What works best in Internet marketing – long copy or short
copy?
“Why the heck do they write those long, long sales letters, the ones that blab on and on forever? They can’t possibly work!” More misconceptions circulate about long copy than about any other issue in copywriting. They come up from people learning copywriting, from business owners who use a limited repertoire of marketing tools, from opinionated prospective copywriting clients and from folks thrust unexpectedly into marketing for their organization. The quick answer is that longer copy usually sells better than shorter copy, but not always. From Claude Hopkins and David Ogilvy to Bob Bly and Jay Levinson, all the advertising experts with the deep pockets to test long against short copy or to know about clients’ in-house tests report that long copy wins, most of the time. Once you understand the reasons for this, and the principles of persuasion and communication at work in long copy, you will find this truth more believable, even in an age of YouTube, Twitter and 10-second attention spans. You’ll be in a better position to punch down common yet mistaken objections to long copy, defend it to skeptical colleagues or customers and use writing to sell. Why Does Long Copy Work? Copywriting is salesmanship in print. A written sales pitch substitutes words on paper or on a computer screen for face-to-face interaction about a product or service. Think about purchases you’ve made out and about in the world where you needed to ask a lot of questions – purchases like life insurance, a new heating system for your house, college or day care for your kids, or discretionary surgery. Then imagine a roomful or stadium full of people who, like you, are considering one of those items. Clearly the list of things someone in that group wants to know before signing on the dotted line is quite extensive. What Say the Greats? David Ogilvy: “Claude Hopkins once wrote five pages of solid text for Schlitz beer. In a few months, Schlitz moved up from fifth place to first... We have even been able to get people to read long copy about gasoline.” John Caples: “If your ad is interesting, people will read all the copy you can give them. If the ad is dull, short copy won’t save it.” Claude Hopkins: “The more you tell, the more you sell.” Victor Schwab: “The sludge of human inertia is so stagnant that too small an amount of copy cannot make that sludge flow into action. It’s a rare copy idea that can be presented with great brevity and still get immediate action.” Bob Stone: “The longer you hold a prospect’s interest, the more sales points you can get across and the more likely you are to win an order.” Jay Abraham: “If your sales letters are interesting, people will gladly read them. Edit ruthlessly for waste or boring content, but never jettison fascinating facts, forceful reasons, or specific information that adds to your compelling story.” Jay Conrad Levinson: “Don’t be afraid to use lengthy copy. Of all the things people dislike about marketing, ‘lack of information’ comes in second, after ‘feeling deceived.’” Long copy organizes in a compelling and interesting way the facts and reasons customers need to make their decision to buy, without the presence of a sales representative. The more complex or expensive the purchase, the more long copy is needed. After all, the more we’re spending, the more we care about making a wise decision. The less we understand something, the more questions we tend to have. The more consequential a purchase, the more worries and concerns come to the surface and must be dealt with. Long copy not only meets the needs of the customer before buying, it also reduces the misunderstandings that lead to dissatisfaction and refund requests.
“Why the heck do they write those long, long sales letters, the ones that blab on and on forever? They can’t possibly work!” More misconceptions circulate about long copy than about any other issue in copywriting. They come up from people learning copywriting, from business owners who use a limited repertoire of marketing tools, from opinionated prospective copywriting clients and from folks thrust unexpectedly into marketing for their organization. The quick answer is that longer copy usually sells better than shorter copy, but not always. From Claude Hopkins and David Ogilvy to Bob Bly and Jay Levinson, all the advertising experts with the deep pockets to test long against short copy or to know about clients’ in-house tests report that long copy wins, most of the time. Once you understand the reasons for this, and the principles of persuasion and communication at work in long copy, you will find this truth more believable, even in an age of YouTube, Twitter and 10-second attention spans. You’ll be in a better position to punch down common yet mistaken objections to long copy, defend it to skeptical colleagues or customers and use writing to sell. Why Does Long Copy Work? Copywriting is salesmanship in print. A written sales pitch substitutes words on paper or on a computer screen for face-to-face interaction about a product or service. Think about purchases you’ve made out and about in the world where you needed to ask a lot of questions – purchases like life insurance, a new heating system for your house, college or day care for your kids, or discretionary surgery. Then imagine a roomful or stadium full of people who, like you, are considering one of those items. Clearly the list of things someone in that group wants to know before signing on the dotted line is quite extensive. What Say the Greats? David Ogilvy: “Claude Hopkins once wrote five pages of solid text for Schlitz beer. In a few months, Schlitz moved up from fifth place to first... We have even been able to get people to read long copy about gasoline.” John Caples: “If your ad is interesting, people will read all the copy you can give them. If the ad is dull, short copy won’t save it.” Claude Hopkins: “The more you tell, the more you sell.” Victor Schwab: “The sludge of human inertia is so stagnant that too small an amount of copy cannot make that sludge flow into action. It’s a rare copy idea that can be presented with great brevity and still get immediate action.” Bob Stone: “The longer you hold a prospect’s interest, the more sales points you can get across and the more likely you are to win an order.” Jay Abraham: “If your sales letters are interesting, people will gladly read them. Edit ruthlessly for waste or boring content, but never jettison fascinating facts, forceful reasons, or specific information that adds to your compelling story.” Jay Conrad Levinson: “Don’t be afraid to use lengthy copy. Of all the things people dislike about marketing, ‘lack of information’ comes in second, after ‘feeling deceived.’” Long copy organizes in a compelling and interesting way the facts and reasons customers need to make their decision to buy, without the presence of a sales representative. The more complex or expensive the purchase, the more long copy is needed. After all, the more we’re spending, the more we care about making a wise decision. The less we understand something, the more questions we tend to have. The more consequential a purchase, the more worries and concerns come to the surface and must be dealt with. Long copy not only meets the needs of the customer before buying, it also reduces the misunderstandings that lead to dissatisfaction and refund requests.
