Deadly Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Sales!

Chances are that you are making many, if not all, of these 5 copywriting mistakes. I call them“deadly” because they’re killing your sales and your profits.
Let me make you a bold promise: examine your own sales copy and eliminate these copywriting mistakes, and you will see an instant improvement in your sales.
Let’s get started:

Deadly Mistake #1: Being Focused On You,
Instead Of On Your Market
This is the easiest mistake to make, and themost common. Most ad copy is focused on theadvertiser, not on the consumer. Big mistake.When you read copy that says things like,“We’re the best in the industry… we’ve been inbusiness since 1979… we have the welltrainedassociates… our facility has won manyindustry awards…” what is your reaction?
Most likely, your reaction is, “So what? Whatdoes that mean to me and my life?”If you’re using copy that says “we”, “us”, and“our” a lot find a way to change that copy sothat it says “you”, and “yours”. Speak about thethings that matter to your customer.
Here’s a hint: those things are probably notwhat you think they are. Why not ask yourcustomers? They know the answer, and they’llbe glad to share it with you if you’re wiseenough to listen.

Deadly Mistake #2: Using a Weak, Wimpy,or Just Plain Bad Headline
In the beginning, you only have one chance tograb the reader’s attention. That chance is theheadline. Make sure your headline is strong,aggressive (without being pushy), andcompelling.
Think of your headline as the sales pitch to getthe prospect to read the whole ad it has to becompelling enough that the reader thinks,“Hey, if this is true, I need to know about it…”You get one shot. You can’t afford to blow it.A poor headline for an automotive shop: “OurExperienced Staff Can Tend to Your EveryAutomotive Need, And Are ASE Certified withthe Guaranteed Lowest Prices.”A much better headline for the same client:“Are Hidden Mechanical Problems with YourCar Threatening the Health and Safety of YourFamily? Our 9-Point Safety Inspection CouldSave Their Lives And Give You Peace ofMind…”

Deadly Mistake #3: Not Using Enough Bullets
Bullets break up your copy into short, readablebursts. Especially on the web, people tend toscan copy before they read it; breaking yourbenefits into bullets increases the chancesyour copy will “catch the eye” and thus getread.
To recap the benefits of bullets:They break up copy (just like this) into shortpieces.

 Makes the copy easier to scan.
 Makes it easier to pick out keywords
and phrases.
 Gets more of your copy read.
 Makes you more sales.
 The more the better.

Deadly Mistake #4: Using big words and jargon.
Copy should read like conversation; it should flow naturally and be easy to process.
Using big words and jargon might sound impressive, but it won’t get you sales. Which would you prefer? Use strong, punchy words.Write simply and clearly.Read Strunk & White’s Elements of Style and follow its advice. Avoid jargon.

Deadly Mistake #5: Using Weak, Wimpy, or Just Plain Bad Sub-Heads
You should use subheads every 3-4 paragraphs in your copy.
Make subheads strong and compelling; think of them as headlines for each section of your
copy. If read in sequence, your subheads should sound like an abbreviated version of your sales pitch (which is what they are). Sub-heads done correctly are a way to “stop the eye”, catch the
readers interest, and get him to slow down enough to read that section.
What to Do Now Here’s your “takeaway” from this article: Grab your own current sales copy, this list of copy mistakes, your favorite beverage, and go through your copy line-by-line.
Ferret out these mistakes and eliminate them from your copy.
Do it now, and don’t put it off. You’ll be glad you did. And if writing is “not your thing” hire a
professional. Having great copy is the single most important tool you have at your disposal
to sell your products or services.