I know what I’m talking about when it comes to writing beauty product descriptions. I had to write spa package descriptions for Spa Seekers for years and believe me, there are only so many ways you can describe a massage and facial without resorting to the thesaurus a few times. Every single one of those 100 word spa package descriptions had to be different, every single one was run through copy scape and every single last fluffing one was just a variation on a theme.
It was just as well I know my stuff when it comes to beauty copywriting, spas and treatments because otherwise I wouldn’t have had a clue.
Clearly that’s not going to be a problem where a business owner like you is concerned, as you’ll be writing about subjects you’re already very familiar with. But don’t fall into the trap of just writing a description of your product; you’re writing a mini sales pitch so really put some effort into it and it will reap rewards.
Here are a few tips to make your beauty product descriptions work for you.
Use copywriting techniques to sell to your perfect customer
Yep, it’s the ideal client again (she/he will come up quite a lot on this blog and I make no apologies for that). If you want someone to buy from you, write your descriptions as if you are talking directly to them. Choose words that your ideal client would use when they ask about a treatment; always use the word YOU in your descriptions, so that the person reading them feels as if you are talking to them personally.
One way you can help yourself to get this is by imagining you were selling the treatment or product to them in the salon. How would you describe it? What words would you use? Take them and use them in your beauty product descriptions.
Sell the benefits and not the products
I wrote a complete blog post about this recently and it’s really important when you’re describing your product and/or treatment ranges that you focus on the benefits your customer will get from what you’re selling them. Yes, you might be excited about the fact it contains the latest ingredients or the massage uses a brand new technique you’ve just learned BUT all your client cares about is “What will this do for me?” and “How will this make me feel?”
So – think about what’s really in it for the customer. Will the massage make them feel relaxed? Will the facial give their skin radiance? Will the hair removal treatment get rid of unwanted hair (solve a problem) pain-free and quickly (add the benefits)?
Inject imagination into your beauty product descriptions
The problem with selling your services in writing, online, is that there’s no product people can hold, feel and touch. To be fair, you can’t really sell a spa package like that, either, so you have to appeal to the imagination. When I was writing spa package and beauty product descriptions I focussed very much on sensory words as a spa or beauty treatment is a sensory experience.
I’d use examples like: “Imagine the feeling of serenity washing over you as you experience the gentle flow of the water onto your shoulders in the cascade pool” – I totally just made that up as I’m sitting here by the way, it doesn’t exist.
As you read that, you can almost see it in your mind’s eye, can’t you? Even though there is no such thing. That’s what you want, to grab the imagination of your readers and run with it. Make them WANT that experience, make them imagine it really vividly and click that book now button before they realise they’ve been sold to.
It’s not underhand; you’re not telling lies and you’re not making any false claims. You’re just painting a picture with words. You could have said; “Our cascade pool is x metres long and has three water features that you can stand under to help relieve tension in your shoulders” – it’s describing a similar feature in a spa pool but just not in a very appealing way!
I get sold to like that all the time. Mostly chocolate or ice cream. I know what I’m talking about…
So, try these techniques next time you’re writing a salon/spa menu or product descriptions for your website. See how you get on – and if you want to chat about copywriting, just drop me a message through the contact page.
