by G.B. Oliver

★ THIS BLOG POST  WAS FEATURED ON NY TIMES SMALL BUSINESS BEST OF THE WEEK WRAP-UP

I am sure you have heard of the popular blog, Apartment Therapy. One of my favorite sections there is Maxwell’s Daily Finds, for many reasons. But as a marketer, one of the reasons I like this section is because Maxwell writes product copy really well. Let me explain.

If you think people want to read a ton of copy of all the virtues of your product, they don’t. Not at first anyway. When they are ready to make a purchase they may want more details, but to initially hook them you have to keep it short and sweet. You have about 100 words or less to emphasize the main value of the product (what problem does it solve), convince a person why they need it and have a closing line that gets them to buy.

Here is an example of product copy on Maxwell’s Daily Finds today & I explain after why it works:

Provendi Rotating Soap Fixture

• $38
• Anthropologie

“I love these so much we used to sell them through our little online Apartment Therapy store years ago. They were hard to find, but leave it to Anthro to solve that problem. Designed for public schools in France, the ‘sweetly scented, softly foaming vegetable-based soap’ rotates and slowly wears down. New soap replacements just get screwed onto the ‘spike.’ It’s a great solution for kitchen sinks, bathrooms without a lot of counter space OR beside bathtubs or outdoor showers. Oh, and it’s a conversation starter as well.”

So in less than 100 words, Maxwell made this product very appealing.

Here is what I got out of the copy:

• Solves a problem (when there is no space for a soap dish)
• It has an European chic appeal – “designed for schools in France”
• It has eco-appeal – “vegetable-based soap”
• It will last a long time – “slowly wears down”
• It can go in multiple rooms “kitchen sinks, small bathrooms, outdoor showers”, so encourages buying more than one
• It is  a cool product – “conversation starter”

Here’s another example, particularly of interest to those of you who sell art online:

Original Antonioni BLOW UP Movie Poster

• $3000
• Posteritati Movie Posters

“I love original European movie posters to wake up a room and make a statement. This is one of the best, and I originally saw it used in a Ralph Lauren showroom in NC. Huge (55×79), vintage from 1967, perfect in its raw style and brilliantly red, it’s aspirational in price, but worth it.”

Here’s what I got out of it:

• Solves a problem – “wakes up a room and makes a statement”
• It has vintage appeal – “vintage from 1967″
• It has European chic appeal – “original European movie posters”
• It has cache – “used in a Ralph Lauren showroom in NC”
• Yes, it’s expensive but it’s “an original”,  ”huge (55 x 79)” and “one of the best movie posters”

It takes some skill, but you can write your own effective product copy. Solve a problem, give multiple reasons to buy it, and leave with a closer that addresses any doubts a buyer may have.

If you need more advice and examples of effective product copy (because I save the best stuff for my ebooks!) I walk you through it step-by-step in my PDFs, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work, and I have editions specifically for selling Home, Wedding, Kids & Baby products and Jewelry & Fashion Accessories, available here.

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE A TOP SELLER, please don’t take just any advice that could send you down the wrong path. Getting professional marketing advice will make the difference between selling a few products a month and being a top seller.

My Marketing Ebooks

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© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.