7 Tips For How to Sell With Words and Pictures

People who write articles and build websites to sell products or services on the internet can learn everything about the craft of copywriting from the direct marketing legends. When a master salesman like Drayton Bird tells you that something “works” you want to pay attention and listen carefully to him. He is speaking from the wisdom of lessons learned by testing, measuring and comparing everything.

Here are 7 copywriting tips for how to sell with words and pictures.

1. Headlines. The headline must attract attention. What attracts attention, best? News of benefits: clear, precise, desirable benefits. The reader needs to see that there is something in it for him to keep him going deeper into the copy.

2. Lots of Sub Headings. People tend to scan the entire page before settling in on a particular point of interest. Sub headings that stand out from the body copy make it easier for your reader to find the section of the copy that most appeals to him.

3. Avoid Large Blocks of Text. Use in conjunction with the above tip. Make it easy for your reader to read your page. Keep paragraphs short and limited to a single idea. If you do that you will not need lots of white space. Layout artists like white space but white space does not sell anything.

4. Serif text is easier to read. The little feet at the bottom of the text keep the eye moving horizontally.

5. Editorialize. Most advertising copy sells better when it looks like the editorial content in the rest of the publication or on the website. In other words, advertisements that look like advertisements do not sell as well.

6. Pictures of faces work best, especially when the person in the picture is looking straight out at the reader. Eyes, arms, and feet in pictures that are pointed off to the side tend to send the reader’s eyes in the same direction. Use product pictures that show a person like your most likely buyer using and enjoying the product.

7. Black text on a white background is easiest to read. You can still use blocks of reverse color text in your copy but do it sparingly.

Follow these 7 copywriting tips from master salesman Drayton Bird and your response rate will improve.