How to write persuasive copy for brand new products
How do you get an audience excited about something they never knew existed? Follow our ten-step guide to find out.
One struggle that copywriters face is trying to identify why a product is different, when in truth, it’s the same as everything else out there. However, some copywriters face the opposite problem – writing for brand new products that never existed before.
Some agencies specialise in promoting brand new inventions on e-commerce sites or crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter. Their copywriters take on the tasks of educating the audience and getting them excited to try something new.
In this article, we’ll look at ten tricks they use to do it.
Use a variety of approaches
You can rarely take something brand new, like a device that displays emojis in your car’s windscreen or stilettoes with a built-in GPS, run some Facebook ads and make a sale straight away. Launching new product lines is a process and you need to design different types of copy for each stage. Typically, you’ll need to write:
• Facebook ads
• Landing pages
• Email sequences
• Video scripts
• Sales pages
Each of these stages require different approaches to copy. Facebook ads are short and snappy, while sales pages can go in-depth into every feature.
2. Headlines
The headline is the start of the conversation with your audience. If you don’t get the headline right, everything else you do may not even be seen.
When you’re creating headlines for Facebook ads for brand new products, the trick is not to try to be too clever. It’s not the time for a brilliantly funny slogan, nor is it the time list every feature. You’re only trying to get a reader to stop, engage and read on.
A compelling headline formula is – product then benefit.
• ‘This watch helps you sleep better’
• ‘These headphones help you maintain focus’
• ‘This emoji displayer makes car journeys more fun’
3. Be clear
When you’re writing sales copy for brand new products, clarity is everything. If the reader gets confused at any point, chances are they’ll stop reading. After all, your new product is trying to solve a problem they didn’t know they have.
Be clear in your writing. Short sentences. Don’t be afraid to throw out the rulebook if it keeps the copy flowing.
Avoid technical jargon. On the sales page, you will need to go into detail about how your product does what it does (you can bury it near the bottom), but you don’t need to go that deep in your ads.
4. Tie it to something they know
If you can, give your audience a clue about the new product you’re describing by anchoring it to something they already know about.
When Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, there was simply nothing like it that had ever hit the market. In the literature for the original iPhone, Apple called it a combination of a phone and an iPod, with desktop-class internet communication. Of course, it was so much more than that, but you have to start somewhere.
5. Tell a story
Stories grab the readers interest. They’re an effective way to show a reader how you solve a problem. Plus, people remember them.
When you’ve created a brand new product, people want to know how you got the idea. They want to hear about the struggles you went through trying to bring it to life. They want to share your moment of triumph, when your product makes a big splash in the marketplace.
So, tell them. Make sure you sound as relatable as possible and try to get the reader to imagine themselves in your shoes. That way, they understand the benefits of the product you’re trying to sell them.
Storytelling is especially useful in email marketing. Create a sequence of emails describing a problem you were facing and how your idea made it go away.
6. Promise a better life
While your headline may not be too salesy and you may use storytelling techniques to convey some of your product's benefits, there comes a time when you have to get serious. As mentioned before, you’re trying to solve a problem the reader may not know they have, so you have to get them to understand the gravity of the challenges they face.
Once you’ve grabbed their attention with the headline in your Facebook ads, focus on their pain. If, for example, you’re writing about a cool bag for the beach that doubles up as a rug for sunbathing (it exists!), focus on how annoying it is when you have to carry towels, rugs, coolers, food, sun cream and more when you go for a beach picnic.
Then, sell the solution. With this bag, you’re free. You can enjoy the beach without the stress of lugging everything there and back. Don’t be afraid to emphasise the impact of the solution. That’s the promise of a better life that gets them to buy.
7. Overcome objections
Not everyone likes change, and there will be people out there waiting to rubbish your new product. Rather than run away from objections, try to meet them head-on.
For example, if your product is more expensive than something similar on the market, focus on its desirability and the benefits that justify the price.
If you’re brand new and still establishing yourself in the market, can you use testimonials to build credibility? The potential buyer will find this reassuring. It helps to build trust.
8. Go for the head and the heart
To get someone to buy something, especially something brand new (which may not be a matter of life and death), you have to appeal to the head and the heart – the buyer’s rational side and their emotional side.
While addressing objections and citing testimonials are great for capturing the head side, the emotional side is all about the language you use.
Use words that trigger curiosity in your new product, such as ‘discover’ and ‘secret’. Try words that inspire and make the reader think your product is on the cutting edge, like ‘revolutionary’ and ‘magical’. Words like ‘blissful’ and ‘ecstatic’ may convey the reader's happiness when they buy.
There are hundreds of words for every emotional state. Make sure you tap into them.
9. Keep up with the times
What works and doesn’t work changes quickly. At the start of the social media era, linguistic tricks like ‘Who else wants to…’ would always get readers to click. Now they’re regarded as spammy or clickbait, although they often still work.
You also need to keep a handle on social media best practices. For example, Facebook recently reduced the character limit for a headline from 84 characters to 50.
10. Don’t forget your call to action
Remember that everything you do during your campaign for your new product needs a call to action.
It isn’t always ‘buy this product’. Buying should be the culmination of a step-by-step process. However, if you want someone to click from a Facebook ad to a landing page, for example, ask them to do it. Give them a reason why.
Find out more from Sookio
Follow these tips and you should be able to make an impact with new products. Of course, copywriting is only one part of a product launch; there’s marketing strategy, video, design, advertising automation and much more. But, copywriting starts the relationship between the seller and the buyer, and it is often what clinches the sale.
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