In affiliate marketing, when you are creating a sales copy for an affiliate product, website visitors first skim through a sales letter. During such skimming, if they come across a few attention capturing items, then they may stop skimming and start reading the sales letter.
A sales letter being a short one is not a solution since long sales letters have a better conversion. You can also explain the benefits and features in an elaborate manner so that a visitor is convinced and gets the "Purchase" mood.
With a long sales letter, you can still arrest the attention of the skimmers. The following are some of the ways that you can profitably employ:
1. First impression is a lasting impression
Your ad copy must look professional. The reader must want to read your letter and must feel compelled to read your letter. A word with a misspelling in your heading can turn off a potential customer. Why would a person buy from you if you don't take care of details? What should your customer expect from your products, or even your support for the product later on?
2. Headlines and Sub-headlines
Use a lot of headlines and sub-headlines to easily catch your visitors' attention. Expand on the benefits and features of your product. Have a sub-headline on each benefit. Your readers may want to read further if they find your headlines and sub-headlines interesting.
3. Graphics and Pictures
Use pictures or graphics that show your product or service in a better light. Also, use pictures or graphics to show bonuses. They will make your product noticeable to your website visitors. One Graphic and picture is equal to thousand words, so graphics and pictures also easily attract one's eye and make her take notice and linger on the graphic object.
4. Fast loading of Graphics
Be sure your graphics load fast and the links are working correctly. People don't want to wait. This is true especially if your graphic is at the top of your sales letter, and your whole website will only be shown after downloading that picture.
5. Short sentences
Use short sentences or sentence fragments. It is easier to read and understand short sentences than long ones. Very lengthy sentences may dissuade the visitor from proceeding further as he will realize the degree of difficulty in reading your sales letter.
6. Text Font and color
You should highlight important words and phrases in your sales letter. Use italics, bold, color, and underlining for such highlighting. But, ensure that such highlighting is used sparingly. Using too much highlighting may make the readers feel that you are frantic and will turn away potential buyers.
Use highlighting near the area where you want to have your visitors read more. You may want them to read the features or benefits of your product.
7. Highlight Product Benefits
Pick the three most powerful and appealing benefits of your product and repeat them in various parts of your sales letter. At the same time, be careful not to make it too repetitive and boring. This will help your visitors easily remember these benefits. Just be sure to rewrite them, so it won't appear that you just copied and pasted them into your ad copy.
8. Bulleted Features List
Liberally use bullet points to list the advantages and features of your product. Visitors will want to read more if your list is bulleted.
9. Postscript
Postscripts are an integral part of a sales letter. You should use a postscript (P.S. and P.P.S.) at the end. Postscripts are, probably, the most liked and read sections of a sales letter. As part of the postscript, you may include different points for the purpose of emphasis. You may remind the bonuses included, repeat the strong point of your product, or point out the urgency for the prospect to take action.
10. Buy Button Placement
With a long sales letter, place buy buttons at different places in the letter. Your prospect may have been convinced to buy early on, so provide them with the opportunity to do so. You should capitalize on the prospect's Buy mood immediately lest he changes his mind later on.
With all the attention-capturing phrases and other techniques discussed above, you can really make a visitor take notice of your sales letter and ensure that he reads it long enough to get convinced and there after buying your product.
