I collect original 1950s/1960s paintings, most of which I find on Ebay. And I’ve noticed something really interesting about the way I pick and choose what to look at in detail.
Even if the thumbnail image of a painting looks fairly crappy, not what I’m looking for at all, as long as the description calls it a ‘beautiful’ or an ‘excellent’ piece of work, I can’t resist clicking through to the fine detail just in case I’m missing something.
I’m not alone. Waxing lyrical and being enthusiastic about a product or service invariably makes it more attractive to buyers. As a freelance copywriter I always make things sound good enough to eat. Even if they’re intrinsically dull.
Want better sales conversion? Be enthusiastic
It’s partly about putting the benefits first. As I’ve said before, benefits sell much better than features because you reflect back at buyers exactly why something is a good buy from an emotional perspective. It’s one thing knowing there’s a zillion Gigabytes of storage space, however the fact that you can store a million movies on your gadget means a whole lot more to most people.
But there’s more to it. When you get descriptive you add extra marketing oomph, enriching your message with even more emotional value. Enthusiasm and eloquence sell.
Here’s an example
1. Features only: This iThingy comes with 50 Gigs of storage space and an extra-large LCD screen.
2. Features and benefits: Because this iThingy includes 50 Gigs of storage space, you can stash 30 movies on it. And the generous-sized LCD screen delivers a clear and detailed viewing experience.
3. Feature, benefits and descriptive content: A cool 50 Gigs of storage space and an extra-large LCD screen makes this great looking iThingy a must-have for keen movie fans. Crystal clear viewing, stunning detail, rich colour and enough space to store 60 hours’ worth of your favourite films… beat that if you can!
How do you know if you’ve hit the mark?
Test different approaches and see which works best. Then tweak the winning approach ’til you maximise its impact on sales.
When waxing lyrical doesn’t work
It’s important to tell the truth. You can make the most of a product or service’s attributes but fibbing is a big no-no. Unless you’re fully confident in your writing and marketing abilities, get an experienced freelance copywriter on the case.
