Tell More To Sell More!

When reading any “how to” about blogging, we often come across instructions urging us to make our writing concise. Use fewer words because people’s attention span online is limited. Make use of bullets or numbered lists to help your information stand out.

While these ideas certainly come in handy for many blog posts, brevity may not work if you’re trying to sell something.

Charles Edwards

In fact, Dr. Charles Edwards who once served as commissioner for the US Food and Drug Administration offered these words of wisdom pertaining to effective advertising copy:

“The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement’s chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the advertisement increases.”

I would say that the words “pertinent merchandise facts” should be placed in bold, as you don’t want your “telling more” to include irrelevant and therefore distracting information.

Ad Copy

Admittedly, advertising copy isn’t my area of expertise. However, when I write a review of a new luxury car, I weave in certain highlights noted by advertisers to gain my reader’s attention.

French-stitched leather seating. Bluetooth connectivity. 12-way heated/cooled power seats. 60/40 split fold down rear seats. All sorts of interesting information that might appeal to my readers.

Of course, if I know that I’m writing for more of a Mommy audience, I’ll generally emphasize important attributes such as built in child booster seating, expandable storage area with luggage nets, twelve cup holders, optional refrigeration unit, side impact curtain airbags, front crumple zones and more. Big on emphasizing convenience and safety, but less so on horsepower, towing capacity and handling. Then again, I add these facts in to reach a wider audience.

Strong Headlines

When I am personally shopping for a product, I’m attracted to a strong headline. That makes sense because as writers we know that headlines are the key to pulling in our readers.

After the headline, I want to see some facts. If the top facts are listed with bullets, that’s okay provided that as I scan down the page I find the “pertinent merchandise facts” which tell me more about the product.

Sell It!

The beauty of featuring content this way is that you have more than one chance for selling your product. The first chance is through the highlights; the second and subsequent chances can be found in the details which follow. Using this method people who don’t like to read much can get the gist of what you’re pitching quickly while those people who don’t mind reading on will find more information which can persuade them to buy your product.

That means your readers will look closely at pricing, payment options, shipping information, product warranty, return policy, and certain other minutiae to help them make their decision. Leave something that you don’t think is important out and you could lose the sale. Include it and you’ll find someone who appreciates your thoroughness.

Tell more to sell more, but start off easy on your readers while saving the fine details for later on.