We write differently on the web.

If you want to convince your prospects your offer is exactly what they need, generalities won’t work.

Every word plays a crucial role.

You should calculate the space to the inch to say everything you need to say in as little space as possible.

People are in a hurry and only read what entails a promise.

In this copy mini-class, we’ll learn how to be specific and concise to sell more.

I’ll give you a hint, stories are very useful. But they can’t be too long!

So let’s get to the point!

Decide what’s the main message you want to convey

We talked about the Rule of One in this post.

Whether you’re writing a product page or a post for social media, you need to clarify in your mind what’s the main message you want the reader to take away.

And only one.

For example, with this mini class I want to share the keys to being specific and concise when writing for the web.

And here Michal Eisikowitz, an NYC copywriter wants readers to buy her guide to pricing.

Check her sales page, it’s super well-written. It’s a copy class in itself.

When you have your main message clear in your mind, writing becomes easier and more convincing.

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Share statistics and research

Most people who land on your website don’t know you at all.

At some point they’ll ask themselves, “Why should I trust what this person says?”

By adding information about relevant statistics or studies we increase readers’ trust.

“Oh, ok. She’s not the only one who says this. There are studies to back it up”.

Articulate Marketing offers inbound marketing and website design services to tech companies.

Their home page includes several statistics that help to sound more convincing.

You should always get to the point, so when quoting studies or statistics, just state the most important conclusion that supports your sales arguments, without beating around the bush or adding chaff.

Describe situations that are real and familiar to your prospects

The best way for the reader to retain the main message you want to convey is by describing situations they can relate to.

Use storytelling techniques to maintain readers’ interest.

If humour is your thing, use it.

If you are more serious, that’s fine.

Not everyone wants a laugh when it comes to business.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Lemon.io is a platform that brings together developers and start-ups.

I love the copy and design of their website, it’s super effective and fun.

Be sure to stop by and take a look.

In just two paragraphs Lemon copywriters make their prospects feel understood through a specific message.

They describe how start-ups feel about hiring developers, the pain points as well as the objections.

“How do I know the developer will do a good job?”

Because Lemon puts them through 4 levels of judgement and out of 1000 applicants they only keep 300.

By adding figures the message becomes more precise and tangible because it’s super specific.

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Let’s look at another example.

Pip&Nut is a British peanut butter brand.

Pip is its creator and here she tells how the idea came about:

Pip, (or better said, the copywriter she hired), describes how she came to this idea.

But she also doesn’t miss the opportunity to tell us about the benefits of peanut butter and present it as a healthy product.

Here again, the message is specific and relatable.

No eureka moments.

No entrepreneurial miracles.

A girl who makes peanut butter at home and decides to turn her hobby into a business.

Every word should have a mission

When editing your copy ask yourself how you can make it more concise.

Cut where you can: where you see that the message doesn’t lose its meaning and persuasion power.

Do this:

Remove those sentences you think don’t add any value and reread the copy.

Has it lost its force?

Is the message unclear?

If so, add them back, but if the answer to these questions is a No, you’ve then succeeded in shortening the copy without losing any of its strength and clarity.

Then go over the long sentences.

Could you say the same thing with fewer words?

Give it a try.

Your copy should include all the necessary arguments to convince your prospects to buy in the shortest possible way.

Let’s look at some examples.

“The other day, when I met my neighbour in the lift, he said something that made me very happy.  He said that the neighbourhood association fee was going to be cut down because instead of hiring a managing company the neighbour in 4B had offered to take care of the administration himself for half of what the management company charges us.”

I will now highlight in bold the most important ideas in this paragraph.

“The other day, when I met my neighbour in the lift, he said something that made me very happy.  He said that the neighbourhood association fee was going to be cut down because instead of hiring a managing company the neighbour in 4B had offered to take care of the administration himself for half of what the management company charges us.”

Let’s see how we can shorten it without the message losing its force or meaning.

“The neighbour association fee is going to be cut down because a neighbour will take care of the admin for half of what the management company charges us”.

55 words reduced to 28 and the important message is the same.

Try this exercise.

When editing, think about how to remove the chaff from the main ideas.

With practice, you’ll see it faster.

I hope I’ve helped you learn to write in a more specific and concise way.

See you around!

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