20 Ways to Increase the Selling Power of Your Copy

[COPY AND PASTE INTO A GOOGLE DOC FOR EASY ACCESS]

Back in 2024 I read John Caples Tested Advertising Methods... and wrote a lengthy Google Doc including the following notes. They have been under dust in an old Google Drive for the past 2 years and I thought it's time to share with a small group (you guys!)...

Hope you find them helpful! Keep killing it!

20 Ways to increase the selling power of your copy:

Use the present tense, second person. Make sure to say what they will be feeling as if they are feeling it now. E.g., instead of “People will enjoy a sense of security when they choose [X]”. Say “You enjoy a sense of security when you use [X]”.

Use Subheadings. Subheadings get copy read that otherwise might not be read. They tell a story in brief form. This form of copy is an attack on passive glancers and skim-readers.

Put Captions under illustrations. Captions have high readership because they ADD to the appeal and interest of the illustration. More people read the captions under illustrations than the body copy. Most Captions should include the brand name and a promise.

Use a simple style of writing. Think KISS; KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!

Choose simple words. Reduces the time taken for the reader to understand what you're saying. It is less energy-consuming for the reader to understand the message. Note a reader or listener has at each moment but a limited amount of mental power available. To recognize and interpret the symbols presented to him requires part of this power; to arrange and respond requires a further part. USE SHORT WORDS TO TALK WITH.

Give Free Information. Giving free value to your audience is paramount to exceeding the expectations of the reader. Free information paired with sales talk in copy arouses high interest.

Decide on whether to use Selling or Style copy. Advertisers who can trace results from their ads use selling copy. Style copy is riskier and is based on the presumption that customers enjoy Style copy.

Arouse Curiosity. The copywriter who SATISFIES the reader's curiosity (leaves no room for curiosity) WILL LOSE CUSTOMERS. Note that the method of your advertising should never be explained in the advertising copy. An advertisement that gives away its secret in advance is like a magician who shows the audience the secret of his tricks before he performs them. Open a loop.

Make your copy specific. Being specific to what you are stating by being clear on the details is highly powerful. E.g., “97,482 people have bought one of these appliances” is far more influential than “Nearly 100,000 of these appliances have been sold.” The latter sounds exactly like a copywriter's claim and is significantly less powerful. In turn, leading to far fewer sales. Sounds exaggerated, too. GIVE EXACT STATISTICS AND CONTEXT. Shows proof of quality.

Use Long copy. Obviously, this depends on specific situations. HOWEVER, Long copy scientifically pulls better than short copy. It is a tested and proven success. Time and time again, this is shown to be true. You are not only able to handle far more objections, but also cram in far more sales arguments. Note: NOT EVERYBODY WILL READ LONG COPY, BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE VERY PEOPLE YOU ARE MOST INTERESTED IN WILL READ YOUR AD.

Write more copy than necessary to fill the space. Copy improves in quality when we cut it. Depending on the context, whether it be a sales email or a website description, writing more than necessary lets you either cut it down to shed away the excess and reveal its copy potential right away, or let what has been crafted be put to use until it dries out. Then, rejuvenate your copy with the kiss of life…cutting it down. THIS WORKS BEST FOR LONG COPY.

Avoid helping your competitors. Do not describe in general terms. DO NOT ADVERTISE GENERALLY. Sell your specific product. An advertisement for example, selling your own special brand of coffee has more effect on sales than selling by describing the pleasures of drinking coffee. DO NOT SELL THE IDEA, SELL THE THING!

Use mail-order methods (old-school practices) in any direct mail advertising. The vehicle carrying my message is the only thing that changes between these two methods of communication. The rules of headlines, first paragraph, length of copy, subheads…apply to both equally. The golden rule to take away in mailing: YOU MUST MAKE EVERY LINE WRITTEN SELL AT A GLANCE. And include many pieces. Not just one individual item.

Avoid Overstatement in copy. Use understatement copy alternately. IMPORTANT TO AVOID OVERSTATEMENT IN COPY. And also important to avoid overstating. DO NOT TRY TO GILD THE LILY. Do not weaken the entire advertisement by giving the impression that you are trying to make your proposition sound better than it really is.

Avoid Trick Slogans. Avoid slogans and catchlines that are obviously untrue. Obviously, this will kill your copy dead in the water.

Get help from others. Take an advertisement or a headline you have just written, and show it to those whose opinion you respect. GET OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINION. What is essential in this is that you get their TRUE opinion. People will not want to hurt your feelings and tell you your copy is terrible. What you must find are people who give you their true, frank opinion. Show them two copies of two headlines and get them to decide which one is better. They will praise one and criticize the other. This way, you can get their true opinion. Note: When preparing a copy, ALWAYS WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CLIENT WHEN YOU CAN. Less chance of any misunderstandings.

Do not say that the Salesperson will call. Considering offering a free product or service in exchange for the email/ phone number, names, or address of people interested in the product, with the intention of reaching out to them via email and calling them. Never, in this case, ever suggest that they will be called in the advertisement. This will cut down your returns by at least 75%. (UPTATED NOTE: In 2026, you must deliver EXTRAORDINARY FREE VALUE in exchange for email + phone numbers)

Study the selling copy in mail-order catalogs, digital or physical. The large mail-order houses are masters in the art of selling goods via printed words and pictures. Consider such a study the next time you are puzzled about how to sell a product. See how the mail-order people approach a similar subject. In the large catalog, you will find sales talks for almost every product you can think of.

Make every advertisement a Complete Sales Talk. A golden rule to WRITE EVERY ADVERTISEMENT AS IF IT WAS THE LAST ONE TO BE SAID ON THE SUBJECT. Do not depend on the reader having any previous knowledge of the product you are selling. Make every advertisement a complete sales talk. Bringing in every important sales argument. EVERY ADVERTISEMENT IS SENT OUT TO CALL ON A PROSPECT. Remember RIOA. Additionally, you are handicapping yourself by delivering only a single sales argument.

Urge the reader to act. Every single advertisement should end with a strong urge to “act now”. You have hooked them with your headline, caught them with your copy; do not leave them hanging- give them a direct and easy-to-follow CTA. What do they do next? Give them an immediate reason, such as “the price is going up”, or “stock will be exhausted.”

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20 Ways to Increase the Selling Power of Your Copy