Maybe I CAN be a copywriter.....The first 'client'?

Today I thought I would share with you my first copywriting success...And I think I've got the bug!

It was only a small thing, a favour for an elderly neighbour -  a free classified ad on a well-known local site. But it worked!

But so what? I hear you cry, millions of people sell tons of stuff using online auctions every day of the week - that doesn't make you a copywriter.

I think what has surprised me is success of this sale against the odds!

Client brief (tee hee!)

For sale - Massage Couch / Table and various other items used during many years in the holistic therapies business.

Dora (not her real name!) wanted to sell a number of items from her aromatherapy massage business to a student who was just setting up, she wanted it to be someone who she liked and she wanted them to pay £200 for the lot rather than sell it piecemeal. She had previously tried putting a postcard in the window of the local Post Office, but got no response.

Eek! Where to start?

I had more than a few concerns. On popping next door to take some photos I was immediately aware of the 'used' nature of the items for sale, only a small amount of research on the internet helped me realise that this was going to be a tall order. New massage tables could be picked up extremely cheaply and I wasn't sure that the other bits and pieces would be particularly desirable for a young student. And what is more, the amount of money seemed, to me, to be rather a lot. 

To put it bluntly, the hubbie said I had no chance!

But having read somewhere online (and I can't remember where for the life of me so apologies if I have stolen your prized quote) that there is no price too high only poor copy, I decided that there was no harm in giving it a try.

The approach

I tried to write a very specific advert aimed at precisely the buyer that the client was looking for - this may have been a risky strategy, but as we were in no hurry I thought this could act as a first attempt. I concentrated on some of the initial copywriting tips that I had read online:

• I focussed on exactly what this package was providing that the other sellers weren't (everything required to start up a business, available from one place, with no hassle), and directly targeted the student start-up
• I did some research online, talked to Dora about how the items would be used & tried to inject some authority into the advert (i.e. This seller knows exactly what they were doing and obviously made a success of it, and therefore so could I if I buy all this stuff.)
• I selected what I felt to be the three main items in the package and provided details, gave benefits and focussed on their uniqueness
• Photos showed the quantity of the items in the package and displayed the three key items
• I selected a title that included the key words (massage couch / table) on which a search was likely to be performed, but that would capture the attention of anyone contemplating a start up business

The advert

Once I was happy (ish!) with the copy, and it had been OK'd by the 'client', the advert went live (see below)

The result

So...The stats are in...And they don't make great reading...20 days and a low conversion rate of c.1.6% (from being listed to being viewed) - probably not that surprising given the specific nature of the title, the high price and the direct first paragraph.

BUT, we got a response, just one response, but it was from THE person that the client was looking for - a 20 year old student studying at a local uni, wanting to start a massage business on the side, with limited experience and bags of enthusiasm. 

She came the very next day and took the whole lot away for the full asking price (!), and what is more spent hours drinking tea and chatting about massage, business, life, crystals & angels...All conversations in which Dora is happy to indulge!

Which leaves...one ecstatic client, one satisfied buyer...And one very chuffed novice copywriter with absolutely no idea whether this was luck, good copy...Or indeed Dora was right and the angels really did have something to do with it!

I would love to hear your thoughts on why this advert worked, or indeed how it could have been improved.

Is it a risky strategy to target such a specific buyer? Or did that ultimately lead to success?

And, is it true that there is no such thing as too high a price, only poor copy?

Check back to follow my progress...