"Hype" has become a word that many online marketers are shying away from. Yet each person has his or her own definition of what constitutes hype. I just typed in word "hype" at Answers.com and here are two definitions that dictionary returned:

1. Exaggerated or extravagant claims made especially in advertising or promotional material: "It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job" 2. Something deliberately misleading; a deception: " [He] says that there isn't any energy crisis at all, that it's all a hype, to maintain outrageous profits for oil companies"

Even from those two definitions we see that one indicates exaggeration which makes up figure of speech called a hyperbole and other suggests deliberate deception.

I think that most marketers will want to shy away from deceiving their prospects. From that perspective 'hype' will not just be wrong but unethical.

But what most people see as 'hype' normally involves a high-pressure direct selling sales letter that uses many superlatives and promises much more than product or service can deliver. For example, to make purchaser rich overnight with little effort on their part and instant success and gratification.

This style of writing has become so popular on internet that most people have become immune to such letters. The kind of sales copy that now stands out is one that is more down-to-earth and shows a human side. By 'human side' I mean openly admitting to downside or faults of your wares.

This of course is a counterintuitive approach. Who wants to admit that they are selling 'faulty' products? In fact, real purpose of a sales letter is to get a sale not to drive people away. So, if logic and common sense hold true, you should show all great benefits that your product or service offers. And be silent about weaknesses.

But a big issue especially on internet is a matter of credibility. And when you are willing to say that your product or service is not perfect solution then your credibility just shoots through roof! You become believable and transparent and it shows that you have nothing to hide.

Ad copy, sales copy, sales letter, copywriting or whatever you want to call it – goal is same for every Internet marketing business. Get traffic and convert hits into cash. And how do you do just that? With an effective sales letter.

Let's find out how to make your sales letter more effective.

1. Create a "teeth-pulling" headline. We live in a headline society. Ignore this fact, and you lose. With overload of information, people don't have time to stop at every webpage and read it. Instead, they use headlines to direct their attention. If your headline doesn't pull them to your sales letter, they may just pass by your information and off they go to your competitor.

In your headline, do something for reader. Tell them how to solve a problem, ask them a question that will peak their interest, give them what they want, pull them by their "teeth" and tell them to sit down and read. Instead of saying: "Increase Your Profits," say something like: "How to increase your profits for a whole 50% in next month," or "How would you like to see your profits increase for a whole 50% in following month?"

2. Include a picture of yourself in your sales copy. That will show people that you're not hiding behind your website and you're not afraid to back up your claims.

3. Introduce yourself before you start body of your sales letter. That way when you make a statement with an "I" people won't be scratching their heads saying: "Who in world is this person telling me all this stuff?"

4. Make your ad copy an article or a report of some sort. Educate them or inform them of something related to product you're selling. Majority of people don't go online to spend money but to read free information. When your ad copy sounds like an article, they will not ignore it. That's because they will not get feeling that you're trying to sell them something. At least not at beginning. Your job will then be to slowly lead them to your sales link.

5. Be focused and talk to only one person with your sales letter. You and I. Just like when having a conversation. Have you noticed that I'm only talking to you right now and not a group of people?

6. Make sure that ad copy is "YOU" oriented and not full of "I's, me's, my's." Unfortunately, your potential customer has absolutely no interest in you nor your business or service. They don't care for you. Instead, he or she is preoccupied entirely with his or her own needs, wants, wishes, interests and so on. Concentrate on telling them what's in it for them and not you.

7. No copy is long copy. It could only get boring. You visitor will read until he or she gets bored. So, don't worry about length of your ad copy. Keep it interesting at all times. It helps to ask someone to read it for you. How do you make it interesting? As long as you're greatly focused on your potential customer, they will be reading.

8. Have fun with paragraphs. Don't write massive letters with no breaks in between. Make one paragraph with one sentence, next one with 2 or 3 and so on. And keep sentences short and to point. Having massive paragraphs with run-on sentences discourages people from reading.

9. Make sales copy "scanable." When people arrive at your page they usually scroll down and back up before they start reading. Along this "scanning" process, they will stop at everything that gets their attention. How do you make a page scanable?