Long-copy versus short-copy seems to be a perennial debate in the world of marketing.
When I first started out in direct response copywriting back in 2004 (and that seems a very long time ago!)…
…the topic was being debated vigorously.
Then as now, the evidence supports the effectiveness of long copy over short…
…BUT the debate refuses to die!
At the recent “Masters Of Marketing” conference, the great Drayton Bird spent some time addressing the question…
…simply because, despite the evidence, many persist in believing that “people don’t read long copy”.
Now, the primary reason to expect long copy to do better is summed up in a simple question that can provide guidance in finding a solution to pretty much any marketing problem.
That simple question is…
“What would a salesman do?”
It’s this idea that lies behind the advice in Chapter 8 of “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins.
The title of the chapter is “Tell your full story” and contains these words of wisdom…
“When you once get a person’s attention, then is the time to accomplish all you ever hope with him. Bring all your good arguments to bear. Cover every phase of your subject. One fact appeals to some, one to another. Omit any one and a certain percentage will lose the fact that might convince…So present to the reader…every important claim you have.”
In other words, once you’ve managed to get someone to look at your sales message…
…present your case fully and in as much detail as is needed.
That doesn’t mean writing pages of copy for the sake of mere length…
…there is a crucial difference between “long copy” and “long-winded copy”!
Clear, concise writing is important.
For another take on why long copy works and tends to be more effective than short copy, here’s a post from Drayton Bird with some insights from the fund raising arena…
“The best answer I ever saw to the most common copy question: why long copy?”
Now, you might make the point that this is all about direct mail. Surely, the online world is different and video sales letters are all but replacing the traditional long form letters?
Well, there’s no question that video sales letters can be VERY effective.
But here’s a question for you…
…where did the script for the video sales letter come from?
In pretty much every case, you’ll find that it was either…
(a) Adapted from a long form traditional sales letter; OR
(b) Written by an experienced copywriter as an alternative to the long form letter they would have otherwise written
The point I’m making is that what’s important is the sales message and case…
…not so much the way it’s delivered.
Remember that the classic definition of copywriting is…
…”Salesmanship in print”.
Adapted to the modern era, you might say “Multiplied salesmanship” or…
…”Salesmanship through media”.
The real value of an experienced copywriter is not so much the actual writing…
…but the researching and construction of the sales message.
And the traditional long-form sales letter will often be the best way to assemble that message to start with…
…even if it is adapted for use in different media.
One last point about video sales letters.
Very savvy marketers like Agora make considerable use of video sales letters.
BUT they almost always combine them with a conventional long form letter (sometimes hidden until you are about to leave the page).
People like Agora do things for a reason and they’ve must have found that this combination produces superior overall results.
Makes sense when you think about it…
…you’ll most likely get through to more people.
People like me, for example, who in many cases are not prepared to watch a video for 20 minutes (especially when I know it’s a sales message)…
…but are prepared to skim-read a traditional-style letter and then look in more detail if it’s of genuine interest.
So, don’t be too hasty to abandon the long copy salesletter…
…and, of course, in direct mail it remains essential…
…but that’s a topic for another post.