Write longer copy for better response

Question: I have received numerous emails from many who are considered some of the top marketer in the business. It is my observation that these letters, although they may be well written are getting longer and longer. Do you think good marketing needs to be lengthy?

Randy Gage answers in:

I do believe in long copy as a general rule.  Not long for the sake of being long, but long enough to tell the whole story you need told.  And as a rule, the more money you are asking the prospect to spend, the longer the copy will need to be to get the sale.  Or in another context, the more difficult an action you are asking a person to do, the more copy you will need to do it. 

What I think you are noticing is the trend of marketers to embrace this reality.  Previously there were so many college marketing courses teaching to do one page sales letters and leave lots of white space in ads that it skewed the market.  Of course this didn't work, but there were so many people teaching it that lots of new marketers fell under the spell. 

Now savvy marketers are finding that in most areas, the longer copy out pulls the shorter copy.  It's just common sense really. Think about it.  If I want you you spend $1,000 for my seminar, I would probably have to tell you more about it (the benefits you will receive) than I would if I was only asking for $95.  I think people like my fellow tenors, Jay Abraham, Gary Halbert and others have been spreading the gospel of long copy, and the smart marketers are heeding the advice. 

Thanks!  -RG

Comments

[steven davies]

I'm throwing up my hands here. Wordfeeder needs damage control for the sales letter clients.And optimization too.

[Daniel Pearson]

This is a great answer to a question I am asked frequently. I mentioned your reply at my blog The Business Scribe, which you can see here: http://businessscribe.typepad.com