A lot of people think that long copy is dead, that it doesn’t work anymore, that it’s old-school, that nobody reads it, that you don’t need to use it, that it’s not even effective anymore. Long copy sales letters are, in fact.not dead. Their death has been greatly exaggerated.

Today’s resource is from my own online copywriting course, available at WebCopyWritingExplained.com. In this lesson, I explain why long copy works and show you how to use it effectively.

Here are three reasons long copy is still effective:

People read about their passions. When you are interested in a certain product or service, you want more information – from websites, books, magazines, and more. My favorite bookstore is Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane. When I go there to read up on a topic, I can’t just buy one book. I buy every book on the subject that I can find. My office shelves are bulging with books that reflect my passions – on marketing, web conversion, copywriting, and more. Everyone loves to read about their passions, and long copy sales letters are no exception.

Online is not like selling face-to-face. When you sell face-to-face, you can hear people’s questions, you can read their body language to get an idea of what they’re really thinking. Online, you have to try to figure out what questions (or “objections”) they’re likely to have. It’s your job to figure out and answer all possible objections in advance. This will require a lot of words. What you end up with is long copy!

Long copy helps you tell a story. In Seth Godin’s book, All Marketers Are Liars, the author discusses the power of stories to sell a product. Learn how stories sell, and how that can help your business.

Here’s a formula for writing a four-part long copy sales letter that works almost every time, if it’s executed properly. I credit this formula to John Carlton (and, by the way, I highly recommend all his material to you):

Here’s what I have to offer. Here you explain exactly what you are offering to people reading your copy.

Here’s why it’s right for you. Solve your reader’s problems, and explain why you are the right choice.

Here are some answers for you. Here, you answer any questions that they may have in advance.

Here’s what to do now. Buy! Pull out your credit card! That’s what you want them to do! Right now!

It is interesting to note that you could use each of these headlines, exactly as written, to start each section in your copy. Try it — it really works!

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