How To Write A Sales Letter: AIDA Can Help You Write Your Sales Page

Is writing good sales copy an art or a science? The answer is probably a bit of both.

Like all web publishers I sometimes find myself struggling trying to write enticing sales copy. Whenever I find myself stuck I go back to basics. I use Attention, Interest, Desire and Action (AIDA) to assist me.

How To Write A Sales Letter: Attention

Think headline. Lead the visitor in with a well written, grabbing headline. Make a bold statement that you can back up. Ask a question. There are many ways. Compare the two headlines below and you will hopefully see my point

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Do you think the second headline is too long? I do not think so. In my experience it works best to make a full statement. But you should experiment. Be unique and bold - BUT make sure you can back it up!

How To Write A Sales Letter: Interest

So you lead them in with a good solid headline. You have their attention. Now what? It is time to form a relationship with the visitor and keep the interest high. After all, would you rather buy from a stranger or a friend?

A brief introduction that describes why you are an authority on the subject and how the product has helped you succeed / solve you problems / save money. All I do at this stage is keep them interested while assuring them that I am for real.

How To Write A Sales Letter: Desire

Time to turn a browser into a buyer. Not always easy but here you need to think benefits.

What is the problem solving or money saving benefit to the customer? One word of caution, savings in price are powerful but do not rely on price alone. Paint a picture. And do not confuse features and benefits. Let me explain.

A feature would be large stock. The benefit would be hard-to-find sizes and no back-orders. See the difference? The feature states a fact, the benefit solves a problem for people with big feet.

How To Write A Sales Letter: Action

You have of course included subtle calls to action throughout the sales letter. But now it is time to be obvious and pull out all the extras.

What you say depends on what you promote but usually goes along the lines of "Click here to order" or "Click here to start saving today".

What really works at this stage is to include an extra benefit and introduce urgency. "Buy today and get free shipping" would be an example. A visitor that is interested but unsure may get that final push to take action.

There you have it. A brief introduction to writing a sales letter. If you are interested in learning more - check out the writing selling copy resources page.