been responsible for moving of millions £ & $ in product worldwide.
How To Write Headlines That Get Attention
No doubt, the headline is the most important part of any advertisement or sales letter. The reason is very simple.
SEO Copywriting: 7 Tips
So you finally built a website for your home-based business. How exciting is that!? Now you just have to let people know you're out there.
10 Tips for Writing Web Copy
One of the most important aspects of a website today is the webcopy - sometimes called the sales letter.In days gone bye, banners and graphics were all important but now it's the words that do the selling.
Lapsed Donors: How to Write a Fundraising Letter That Wins Them Back
Your definition may differ, but I define a lapsed donor as someone who has not donated to your organization within the last year, two years or three years. Donors who have not sent you a gift in over three years are not lapsed donors.
Sales Headline Copywriting - Two Quick Steps to Success
Get a Good Start for Sales SuccessThe headline to a sales letter is like the doorway to a store. The purpose of both is to draw people in.
Four Simple Steps to Improve Your Sales Copy
You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material about a product you're considering buying, but, as you read, all these questions seem to pop into your mind, but there's no-one there to answer them, so you shelve your plans to purchase.If it happens to you, you can guarantee it also happens to your customers when they read your sales copy.
Common Mistakes That Can Kill Your Web Copy
Sometimes learning what not to do is as important as learning what to do. Copywriting is no exception.
10 Keys to Copy That Sells!
Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ..
Online Promotion Beats Traditional Ten-One
While traditional marketing can work for the book author or publisher, the return is dim for the huge effort it takes. You must promote 90% of the time to even get a milligram of attention.
19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective
The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is the key - echoes through the Internet marketing mountains.Ad copy, sales copy, sales letter, copywriting or whatever you want to call it - the goal is the same for every Internet marketing business.
Write Hard-Hitting Headlines With Magic Words That Sell
Writing a killer headline for your copy is simple! You just need to follow simple dos and donts that make or break a headline respectively. If you think you have tried them all, check this out.
Writing For Sex Markets
Many professional freelancers will go their entire career without ever once writing a story about sex. Oh, they may craft a racy scene or two in the course of writing the next Great American Novel, or they might someday write an article about the latest in sexual research, but that's about as far as many writers will ever take the concept.