Are print catalogues still relevant in 2022? Despite the rise of e-commerce, there is still a need for catalogues. Catalogues have the potential to showcase trends, show the products in action and importantly, break through the digital noise.
Catalogues have a longer lifespan than marketing emails. For brands you love, flicking through their catalogue can give more satisfaction than browsing a website. A catalogue will increase brand awareness and place your products at the forefront of a customer’s mind for longer.
According to USPS, catalogues influence purchase decisions more than websites or TV ads. Catalogues see a 27% increase in enquiries and a 15% lift in sales. They also express your brand personality and product stories. Catalogue marketing is still relevant in today’s market.
But how do you get it right? While selecting the right images is crucial when it comes to creating and designing your catalogue, your copy is also important.
Your catalogue needs to convince your customer to purchase the sales copy. The copy needs to make an emotional connection between the products and the reader. In this complete guide, we are going to walk you through how to improve and perfect your catalogue copywriting to make sure it converts.
Write for your audience: identify their pain points
For any aspect of catalogue copywriting, you must write for your audience. You want your consumers to be emotionally invested in your product. Therefore, you need to know what their pain points are – and have a good solution (your product or service) that is guaranteed to solve them.
To achieve this, buyer personas are a crucial part of your content strategy. If you don’t have your buyer personas nailed down, you risk conveying mixed or unclear messages every time you publish something new.
Benefits first
Once you know you can confidently write for your audience, you need to tell them why your product or service is the answer to their problem. Make sure you lead with the benefits. If you’re explaining all the high-tech features that your product offers, explain what’s in it for your customers.
Show why these features will make all the difference. How will these features solve their pain points? What benefits can a customer expect to see once they sign up for your services or start using your product?
According to Honest eCommerce: “People respond positively when given a reason”. Incorporating this into your catalogue copywriting will help turn browsers into buyers.
Anticipate buyer questions
Think about all the questions customers ask you about your products. You might answer these in your FAQs or on social media. You can also answer them in your catalogue copy. Address these potential sales blockers and show your consumers how your product or service will fit into their life. Give them enough information so that the buying decision is easy. If a customer has to search for the answers, they’ll quickly lose interest and you risk missing sales. Make sure you give them everything they need from the get-go.
Use the active voice
“Using the active voice keeps your reader engaged with the material, but also develops authority on the subject you’re talking about”, says Copy Press. By using fewer words, your copy is easier to read and more engaging. The active voice is essential when writing persuasive copy. Get straight to the point for the most effective catalogue copy.
Use catchy headlines
Headlines are one of the first things a customer will read when they open a catalogue. They draw attention and, when written right, will encourage a reader to keep reading. Forget boring and descriptive headlines – you’re not writing for SEO; you’ve got to keep it engaging. FlipSnack says: “the story you create is essential”. Forget “Shampoo for Dull Hair” and instead say something like “For hair that feels incredible”. Be creative and your readers will want to find out more.
Highlight offers
Catalogues allow you to showcase your products in new and imaginative ways. When a consumer flicks through your catalogue, you want to make them feel as if they are getting an exclusive view of your products.
Great catalogue copywriting highlights current offers such as buy-one-get-one-free or discounts. If someone has picked up a copy of your catalogue, they know what they want to buy. Offers will help them make that purchase.
However, while offers help create a sense of urgency, you need to make sure your promotion lasts for the life of the catalogue and is exclusive to readers.
A final note on structuring your catalogue
Finally, think about structure. Design is extremely important; a good user experience depends on the placement of words and pictures on a page. While the design is not in a copywriter’s domain, you need to consider the structure when planning your copy. This will give you an idea of how much space you have to play with to get the right information across.
Need a helping hand?
If you’re unsure about writing your catalogue copywriting, we can help. Big Star Copywriting has been providing high quality professional copywriting services since 2005. You need quality copywriting to give you the best results. To find out more about our professional copywriting services and get a free sample, fill in the form or give us a call on 01803 865025
