9 Tips On How To Write Effective Body Copy That Sells

Learning how to write effective body copy that sells can be tricky if you’re just starting out, but it’s not impossible. If you want to master copywriting basics and create compelling headlines, subheads, and body copy that compel people to click through and make purchases. Keep reading

Online marketing and business are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to make money and build an online brand. Building a large following while earning money through online advertising is now easier than ever.

However, one thing can undo all of your efforts: copywriting errors or a lack of understanding of how to write effective body copy.

As a result, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of tips and techniques for writing effective body copy that sells while avoiding the most common rookie mistakes. Let’s get this party going.

What Is Body Copy?

Body copy refers to any copy that will be included on a web page. A lot of people mistakenly refer to body copy as text. Text is actually what is used in between paragraphs on your website. 

As far as how to write effective body copy goes, it has been proven that long-form content (content that takes up more than 1 page) tends to perform better than short-form content (content that takes up less than 1 page).

Though there are times when a short paragraph can perform just as well or even better, long-form content tends to dominate Google search results; thus it being much more effective at driving traffic and conversions. 

Basically what you want is something that will encourage your reader to keep reading!

The most common way of doing so is by encouraging action through social proof and authority proof. 

If you sell a weight loss eBook, for example, it is best to include testimonials from other customers who have had success with your program.

If possible, include before and after photos of those customers as well. Use it in addition to customer testimonials if you’re an expert in your field!

Tell them how long you’ve worked with the product or service you’re selling.

Remember: You don’t need a lot of text on each page, but don’t skimp either, because if Google sees a lack of relevant content, it will assume that no one else finds it valuable, which could result in not ranking highly for certain keywords.

You should also think about including a call-to-action (CTA) button. 

This is typically located at the bottom of your webpage and encourages visitors to click on it to navigate to another page, such as a sales page or another website. 

CTAs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as free download buttons, subscription buttons, email opt-in forms, and so on. 

Split testing various CTA types with split testing software such as Optimizely to see which ones convert the best for you is critical.

This is just a basic overview of copywriting basics for beginners – there’s much more that goes into how to write effective body copy but hopefully, these tips will help get you started!

But before then?

What Makes A Good Body Copy

Good sales copy is clear, concise, and easy to understand. It tells a simple story, one that customers can connect with. 

One of my favorite things about sales copy is that it’s so accessible; it’s not just used by big companies like Apple and Facebook — small businesses use it all of the time because it works

As a copywriter, your job is to draw attention, create interest, and ultimately convince your readers that they need or want whatever it is you’re writing about. 

Your success in doing so hinges on whether you can create effective body copy. 

So what exactly makes a good body copy? 

It’s all about 3 things: Craft, Empathy, and Content. 

Craft and Content are self-explanatory. Get creative and crafty when creating your content

Empathy on the other hand is extremely important in writing good body copy. It’s what will connect you with your readers and allow them to trust you. 

The goal of good body copy is not just to get a sale, but also – and more importantly – to establish a connection with your readers.

You want them to feel like they know you and that you are on their side; that you’re one of them and understand what it is they’re going through. 

Only then will they be likely to actually follow through on whatever it is that you’re asking from them, whether it’s buying something or changing their behavior or perception about something or someone…

9 Techniques On How To Write Effective Body Copy That Sells

When you try to cram in too much content, you end up with a body copy that is difficult to read.

Remember that it is not only your responsibility to get your message across; it is also your responsibility to maximize conversions.

What good are you if your visitor can’t find what they’re looking for and your sales pitch is ambiguous?

For your own sake, keep things simple.

Use subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists; divide long paragraphs into smaller chunks; and leave plenty of white space.

Make sure visitors can navigate the site without feeling as if they are reading a term paper.

That said, here are best techniques on how to write a body copy that sells

1: What Test 

The first step in writing body copy is to understand your target customer’s problem.

To do so, ask yourself one simple question: “What does my customer want?” Make it two questions: What does my customer want, and how can I assist them in obtaining it?

Before you begin writing, spend time learning everything you can about your buyer—their needs, frustrations, attitudes, and motivations.

Your goal is to gain a thorough understanding of what drives them so that you can speak directly to their wants and needs in all of your communications.

And remember, they don’t always know what they want until you show them. So be sure to give them information that helps them discover something new or better than they had before.  

2: Where Are Your Audience?

Once you know who your audience is, think about where they are most likely to be reading your content. 

If you’re writing a brochure for an event, will it be read online or printed out and handed out at an expo? If it’s online content, will people read it while waiting in line at Starbucks or while sitting at home on their couch with a cup of coffee? 

Knowing where your customers are and how they like to consume information can help you write a more effective body copy. 

3: How Will They Read It? 

Now that you’ve figured out where and when, think about how people will read your content. 

Will they skim through quickly looking for specific keywords or phrases? 

Or will they take their time reading every word because it’s important to them? 

Knowing how readers like to consume information can help you decide whether or not subheads would work well in your piece (they might). 

More importantly, though, knowing exactly what kind of reader you have in mind lets you tailor your message perfectly.

4: Why Should They Care? 

Finally, consider why your reader should care about what you’re saying. 

Are you offering expert advice? 

Helping someone solve a problem? 

Providing insider knowledge that only a few people know about? 

If you can’t answer these questions, chances are good that no one else will either. But if you can come up with compelling reasons why someone should care about your content, then writing an effective body copy becomes much easier. 

5: Know Thyself 

In the end, there is no magic formula for creating effective marketing copy. Instead, it requires a lot of practice and hard work.

Things become a lot easier once you figure out what works best for you. As a result, we recommend that all new copywriters keep a journal in which they jot down notes after each project.

We also recommend getting some books on copywriting fundamentals from your local bookstore or library. Just remember to continue practicing.

6: Tell Them What You’re Going To Tell Them Next 

One trick we learned from our college journalism professor is called inverted pyramid writing—which basically means starting with your conclusion instead of diving right into details about each step along the way. 

This method is a great way to organize your thoughts and let you see the big picture. It’s also helpful for making sure that you include all of the necessary details in your copy. 

7: Be Specific 

Rather than writing general, vague statements, use concrete language that describes what you want to say as specifically as possible. 

This will help both you and your reader understand what it is that you’re trying to communicate. 

8: Use Short Sentences & Paragraphs 

Long paragraphs and sentences can be intimidating for readers, especially those who aren’t familiar with the topic being discussed. 

By using short sentences and paragraphs, it’s easier for them to follow along without getting lost or confused. 

Copywriting, at its core, is about persuading people to take a certain action. 

That’s why it’s different from other forms of writing—it’s all about getting someone to follow through on your call-to-action. 

To persuade your audience effectively, you need to strike a careful balance between how you present information and how you present it. It may seem like an art form, but in reality, copywriting relies on basic persuasive psychology and elements of design theory

9. Keep It Simple

There are two sides to simplicity in writing: clarity and conciseness.

Clarity refers to how well your words convey meaning; do readers understand exactly what you mean?

Conciseness refers to how much information you include; do readers get too much information at once?

Both are important because neither one can stand alone as an effective communication tool – if something doesn’t make sense, people won’t read past it anyway!

In short, keep your sentences short and use simple language to convey your message

Conclusion

Copywriting will help you maximize the sales potential of your website, product, or service while communicating your message effectively to the target audience. 

Whether you want to learn how to write effective body copy or just need a quick refresher on basic terminology, this guide has everything you need