Crafting Engaging Content: The Art of Persuasive Writing

The Role of Your Website

Your website serves as an advertisement. Regardless of its purpose, it's selling something:

• Selling you
• Selling a product
• Selling an idea or concept
• Selling a dream

Consider the ads you read in newspapers or magazines. You're drawn to those that engage, intrigue, excite, or interest you. The headline is akin to a book's cover - it reels them in. The body copy, however, is what convinces them to stay and buy into what you're selling.

The Essentials of Effective Body Copy

Body copy should be:

• Personal
• Friendly
• Accessible
• Concise
• Easy to read
• Benefit-driven
• Empathetic
• Convincing
• Persuasive

Examine the sites run by prominent Internet marketing figures like Marlon Sanders, Cory Rudl, or Ken Evoy to understand how body copy should be crafted.

The Art of Copywriting

Do you need to be a world-class copywriter? Absolutely. But it's not as daunting as it sounds. Here's how:

• Use short, direct sentences.
• Use active verbs instead of passive ones.
• Always write from the reader's perspective, not yours.
• Highlight the benefits, not just the features.
• Communicate your Unique Selling Proposition - what sets you apart from your competitors.
• Stay focused. If you cover too many topics, you'll lose your reader.
• Build your story. A good strategy is AIDA: grab their Attention, build Interest, stimulate Desire, and call for Action.

The Ideal Length of Body Copy

How long should your body copy be? It should be as long as it needs to be. Write everything down following the AIDA formula, focus on benefits, then revise and cut down by 25% - eliminating unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Whether it's 100 or 1000 words long, it will be the right length.

The Universality of Persuasive Writing

Is this all about websites? No, it applies to anything you write: letters, press ads, radio/TV commercials, sales presentations - even a best man's speech can benefit from AIDA. Keep writing, keep practicing, and speak from the heart.