Here’s a quick checklist that might come in handy.

It’s an excerpt from one the checklists at DIYplr.com and we thought it might come in handy for you as well.

o Use attention-getting, benefit-driven headlines: What is the one thing your prospect really wants from your product? Highlight that in your big, bold headline.

o Subheadlines: Break up your copy further by using bolded subheadlines to show separate sub-sections of your sales page. It makes it easier to read and can grab the attention of someone who is scanning and about to leave your page.

o Bullet points: Bullet points are also your copy’s best friend. Bullet points are easy to scan and read. Use bullet points to tap into the pain your prospect may be facing, illustrate benefits and more.

o Write directly to your audience: When writing copy for a sales page, email or anyone else, imagine your ideal prospect on the other side of the screen. Say “you” and focus on your reader more than yourself.

We all know Internet users have a short attention span, so it stands to reason, if you’re talking about yourself…they will just tune out. But if you’re talking to them and about them, they’re more apt to listen.

o Know and continue to learn about your target: Even though we think we have a good understanding of our target market, there is always so much more to learn. Keep studying them, asking them question and tracking subjects and products of interest to them to grow your knowledge.

o Include enough information to make a purchase decision: Sometimes we might worry about copy being too long, but it’s not length that’s important. It’s about providing enough information on your sales page that fully illustrates the benefits of the product, answers many of the frequently asked questions and even overcomes many of your prospect’s objections. Don’t be wordy as that’s not necessary…be useful and complete.

o Be casual: Obviously, there may be some markets where a casual approach is inappropriate, but you’ll generally find that if you write how you speak, you can connect with your audience effectively. Avoid jargon in most cases and speak in plain old simple English.

o Use short, non-complex sentences, short paragraphs: Just as you want to avoid jargon, you want to keep your sentences simple and break up your paragraphs as well. Short chunks of text are easier to read, scan and grab the attention of your visitor.

o Transitions: Keep your visitor reading through your sales page by including transitions between paragraphs and sections of your page.

Some examples of transitions:

• And most importantly…
• As you may already know…
• As you may have noticed…
• Aside from that, one thing’s for sure…
• Bottom line is…
• Here’s exactly why…
• I’ll let you in on a little secret…
• I’m sure you’ll understand…
• In fact…
• Just imagine…
• Let me ask you this…
• Let me explain…
• The next step is…
• Today, more than ever…
• To prove it, here’s…
• You’re gonna love this…

o Power Words: Power words are part of an emotionally-charged language that is used to influence your reader. People react and buy with emotion, and these are words that help elicit emotion. They are often action words and create a mental picture for your reader.

Power words can be used everywhere in your copy. Here are a few examples:

• action-oriented
• advanced
• all-in-one
• amazing
• breakthrough
• complete
• easy to understand
• free
• important
• improved
• latest
• limited
• low-cost
• no strings attached
• on demand
• proven
• responsive
• save
• time-tested
• transform

o Style Matters: Use selective bolding, italicization, etc to make text stand out. Strategically place images and wrap text so that they not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also draw the eye in and make it easier to read the text.

Extras

o Images: Use images to illustrate products. If they are virtual products, create virtual cover images or use other images that illustrate the benefits of the product. Images can create visual appeal, draw the eye in at key points of your copy and more.

o Video: Whether it’s a slide show presentation, demonstration or you talking to the camera, video is everywhere. It can demonstrate things text can’t and can also create a more personal connection with your visitor who can see you as a flesh and blood person. If you’re using it with sales copy, test different lengths, but you’ll likely do well with a short introductory video that gets your visitor interested in learning more about the product.

o Audio: Audio can also provide an introduction and create familiarity with your audience. Try a short introductory audio recording that invites your reader to learn more about your product.

You might be a great writer too, but is it really enough to build a business around?

Maybe. Maybe not if you don’t have additional skills to go with that writing talent. See, making a living publishing your own content isn’t quite the same as writing stories for class or articles for the school newspaper. I wish it was, but it just doesn’t work that way.

If you want to make a real go of this, here are 4 thing you need to know to make content work for you…

• Your Target Audience: Of course, every good writer has to understand their audience. But when it comes to earning from your content, it needs to be in a way that goes beyond telling stories or sharing information. You need to understand them as a consumer of goods, not just consumers of information. We actually have a free target market guide here (link goes directly to download page) that might help.

• Copywriting: Whether you are selling something or simply trying to engage an online audience (with an incredibly short attention span), being able to write persuasively is important. Learning the basics of copywriting and applying them directly to your content and sales pages will go along way to capturing your audience and getting them to take action.

• Pretty Writing: I don’t mean pretty in that you have lovely fonts and fancy graphics, but rather that your writing is organized in a way that is easy to read online. You know the usual advice of short sentences, short paragraphs and bullet points? Well, it works. It makes your writing easy to scan and a pleasure to read.

• How to Make a Content Marketing Plan: I’ve said it many times before, your content should always have purpose and you need to have a plan for it. It’s much easier to get to where you want to go if you know how to get there.

These are all things we cover in our Better Content Marketing Course. In fact, we take you through 19 important lessons to make content work for you. And in case you didn’t know yet, next week is the last time we are accepting registrations for 2011, so if you want in, come on in.

Full Details: Contentrix Better Content Marketing

And bring this coupon code along…

Coupon Code: contentrix2011
Discount: $30 off lifetime membership
Expiry: Wednesday, September, 28, 2011

That’ll save you an additional $30 on the lifetime option.

Whether you join us or not, it’s up to you. Take the time to learn the skills you need and your writing talents will take you far.

She told me that she had been approaching things from the point of view that if she gave tons at first, she’d be in a better position to sell them something later. I think it’s advice that is given a lot online and I also believe that advice can definitely work. After all, giving can create a stronger bond between subscriber and publisher, plus it fosters an environment of sharing and spreading the word about what you have to offer.

Well, I think you can have the best of both worlds in a way that is manageable and very profitable…

You see, the give, give, give approach means you sacrifice a lot of profit early on in the hopes of a bigger payout later on. It also relies on VOLUME to make it work because you’re focusing less on converting your prospects and more on getting a lot of them, so you can sell at a later time. And of course, that’s all fine and dandy, but we ‘ve already talked about the extra work and stress that can come with that volume.

If you’re a small publisher who doesn’t have huge subscriber numbers and followers, you have to work with what you’ve got and that’s why I always focus on conversion in my teachings. You don’t need a lot of traffic or a huge list to do really well for yourself, but you have to be willing to sell stuff. And seriously, it’s not that hard to combine tremendous value with selling. Plus, when you provide value and sell/recommend at the same time, you will attract the targeted audience that you want. Someone who wants your great information…but who is also willing to consider your product offers readily.

Consider These Scenarios:

Scenario #1: Jane is a natural soap maker who embarks on a campaign to get 5000 Facebook fans, so she gives out free incentives for becoming a fan and for referring friends. She is also building a mailing list at her site that is growing a little more slowly than she’d hoped, but that’s okay because she’s growing her Facebook following. She is getting lots of likes and comments on the tips and content she shares, but sales are coming in slowly as she isn’t quite sure how to convert these fans into customers.

Scenario #2: Jane, still a natural soap maker, decides to focus on building her own mailing list because she feels that having this asset of her very own is important. She offers a free gift on subscription, but decides not to sell anything at this time, because she wants to build a rapport with her readers. She gives out more free gifts and about 3 months down the line, she sends a promotion for a product she is very passionate about. She gets a couple of sales, a lot of opt-outs and a few complaints from subscribers telling her she promised free information and that she shouldn’t be selling to her list.

Scenario #3: Jane, still making natural soaps, has decided to really focus on her marketing and building her mailing list on her own website. She knows that email has really good conversions and it doesn’t cost much to build and market to a list, so like in scenario 2, she wants to build this asset. She also has decided to give out a free report with sign up, but has carefully put in a hard-to-resist offer in that report and makes sure to follow up with her subscribers. As her subscriber numbers grow, she is able to see sales coming in and continues to follow up to sell other products to those subscribers.

It’s a simplified view, certainly. But as you can imagine, all three scenarios could eat up about the same amount of time…but without a good sized mailing list of her own and a conversion plan in place, Jane struggles to make things work. If you present yourself as a business owner who has good information to share, but also has products to sell, you are more likely to attract your target customer. When you focus only on the free and growing your following, you attract a much wider audience, many of whom will have no interest in buying what you have to sell.

And really, what’s more important? Fame or a successful business that gives you what you need to live a fulfilling life outside of a computer screen? I guess that’s a decision we all have to make for ourselves.

If You’d Rather Focus on Results Than Volume,
Your Last Chance for 2011 is Here

As you may know, we have a 19-week Contentrix Better Content Marketing course that takes you through just about every aspect of marketing with the written word…and then some. Well, as we did last year, we’re getting ready to shut the doors on class until 2012. We always like to take time to regroup, update and renew before accepting new students in the new year.

The cool thing about this course is that it’s very practical and you get specific stuff to work on your business. Plus, you can ask questions anytime you want during the course. That’s not something you see very often with an “information product”. We want to go beyond being an information product and to really give you the tools you need to succeed, even if you aren’t an Internet rock star.

Anyway, registration will close on Wednesday, September 28, 2011, so if you want to join me, now’s the perfect time. Plus, you can use the following coupon code to save an extra $30 on the lifetime option. Or if you’re on a very strict budget, you can choose the affordable weekly option.

Full Details: Contentrix Better Content Marketing

And bring this coupon code along…

Coupon Code: contentrix2011
Discount: $30 off lifetime membership
Expiry: Wednesday, September, 28, 2011

It’d be a great pleasure to work with you!

Without copy, it’s all just a guessing game and you should never leave things to chance when it comes to selling your products.

If you dread writing sales copy and don’t have the cash to hire a true professional, the hard truth is you’re gonna have to do some writing yourself. Sorry.

And seriously, NEVER skimp on sales copy.

Copy written by someone who isn’t copywriter, but is knowledgeable and passionate about the product (YOU) will likely outperform copy written by a hire that only kind of knows what they’re doing.

So with that in mind, let’s get you through this unbearable task…

Start by Brainstorming a List of Your Product Benefits

Know WHY your target customer wants to buy your product. If you sell a no-spill sippy cup, the benefit isn’t that it’s a cup with a lid. It’s not even that the cup doesn’t spill. The REAL benefit to a parent is the ability to give their child a cup in the car, not to have to worry about spills on carpets or being mortified by the stain their child left on their neighbor’s couch. Think deeper and go further to understanding why your audience needs your product.

Write a list as long as you can think of. There are no right or wrong answers. If you get stumped, ask your friends, family or networking partners. Once you have a long list, you are now ready to start your sales page and that starts with…

Create a Headline

Once you have a list of benefits, pick out what’s most important and shape your headline around that. Some tips for your headline:

• Focus on your customer and what they need, not what your company does.
• Offer a benefit or make a promise with your headline. Ex. No More Embarassing Spills or Messes to Clean Up
  
• Understand the emotional motivators like envy, fear, desire for more, insecurity, laziness, vanity, etc.
• Pique your reader’s curiosity. The headline doesn’t need to tell the whole story. Ex. How This Revolutionary Product…(they need to keep reading to see what the product is)
• Be specific. Use numbers, statistics and specific wording in your headlines. Ex. 3 Easy Steps To…

Don’t sweat your headline. If it doesn’t feel just right to start with, continue writing and go back and tweak it at the end. Sometimes it’s easier to get just the right headline when you’ve finished everything else.

Write Your Introduction

Once you know your benefits and have your headline ready, you can proceed with an introduction. Relate to your customer in some way and show you understand their pain or desire. Include some statistics that support what you are telling your customer. Then introduce your product, so you can share the benefits. Your introduction needn’t be long, but just something to warm up your audience, establish a rapport and to connect your headline to your benefits.

Ex. If you’re like most parents, you’ve been frustrated with the sticky spills that happen with most sippy cups. And the worst is, when you’re visiting with your neighbors and that spill happens on their brand new cream colored couch. Ouch!

Well, we’ve got great news. With our revolutionary No-Spill+ technology, we’ve perfected the no spill cup to ensure that you don’t have to constantly chase your precious little one around, worrying about a spill at any moment. A cup of juice in a toddler’s hand has never been so safe.

Stumped for words? An image can really help your introduction. In this case, a horrified parent watching a child spill would do wonders. Or maybe a picture of a cup with bright colored juice spilled on a rug could create that right mental image.

Add Your Benefits

Let’s go back to that brainstorming list. Now you’re going to refine it and include your best benefits that suit your target audience perfectly. You can keep these in bullet point form, so it’s easy to read. Add some photos of your product as well. If you can demonstrate how the product works, add multiple photos photos or better yet, create a video.

Make Your Offer

Now it’s time to make the offer and include a call-to-action . Tell them how you can get your product (order link) and remind them why they need it. You can also include a justification of why they should pay the price for your product. Ex. $5 for a revolutionary sippy cup that potentially saves hundreds or thousands of dollars on cleaning and replacement costs.

Finish it Off

End your sales page by reminding your visitor of some of the key benefits and including information about a money-back guarantee, if you have one.

Ex. All our cups with an unconditional 90-day guarantee. We’re so sure that you’ll be satisfied with your purchase that we’re willing to offer you double-your money back if you discover any spills…

Putting it Into Practice

Your key to getting sales copy right is simply just doing it. When you start with the benefits and really understand where your target customer is coming from, it’s makes it much easier to get everything else together.

And remember, as with all things, practice makes perfect. So keep at it…you’re going to get it and it’s going to be so worth it.

What if I told you that you didn’t have to work so darned hard? What if you could do a whole lot more with less?

Well, you can…

It all comes down to knowing who you’re writing for and why. That’s why we just put together a totally free guide (no opt ins required) called “15 Things You Should Know about Your Target Market to Immediately Boost Your Sales”

Sorry to borrow from an old cliche, but it works. It’s really not what you say or how much you say it. It’s HOW you say it and when you understand what makes your target market tick, you will connect with them and sell more products.

And that’s a promise.

Download Your Free Guide:
Click here to get it.