That's a lot of reading!
In a recent direct response email newsletter from Bob Bly, he writes on “The Truth about Long Copy.” It got me thinking.
Many people seem to feel that all copy must be short. These people like to choose arbitrary numbers like 250 or 500 words and apply them as length limits to every writing project. They like to say things like, “No one likes to read anymore.” Or “People are too busy to read long drawn out sales presentations.” My favorite one is when they support their position by stating, “I never read anything that takes me more than a minute.”
The Short Copy Crowd is making 2 huge mistakes here:
- They infer that because some people don’t like to read long copy therefore there is no one in any circumstance that might be willing to read long copy.
- They forget that their own entirely subjective feelings on the matter don’t carry the same weight as hard facts – such as the actual sales numbers generated by the type of copy in question.
There are projects that require just enough copy to pique the reader’s interest and drive them on to where they can find more detailed information. There are also copywriting assignments that need to include every piece of information about the product in detail. The difference is in the kind of product and the business model. Here is how Bob Bly puts it.
…But long copy often out-pulls short copy when:
- You are marketing information products or other products that are sold by telling stories or conveying ideas.
- You are generating a direct sale … via mail order … rather than just generating a lead or inquiry.
- The reader is unfamiliar with your product and its benefits. You are demanding payment with order. The prospect has to pay up front with a check or credit card. He cannot order the product on credit and get an invoice he can choose to pay – or not pay – later.
- The product is complex and therefore requires a lot of explanation.
- The product is something people want rather than something they need – it is a discretionary purchase.
- The product is expensive, representing an expenditure the prospect is likely to consider carefully before ordering.
The beauty of Bob’s more sophisticated approach is that he is not relying on untested emotional assumptions and one size fits all solutions.
- He is basing his view on actual numbers. He knows that regardless of his personal feelings (or yours) about long copy, in these situations the numbers show that it sells.
- He is tailoring the length of the copy to the need of the project. How much information do you need to SELL this product? Whatever that number is, that’s what you write.
When it comes to copywriting, always remember that the entire and sole purpose of the exercise is to sell stuff – not satisfy critics.
A competent copywriter understands this, and will write the type of copy (and the length of copy) that will get the job done.