Keep It Simple

When an associate asked me what mistake I see most often in marketing pieces, I didn't hesitate for a moment. "Not explaining enough," I replied.

It's trendy now to pitch expensive items, services or events with just a few up-front sentences, then several bite-sized headlined segments along with some evocative images. Then comes the Order Now button.

This approach misses many opportunities. First is the building of rapport. When you dive right in, expecting that the reader already hums in sync with you, you may lose folks who need a warmup demonstrating that you understand their needs, wants and attitudes.

Second, little islands of text don't allow you to develop persuasive arguments about why your offering is needed, how your service differs from others like it and who it's best suited for.

Third, boiled-down brevity tends to overlook the myriad of "what if" and "what about" wonderings that people contemplating spending serious money, effort or time often have. After all, many shopping sites show dozens of user do-or-die questions for seemingly simple products.  

Properly organized, when you say more you'll sell more.