Writing Product Descriptions That Sell

15 years ago, I wrote "Write Better, Sell Better". The tagline that defined my career. Since then, I've written copy for Fortune 500 companies, projects that made millions, and taught copywriting at the university → Yep, writing is my life. But you don't have all semester long to learn. This post contains my 7 biggest writing lessons: (Save and repost this 60-second class ♻️) --- 1. Clarity is 90% of your writing Clarity beats cleverness 10 times out of 10. Remember: First, write clearly. Then, write creatively. Most focus on "creative" right off the bat = big no. (If you can do both, jackpot) --- 2. Use signposting to showcase authority I teach this technique to every single client. (This sentence you just read was a signpost) Signposts are short "signals" to your expertise and results. Think of them as signs on the side of the road, which allow you to "trust" the journey you're on. Can you notice where else I used it in this post? 😉 --- 3. Too much copy? Make it choppy. Here are 2 examples (the second one is better): Sometimes, we write super long sentences that we have no time to breathe and neither do our readers. Sometimes, we write super long sentences. We have no time to breathe. And neither do our readers. Chop it up! It's easier to read. --- 4. Write unselfishly. Edit relentlessly. Think about it. Writing is 80% editing. You are tweaking, optimizing, and making things sound perfect. One bit of advice: Don't hold back. Edit (ehm, delete) anything that isn't on-topic. I've deleted probably 40% of this post. --- 5. Use sensory words. Add texture to text. That had to hurt! → That had to "sting"! Having a bad day? → Having a "rough" day? A seamless process → A "silky-smooth" process All of the 2nd descriptions above can be "felt". It's how your readers "touch an emotion", not just "read text". --- 6. Never write to "everyone" Remember this for all time: "Everyone" is not your audience. Sales happen when your prospect can clearly "see" themselves in your writing. So how do you go about this? --- 7. The "Dear son" writing method Pick "one" person to speak to → I speak to my son. For you, it could be your best friend, the old you etc. I start everything with "Dear son" and end with "Love, Dad". In the end, I simply delete these 2 parts. Doing so creates such a powerful connection with your readers + a consistent tone of voice. With every word. Where there's connection, there's trust. And where there's trust, there's sales. Words to live by. --- Write Better, Sell Better = that's the whole game! Let me know which lesson you enjoy the most. Professor Jay, out. (Repost this for your network ♻️)

This week I read 20 winery websites. They all said the same five things. "Intersection of innovation and tradition." "Family winery." "Crafted with passion." "Sustainable and eco-friendly." These phrases sound good. And they say nothing. When every winery says the same thing, no one stands out. What gets lost: 📍 Connection. People connect with real moments, real people, real decisions… Not with abstractions. 📍 Differentiation. If you sound like everyone else, why should someone choose you? Or even remember you? 📍 Trust. Vague language feels like marketing (like smoke). Specific language feels honest. The fix: Talk about family, sustainability, passion, tradition. But make it real. Specific. Make it something I can picture. Examples: Instead of: "We're at the intersection of innovation and tradition." Try: "My grandfather fermented in concrete. I still do, but now I use wild yeast again and short macerations. We argue about it every harvest." Instead of: "We're a family winery." Try: "Our dad planted these vines in 1989. I stopped using herbicides. My sister runs the tasting room and has strong opinions about which wines we should pour. We don't always agree, but we all show up." Instead of: "Crafted with passion." Try: "I wake up at 5 a.m. during harvest to walk the vineyards before the crew arrives. Even though I wish I could stay in bed a little longer, I can't clone myself... Besides, I love walking the vineyards on my own, before the picking starts." Instead of: "We're sustainable and eco-friendly." Try: "We compost our pomace and spread it back in the vineyard. We use sheep to manage cover crops instead of tractors. Our electricity comes from solar panels we installed in 2019. It's not perfect, but it's what we can do." The shift: Start writing like a person talking to another person about something they care about. Ask yourself: What do we actually do that reflects this value? Can someone picture it? Would I say this to a friend over a glass of wine? How would I say it? Your words matter. They're how people decide if they trust you. If they want to visit. If they want to buy your wine. Make them count. Make them tangible. Make them yours. What's the most specific, real thing you've read on a winery website that made you want to visit? --- I'm Melisa Agamennoni. I've been working in wine since harvest 2009. Wine is the longest relationship of my life after my parents. And I care about it too much to see great bottles (and vineyards) become forgettable experiences. The picture is from harvest 2021, when I went back to winemaking and crafted with passion 🍇

Stop talking about your wine like an amateur. Instead, try this: 1. Put the customer first: - Know their interests - Meet them where they are at - Talk about what they care about 2. Stop talking about scores and critical opinions: - Most people don't know anything about wine scores, and they care much less about them. - Lean on customer reviews and feedback more. - Find brand ambassadors to do the talking instead. 3. Don't highlight your story, history, origin, or family: - This is usually unrelatable; find something that is. - See the first point. - So many of these stories are the same as the winery down the road. Find a way to stand out. Most people get this all wrong. They make it all about their wine, their winery, their story. Wrong. Selling more wine is about highlighting the customers and finding ways to connect with them. So go build that customer-first muscle.

If your wine brand still talks like it's selling to Baby Boomers, you're already irrelevant. Millennials and Gen Z now represent the majority of U.S. wine drinkers—and they’re not buying what the old wine industry is selling. They’re not looking for 100-point scores or romantic vineyard stories written in cursive script. They want fun, not formality. Inclusion, not intimidation. Transparency, not tradition. If your marketing still leans on jargon and prestige, you’re speaking a language they don’t even care to decode. These younger buyers drink canned wine at concerts, buy wine from a text message, and post bottle pics on Instagram based on label design, not your tasting notes. They crave wine brands that align with their values—sustainability, diversity, authenticity—and they’ll pay more for brands that reflect those things. And here’s the kicker: they're not loyal to legacy—they’re loyal to relevance. So stop obsessing over what made your brand successful 20 years ago. Start designing packaging that pops, messaging that connects, and experiences that build community. 📉 Wine sales are flatlining among legacy buyers. 📈 The future belongs to those who adapt now. #WineMarketing #GenZ #MillennialMarketing #WineIndustry #DTC #BrandStrategy #ModernSales

In e-com, attention is currency. Every section is either creating desire, or killing it. Note that, your PDP isn’t just a place to drop specs and photos. It’s a narrative. It’s your silent salesperson. And it has one job: Guide the user to “Add to Cart”. With zero confusion or friction. But most pages aren’t built with that level of intention. To convert, you need structure: A flow that builds trust, stacks value, and removes hesitation. Here are 7 things every product page should include to do exactly that: 1. Product badges. Quick-hit benefits that set your product apart from alternatives. Instant differentiation. 2. Short description under the title. A simple line that connects emotionally while clearly stating the product’s value. 3. Badge on the product image. A visual trust-builder — signals confidence, popularity, or social proof at a glance. 4. Bullet-point benefits below the image. Short. Clear. Relatable. Show how the product fits into their life and improves it. 5. Upsell section. Encourage multi-buy with a clear value incentive. Especially powerful in food & beverage. 6. Accordions for deeper info. Some scan. Some dive deep. Accordions serve both. Use them to reduce overwhelm. 7. How-to-use video or visuals. Help them visualize usage and how the product fits into their life. When you get this right: → Users scroll with curiosity, not hesitation → The value builds as they move down the page → And when they see the CTA, it feels like a no-brainer Clean is good. Clean and strategic is better. Because the best product pages don’t just look good, they convert. Which one are you building for? Found this helpful? Let me know in the comments.

This is the question I hear most from legacy wineries: How do we win over Millennials without alienating our core consumer — and without blowing up the budget? This holiday re-broadcast with Aly Wente O'Neal of Wente Family Vineyards offers one of the clearest, most transferable playbooks I’ve seen. Wente didn’t chase trends. They followed a process. Here’s how the shift actually happened — step by step: 🔶 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 — 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 When Aly stepped into the role, the first move wasn’t new creative or new channels. It was a hard look at where money was going. Roughly $500K a year was tied up in printed POS that was hard to track — and often never executed. Those dollars were reallocated into digital, where performance could be measured, optimized, and reported back to the business. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: You can’t modernize marketing if you can’t see what’s working. Measurement came before messaging. 🔶 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 Wente realized that much of its consumer-facing marketing was still written for the trade — points, clones, farming credentials — things that younger consumers don’t necessarily understand or value. The message pivoted toward flavor, occasion, and trust — ideas that can land in a few seconds at shelf or on a phone screen. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Just because something is authentic and true doesn’t mean it’s meaningful to consumers. Relevance beats expertise when you’re recruiting new drinkers. 🔶 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 Wente ditched stock photography: They focused on the family, the team, and lifestyle content. The brand stopped polishing the story and started humanizing it. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Younger consumers don’t want to be sold to — they want to recognize themselves in the brand. 🔶 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 UGC and reviews became performance drivers. In one example, a simple paid ad featuring a real consumer review outperformed traditional brand creative by 5x conversion. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Studies show that peer validation carries more weight than critics or brand claims among younger consumers — and it converts. 🔶 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 Wine wasn’t positioned as the main event. It became part of a broader lifestyle — music, food, casual hangouts — creating more moments where wine fits naturally. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: More occasions = more relevance = more reasons to choose the brand. The result: Wente moved from Boomers as its dominant consumer to Millennials — and is 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝘂𝗽 𝟲% 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯% 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. Listen in on Business of Drinks 👇 #BusinessOfDrinks #WineMarketing #WineIndustry Scott Rosenbaum Caroline Lamb

People don’t buy products. They buy time. They buy peace of mind. They buy the better version of themselves. This hit me hard when we launched a feature that reduced reporting time by 50%—and no one noticed. Why? Because we sold the solution. We didn’t sell the transformation. Our messaging sounded something like this: "Introducing Feature X: Reduce manual reporting time by 50%!" Clear? Yes. Exciting? Not so much. That’s when we realized: Numbers alone don’t inspire action. Stories do. So, we changed the narrative: "Imagine getting back an entire afternoon every week—no spreadsheets, no stress. What would you do with that time? Focus on strategy? Wrap up early for the day? Because nobody likes getting stuck in reporting. And now, you don’t have to." Suddenly, customers listened. They saw themselves in the story. 💡 It wasn’t about the feature anymore—it was about them. Here’s what I learned about storytelling in product marketing: 1️⃣ Paint the 'before-and-after' picture: Show the problem, then the transformation. 2️⃣ Make the customer the hero: Your product is the guide that helps them win. 3️⃣ Focus on the emotional outcome: More time. Less stress. Greater freedom. The result? A 40% jump in adoption rates. 🚀 Because when customers feel the impact of your product, they don’t just notice it—they adopt it. So, next time you’re launching a feature, ask yourself: Are you selling the product or the story? #ProductMarketing #Storytelling #GoToMarket

Designing beauty packaging for senses? The keys for success or failure on your new launch resides in basic attributes like texture, color, smell, temperature or weight… Some time we ultra complicate everything and forget the basics. >>Texture. It directly shapes how consumers judge performance and pleasure of use. Creamy, rich, or silky textures are often associated with hydration, nourishment, and efficacy, while lighter gel or fluid textures signal freshness, fast absorption, and suitability for daily routines. +43% cosmetic manufacturers prioritize improving texture and sensory comfort when developing new products. Tactile satisfaction strongly affects repeat purchase. Studies in sensory neuroscience also show that different textures trigger distinct emotional and cognitive responses, reinforcing the idea that texture builds an emotional bond. +95% of buying decisions are guided by subconscious emotional processes. >>Color. Color plays a crucial role in forming first impressions and shaping expectations even before a product is touched or smelled. The color of a formula or its packaging communicates cues about performance, mood, and identity, such as calming pastels for sensitive skin or bold colors for expressive makeup. +85% of buyers say color is the main reason they choose one product over another. >>Smell. Smell is one of the strongest emotional triggers in beauty products because it is directly connected to memory and mood. Fragrance can transform a functional routine into a pleasurable ritual, reinforcing feelings of relaxation, confidence, or luxury. +75% emotional responses can be linked to scent, highlighting its disproportionate impact compared to other senses. >>Temperature. Cooling sensations in gels, serums, and eye products are often associated with freshness, depuffing, and relief, while warming masks or treatments convey stimulation and efficacy. Sensory science recognizes thermal sensation as a core organoleptic factor because it shapes immediate physical and emotional responses. +30–40% Products evoking distinct temperatures sensations were remembered more effectively. >>Weight. Heavier packaging or denser textures are often subconsciously associated with premium positioning, durability, and richness, while lighter products signal modernity, ease, and minimalism. Research shows that tactile cues such as weight strongly influence attractiveness and perceived worth, often before conscious evaluation. Take it together. Texture, color, scent, temperature, and weight form a multisensory system that builds emotional connection and satisfaction in beauty products. As consumers increasingly value experience alongside performance, these combined sensory cues create memorable rituals that drive loyalty, differentiation, and long-term brand value. #beautybusiness #beautyprofessionals #beautypackaging #beautytrends

Your startup might be so boring it’s putting people to sleep. Cold. Forgettable. Replaceable. Let me guess: → Your landing page is blue → No photos of real people, just screens and icons → You only talk about features, specs, and “how it works” → There’s no warmth, no story, no emotional hook → It reads like it was written for engineers... by engineers → Your ad campaigns look like product manuals Boring, boring, boring. My guy Phillip Oakley once wrote: 💬 Boring is forgettable. Forgettable means less effective. Less effective means spending more to be noticed. Spending more to be noticed and still forgotten is wasted spend. Wasted spend means higher costs and fewer results. Spending more to waste more with less return is bad business. Yup. Boring is bad business. Don't obsess over what your product does. Obsess over how it makes people feel. We buy based on emotion. We justify it with logic. Yet you treat emotion like a “nice to have.” It’s not. You can do better, starting here: → Use color intentionally → Show real people your customers relate to → Speak to aspirations and pain too → Talk about features like a person, not a spec sheet → Design every touchpoint to make people feel something → Create wow moments and glorify them If your product feels human, people will remember it. If they remember it, they will trust it. If they trust it, they might buy it. If they buy it, they might talk about it. If they talk about it, more people will buy. And when more people buy… you grow! Simple. Emotion drives revenue. Boring does not. - - - If you found this post helpful: ❤️ → Give it a like  💬 → Share your thoughts in the comments ♻️ → Repost it to help others 🔔 → Follow me for more insights on brands and strategy 📩 → DM me and let’s turn you into a branding champion

A year ago, I was that guy—writing copy that sounded like a university thesis. Buzzwords, jargon, and enough fluff to fill a pillow factory. My readers? Confused. My conversions? Nonexistent. Then I stumbled upon brands like Moosejaw and BarkBox. Their copy felt like a friend texting me, not a robot pitching me. That’s when I realized: conversational copy isn’t just “casual.” It’s strategic. It builds trust, makes you memorable, and (most importantly) gets results. Here’s how brands like these taught me to write copy that clicks with people: Conversational copywriting is all about writing like you're talking—no jargon, no sales-y pitch. But how do you nail it? Here’s a guide based on brands that get it right. Thread 🧵 1/ Moosejaw Fun and quirky copy that hooks you instantly. Examples: ✔️ “We love NFTs (Nacho Fun Times).” ✔️ “Remember to season your concrete after shoveling snow.” ✔️ “No, our website isn’t powered by hamsters in wheels… yet.” Takeaway: Don't be afraid to let your personality shine—it’s what makes people remember you. 2/ BarkBox What do they sell? Adorable joy for dogs. ✔️ They use relatable humor + 100% satisfaction guarantees. ✔️ They speak their audience's language—dog parents, not just dog owners. Takeaway: Know your audience. Write for them, not at them. 3/ Innocent Drinks Natural products, natural tone. ✔️ They use ultra-specific details like “botanical” to emphasize quality. ✔️ They lean on transparency to eliminate buyer anxiety. Takeaway: Be real, and get specific—your audience will trust you more. 4/ OkCupid DTF? They redefine it. ✔️ Their copy flips expectations. ✔️ They invite users to define their version of dating. Takeaway: Play with cultural norms to create an emotional connection. 5/ Gymit Copy that feels like a casual gym chat. ✔️ They make gyms approachable—not intimidating. ✔️ The honesty in their tone makes them relatable to everyone, not just fitness buffs. Takeaway: Use language that removes barriers for your audience. 6/ Lego Timeless yet relevant. ✔️ Nostalgia meets values. ✔️ One ad paired a retro toy with a modern message about equality. Takeaway: Tie your brand’s history with current values to create powerful storytelling. Conversational copy isn’t magic—it’s empathy. Think: What would your audience actually want to hear? Then say that.