Consider Your Copy

This article has been excerpted from Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps by Susan Gunelius, available from Entrepreneur Press.

Whether you're a small-business owner, a medium-size business owner, an eBay seller, or simply trying to break into the copywriting industry, understanding the fundamentals of writing sales-oriented copy and put you on a path to success. At its core, copywriting is another device in a business' marketing toolbox. Well-written copy can make or break an ad or marketing piece. With that in mind, copywriting can equate to either well-spent advertising investments or a waste of advertising dollars.

Many people misinterpret the uniqueness of effective copywriting. I can't count the number of times I've heard freelance writers say they want to shift from article writing to copywriting as if it's simply an extension of their existing abilities. Copywriting does come naturally to some people, but for most, it's a foreign landscape they do not know how to navigate. Copywriting is about more than writing the hard sell sales letter that many short copywriting courses offer. In fact, I cringe when I see those over-the-top sales letters, which do little more than provide an ugly representation of copywriting, sales and marketing.

Motivate your customer to buy with these 10 copywriting steps:

1. Exploit your product's benefits

2. Exploit your competition's weaknesses

3. Know your audience

4. Communicate W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me?)

5. Focus on "you," not "we"

6. Understand your medium

7. Avoid T.M.I. (Too Much Information)

8. Include a call to action

9. C.Y.A. (Cover Your Ass)

10. Proofread

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