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But this may not always be appropriate. There are three considerations when
deciding on the length of copy:
Long direct marketing letters can work exceptionally well in an environment where there is a story to tell that is interesting, compelling and you need to deliver
the appropriate amount of information so that your customers or prospects can make a purchase decisions.
But can the same be said for an email communication? It is probably in this area where the debate still rages.
Direct mail copy does not necessarily translate to an on-line environment, it may not be appropriate given the demographic profile of reader and short “intro” with the potential to click through to find out more, is a better use of the online medium.
The truth of the matter is that both long and short copy has a history of success,whether we are talking about online or offline mediums. Many of you will be able to point to successes that use a great variety of techniques.
So in the spirit of creating some thought processes about this subject, let me give you three things to keep in mind when considering the length of copy for
your next DM piece:
Firstly, in direct mail sales letters, the long copy works, because you may only have one chance to grab the reader’s attention. They’re either interested in the
subject, which is why they WILL read the whole letter, or they’re not.
The audience, the platform and the product matters here, so if they are interested, chances are they now want to be convinced to make a purchase decision.
Secondly, on the Internet, again, long sales copy works. Most people claim they hate long sales copy on the Internet, but what they fail to recognise is that
they read it all the time.
Most of the cons against long sales copy online refer to the “hype” of it. The truth is you read long sales copy online every day. And yes, you even read short sales copy online and it works too.
Again, the audience, the platform and the product makes a huge difference to the approach you need to choose.
Many FMCG companies employ attention grabbing online games to have the audience interact with their brand.
Long copy is not necessary to convince people what sort of shampoo to use, but if a car or holiday is what you are trying to sell, short copy with no detail may not generate the sales.
Two of the most successful categories in the online environment are the adult and the “how-to-make-money-on-the-Internet” industries. They have been for years.
Successful Short Copy Example: The adult industry.
They don’t use long sales copy. Why? Because the audience wants visuals and graphics. The platform doesn’t matter.
Ever seen Playboy/girl magazines? More pictures and graphics. Here, the PRODUCT and the AUDIENCE matters.
Successful Long Copy Example: Making-Money-on-the-Internet industry.
They do use long sales copy, very, very successfully. Why? The AUDIENCE. People who purchase from the “get-rich-quick” marketers on the Internet typically
“like” the hype and sales pitch.
They emotionally “like” being “sold to”, they need to be convinced, even compelled to respond, before they act.
Does this fit every single person on the Internet looking to make money? Absolutely not. Does this model fit a huge percentage? I’d say at least 50%.
The only reason you see this type of “hypey” sales letter on the Internet so often is because you are looking to make money on the Internet. If you had never been looking to make money on the Internet, you never would have seen these types of “hyped-up” letters.
So, these marketers were hoping you were one of the 50%. Hey, 50/50 odds are good,aren’t they? They must be. But, to shift the focus to some other innocuous industry… let’s say you want to buy some software.
Another Successful Long Copy Example: Let’s say you find software A in your local computer store and it costs $299. You’ve seen commercials about it,
you’ve talked to people about it - and you’ve probably done an Internet search for it and read everything you could about it.
Now, let’s say you’ve been “hearing” about software B, but you can only purchase it online. It does everything software A does, but it has more features,
prevents crashes and it comes with other free software AND it’s cheaper.
Of course, you may want to talk to some people about it. Get their opinions. Right?
Guess what? If you visit the online page for software B, they have this big long sales letter. And you know what? Because you’re INTERESTED in it, and you’re
considering pulling out your WALLET to purchase it, you’re going to read everything on that page and dig deeper.
You’ll read the reviews, you’ll read the FAQ’s, you’ll read the features, you’ll read the pitch, you’ll read the privacy and terms page sometimes!
Why? Because you want to know every single detail about that piece of software you can. Was the sales copy long or hypey? No, probably not. But, did you read a lot?
Absolutely!
Either way, if you went with Software A or Software B, the commercials, the personal reviews, the online reviews, the FAQ’s, the magazine ads - all of it - conspired to “get you to buy it.”
All in all, you probably read a lot before you reached the point where you were willing to part with $299 or perhaps less.
So, is there one true answer to whether or not short copy or long copy works? Of course not. It all depends on the target audience, the communication method and the information about the product that is necessary to make a buying decision.
So just before, you drag out your red editing pencil, perhaps it is worth considering just what you have to say, what you need to say and then what you
would like to say and then developing the copy that is appropriate to meet your campaign objectives.
Posted on 20th November 2005