Posts Tagged storytelling

SEO ROI recently posted a great article on their blog authored by Christine O’Kelly entitled “Six Steps to More Engaging Copy That Sells,” that I definitely wanted to share with you.

O’Kelly points studies what three sites, InfusionSoft, Butterfly Marketing, and Traffic Geyser have done that can help you.

When I got to the six tips I was reminded of so many of the marketing lessons I have learned and have shared here as well.

Copy should be engaging. Copy should be passionate. Copy should be…well not copy. Copy is such a lame, impersonal word. “Sales letter” is too clinical and too…salesy.

I prefer using words like “story” or “narrative.” Your site should tell a story. It should be adventurous and exciting. It should move something inside of the person reading it. Ultimately the purpose is to get them to buy, but you have to forget about that for a while as you write your…ah I almost said the old word…story.

I am sticking to the original title of this post, but if I had it to do all over again, I would have called it Compelling Storytelling Tips.

Here are there six tips repackaged in my own words, but I still strongly suggest reading their post…just replace the words copy and sales letter with “story” or “narrative.”

1. Identify and name your reader’s problem and solve it. They inevitably have a problem. They are searching for something, so know what it is and help them find it.
2. If you use video for your story, choose your narrator carefully. Make sure that he or she conveys the right image your trying to put forth.
3. Be friendly, exciting, motivating, and passionate about what you are writing or speaking.
4. If you are trying to generate leads, rather than sales, leave the reader hanging. A good story that barely reaches the climax or falls just short, leaves them craving more. Everyone has to know the end. Leave the conclusion for once the lead is secured.
5. Don’t tell them what you can do for them, let others do it for you. Gather up testimonials and success stories from customers. Let them tell their story. Everyone loves to talk about themselves and your customers are ten times better salespeople than you are.
6. Forget what you are trying to sell. Educate them in a narrative that interrupts periodically with stories. Imagine you were telling the story in person. Certain parts would be louder. Certain parts would have your hands flailing everywhere. You might grab the other person by the shoulders. You might move closer to them. Your eyes light up and your pitch gets higher. You stand up straighter and you can hardly control your excitement. Imagine this as you write and use bolding, italics, different colors, etc. to break up the text.