Copywriters realise the power of the P.S.
Why? Because, as I said in an earlier blog, research shows that 79% of people opening a direct mail letter or email shot will read the P.S. first.
Of course, you might not be copywriting a direct mail or email shot, in which case, a P.S. may not be appropriate.
But if you get the chance, you should always use P.S. Power.
Your P.S. is so important it should be the first thing you write when drafting a direct mail letter or email shot.
Here are a few tips about writing a P.S.
The tone of voice of your P.S. should reflect the tone of voice of your main communication. It could be soft and friendly, or it could be urgent and tell your reader exactly what to do.
Hard or soft – neither is right. Or wrong. They are just different.
You should never use the P.S. to introduce a new idea. It can interfere with your main message and confuse or divert the reader.
Always use your P.S. to reinforce your main message, plus add an incentive to act immediately.
Here are a few tips on how people write incentives into the P.S.
- Remind your reader of a special ‘something’ they will get if they respond. This could be a discount, a gift, or a special service.
- Emphasise any guarantees. People relax when they hear about guarantees, particularly if they’re new customers.
- Include a Limited Time Offer with a deadline date. Remind your readers what they will get by doing business with you now – before the deadline passes.
Your P.S. – whether its email or direct mail – should also contain a link to a landing page where your reader can actually buy the product or service. Alternatively, they can be given a telephone number or email address for instant contact.
Another idea which can work is to add a testimonial from a customer in the P.S. This is particularly effective in providing reassurance if the reader perceives the product or service as expensive, or they don’t know the company.
CLICK HERE TO LINK THROUGH TO BLOG 11: Writing for websites
FOLLOW THIS LINK TO MY FREE 500-WORD, COPY-EDITING OFFER