The basics
How do copywriters create effective copy?
This is the truth: We are all in a trance. You can’t discount the small number of self-actualized people when writing sales copy. Your sales copy will be read by people who have become too busy with their daily lives.
It’s possible to watch the film. “What the bleep do we know?”It is the most practical explanation I have seen of this phenomenon.
Living inside of their heads is what people do.
Their spouse doesn’t get them or isn’t able to understand their situation. They drove from work they don’t like and came home to find a husband who didn’t even know them. The bratty kids are complaining about some stupid thing. They have to pay the bills and don’t even have enough money. They are not where they should be.
Or… You can also read about their day of changing diapers and mopping the floors.
watching daytime T.V. The cross-dressing librarian is all they have in their minds, they are aching for the movie stars and worry sick.
Or… Or… The S.E.C. Is skeptical about the financials of last year and that little accountant who threatened to make a squeal,
If you are willing to accept this mission, your task is to get to know the person you are writing to and to walk some thousand miles with them. You need to get inside the mind of your reader. Find out what is causing the pain. Then, create your solution.
Growing men have cried as they imagined their lives and saw their readers.
This is the secret.
Let’s now look at what the nuts and bolts are about copywriting.
Our focus is on the “big seven”The components of a professionally-written sales page.
1. Headline
2. Bullet-points
3. Headers
4. The Body
5. The Guarantee
6. The Close
7. The P.S.
These are the foundation for writing great copy.
The headline
Your headline should be 90% of your efforts, as 90% depends on its effectiveness.
Use a lot headlines. Fivety isn’t excessive.
This headline serves the purpose of bringing the reader into the sales copy.
The professionals who write copy are smart and educated.
You can find magazines at grocery stores’ check-out counters, such as text-books. “Elvis Marries 2-Headed Space Alien In Shotgun Ceremony!” “World Ending Thursday, 7:13 P.M., According To Secret Prediction!” “Oprah Loses 250 Pounds Eating Ice Cream- You Can, Too!”
This is exactly what it looks like.
Why? They stop you dead in your tracks, and they make you curious. Although they are bull-poop intellectually, people do not buy their intelligence. They buy their emotions.
Although there are many ways of approaching headline writing, let us limit ourselves to just five.
Answer the Question
You can ask a question which cannot be answered immediately. “yes”Or “no.”
“Do You Make These Seven Copywriting Mistakes?”
If you don’t know the answer, it is impossible to help. For that to happen, you have to first read the text. Don’t be surprised if you don’t know. Are you making these mistakes? Are you making them? Do you have a plan?
Let’s give it another shot.
“How Can YOU Fire Your Boss?”
You won’t be able to tell if the text isn’t in the first sentence.
“What If You Could Double Your Sales In Ten Days?”
You can turn simple sentences into questions-
“You Want Financial Security, Don’t You?”
“She Deserves The Best, Doesn’t She?”
Let’s take a look at a different kind of Question headline.
“What Can A 29 Year Old Bottle-Washer From Cleveland, Texas Teach You About The 17 Shameful Secrets Of Shampoo?”
You can’t resist!
The call-out
This is the simplest headline that you can make, but it is very powerful if your product targets a niche.
Try this if you are selling headache remedies “Headache Sufferers!”
You might consider selling your guitar strings. “Guitar Players!”
Try these suggestions if you are selling investment properties. “Investors!”
Only a very select group will be interested in you. “call out,”But if you have a product that is so focused, this will suffice.
Little Psychology
Influence101 includes one psychological tool I talk about: “Social Proof.” You can get your copy of this audio home-study course at http://www.influence101.com.
The herd animal of humans is the human being. It is possible to be a herd animal. “everybody”If you are doing something then “you”You must do it too. They can’t all be wrong.
The history is filled with examples of people who are ‘everybody.” being wrong. “Social Proof” is how peer group pressure works.
The fashion industry, the soft drink industry, the religion industry, and the politics industry know this one, and use it all the time. .
We can use this principle to craft effective headlines.
One that has been over-used lately, but is a good example is:
“Is There Anyone Who Wants to Make $20,000 Per Week?”
Another way to use it is:
“Don’t Get Left Behind!”
Or: “It’s Not Possible to Be Right About 20,000 Blind Albino Aviators”
Intellectually, you know that they can. Writing sales copy has nothing to do with the intellect. People buy with their emotions and justify it with their intellect.
Imagine That…
Create a picture that draws your reader in.
Like: “Think about how much freedom you’ll have when mastering your craft.
Copywriting!”
“Think of this: You have just earned your first million!”
The trick here is to paint a vague picture that is enticing, and let the reader fill in the details.
In the headline: “Visualize Yourself Driving The Car Of Your Dreams” The reader will do exactly that- providing the make, model, year and color for you.
The more detail you provide, the tighter your focus- and the smaller your potential target.
Quotes-
Anything with quotation marks around it will stand out.
“This is the Best Cigar I Have Ever Smilled.” Britney Spears.
“All My Men Have Levi’s” Elton John
“They laughed when I sat at the piano. But, they were astonished when I started to play.” This may be the most famous headline in history, by the way. It ran, successfully, for decades.
Steal This Ad
As you start thinking like a copywriter, you’ll start noticing advertisements from a different perspective. Pay special attention to the headlines that get used over and over. Major advertisers are constantly testing headlines- if you notice an ad that runs for several months with the same headline, write that headline down!
It’s working.
Another interesting thing to note about successful copywriters: they steal. Every copywriter worth his salt has something called a “File swipe” This is where they put copies of ads that they like. When it’s time for them to write a headline, the first thing they do is go to their swipe file and try to find one they can modify to fit their assignment.
Advertising may not be the oldest profession- although, it’s closely related. It has, however, been around a long, long, long time. Occasionally, some genius will come up with a headline that hasn’t been used before, but it’s very rare. Trust me, start snagging great ads and start your own swipe file.
Caveat- don’t steal word-for-word. Use your swipe file for inspiration. As you read the ad, see if you can analyze it to discover why it worked, and use that knowledge to create one that will work the same way.
Another interesting thing about copywriters- they sue. For example, there have been instances where a copywriter has been so impressed by Ted Nicholas’ copy that he used it verbatim. He regretted it almost instantly.
Bullet Points
There are at least three kinds of readers-
1. Those who will read every word you write.
2. Those who skim, focusing on headlines, bullet points, and major points.
3. Those who read the headline and then skip to the offer.
They all read the P.S., by the way.
As you design your copy, you need to keep all three readers in mind. You need to tell your story with your headline, sub-headlines, bullet points, and P.S., for the benefit of the skimmers- and you need to do it in a way that allows your copy to flow smoothly.
Bullet points are used to call attention to benefits.
Do you know the difference between a feature and a benefit? It’s a little tricky, but it’s a distinction you need to learn.
“The car cruises at 120 mph thanks to German engineering.” is a feature.
“It is possible to play golf even while others drive.” is a benefit.
Are you starting to see the difference? The feature is the description. The benefit is what it does for you.
Let’s look at another one.
“This pizza includes spinach, broccoli and spirulina.” discusses features.
“Healthy pizza for building strong, sexy bodies,” discusses benefits.
Now let’s look for a benefit of the benefit:
“Delicious healthy pizza will leave you feeling strong enough to be asked by girls
out.” The benefit of the benefit “This is so powerful” is “Girls will ask you out.”
Bullet points are only slightly less important than headlines. Almost all of your readers will read them. If you need ten bullet points, write a hundred, and then choose the best ten.
Sub-Heads
Sub-Headlines are like bullet points, but they stand alone, and introduce a new section of copy.
Everything we’ve discussed about headlines and bullet points applies to sub-headlines.
Use them to grab your reader by the shirt-collar and make him or her read the following copy.
Here are some examples of sub-headlines:
“But wait! There are more.” Personal note: whenever I hang out with copywriters, I’m silently watching the second hand on my watch. It’s only a matter of time before one of them quotes this sub-headline, and then the others laugh uncontrollably.
“This is the New 2006 Version!” Would be a way to introduce benefits and features that have been changed for the new product year.
“How can an era-old technology transform your sales?” is a sub-head that was used for our very successful “Automated Thinking and Growing Rich” sales page.
“A Lifestyle beyond the dreams of Avarice” helped us sell a pile of
“The Myth of passive income” (www.mythofpassiveincome.com)
Get the idea? A sub-headline is just like any other headline, except it leads into a specific section of copy. When you’re writing your list of potential headlines, be sure and note the ones that would make good sub-heads.
The Body
This is the meat and potatoes of sales copy.
This is where you identify your customer’s pain, and provide him with the magic secret that will make the pain go away.
You may be wondering, “How long should your copy be?” The answer is, as long as it needs to be. There is a rule of thumb that states that the more expensive the item you’re trying to sell, the longer the copy needs to be.
Don’t be afraid of long copy. Remember your three kinds of readers. A person who is contemplating a purchase, especially the purchase of an expensive item, wants to know all there is to know about the item.
The very first step is to visualize who you’re writing to. What trance are they in as they begin to read?
What did they do all day? Was it fun? What do they want to do? Are they
hungry? Are they thirsty? Are they broke? Are they looking for the perfect
diamond ring?
You’ve used your headline to stop them in their tracks.
You’ve listed a few bullet points to make them curious.
You’ve got their attention with your sub-head.
Now you’ve got to lead them to the bottom of the page and help them press the “Buy Now” button.
Try to meet them where they are and take them with you. Imagine their objections and address them in your copy.
Avoid using big words when smaller words will do, and adjust your vocabulary to fit your reader. If you’re advertising reverse amortization mortgages in the secondary market, you’re going to use a completely different vocabulary than you will when you’re selling diapers.
One way to pull them into your copy is to tell them a story.
I’ve used this one several times.
“In my youth, I was an average blues guitarist who lived on between $30 and $50 per night. Up until the day it was taken away, I lived in a mobile house. Because pinto beans are the only thing we can afford, I am able to learn more about how to make pinto beans. “
Hopefully, by this point in the story, I’ve got my reader nodding his head. He’s been broke before. He’s identifying with my story, and putting himself in my place.
He’s ready for some good news:
“Later, Dr. Joe Vitale gave me his book at Wimberley’s restaurant. Which book did you receive? “Spiritual Marketing”.
I was able to use the secrets in this book as a guideline and have created a life that is full of joy, freedom and happiness. “
If I’ve done my job, my reader is asking “Which bookstore can I buy the book from?”
Your story doesn’t have to be about you. It does have to draw the reader into your sales copy. Use your story as an opportunity to stress the benefits of the product in a personal way.
Another strategy for writing compelling sales copy is to round up your best sub-headlines and put them in a logical order. Then use your copy to expand and explain the benefits mentioned in the sub-head.
Let’s look at some other strategies for leading our customer to the “Buy Now” button.
One technique I rely on a lot is the “problem-solution” copy.
You might start out by asking a question:
“Is Dandruff a Problem?” for example.
Then describe the heartbreak of dandruff. Maybe tell a story about a man who lost his wife, his job, and his self-respect because of dandruff.
That’s the problem.
Then, just before our poor dandruff sufferer hangs himself from a shower-rod, you present the solution.
“You won’t need to worry if you rub this duck oil twice daily on your head.
Concerning losing your spouse, your job or self-respect.”
I’m exaggerating just a little- they gym where I work out has a t.v., and today I went during the day, when the soap operas were on. Daytime t.v. is pretty educational, if you’re a student of advertising.
I’m not exaggerating very much. For certain audiences, that approach works like a charm.
With appropriate modification, it will work for any audience.
Testimonials
The sales copy can contain testimonials, or you can use them to break up the copy into sections.
Testimonials are essential. Instead of just one person (you), who has a financial interest in the sale, telling them how great the product is, you can gather a crowd to tell them.
The two best kinds of testimonials are from experts and people just like your customer.
There is a trick to getting a testimonial, even from an expert, by the way.
It’s a secret, but I’ll tell you.
“It’s up to you.”
Don’t tell anybody.
Use testimonials to build the case for your product.
The Guarantee
Use your guarantee to shift the risk from the purchaser to you.
You want your customer to feel totally confident when they buy your product. If they feel like they’re going to be stuck with it if they don’t like it, they won’t buy it. This is especially true on the internet, where they can’t touch, or even see the actual product.
Here’s a rule of thumb I learned from a very famous copywriter who was speaking at a seminar- “The return rate will be lower for longer guarantees.”
Think about it. If you know you’ve got three days to decide if you like something, you’re going to be in a pretty big hurry to find something you don’t like. If you know you’ve got a year, or a lifetime, you don’t feel any urgency. In fact, you may forget about it completely.
I believe in strong guarantees.
I watched Joe Vitale offer a “Get double the amount of your investment back” guarantee on a product that sold for almost a thousand dollars. That’s a very gutsy guarantee. It worked. He sold almost half a million dollars worth of product in just a few days- and one of the reasons was that outrageous guarantee.
Clickbank, and most merchant account companies, keep a reserve to pay for refunds. They use an algorithm based on your refund history, the price of the product, and the phase of the moon- I guess. I really don’t know how they do it, but I do know that they keep part of the sales revenue for a long time to make sure there’s money there to pay for refunds.
It’s worth it.
The Close
This is where you ask for the sale.
There’s no point being shy now. Either you’ve built a strong emotional case for your product or you haven’t.
Ask them to click the “Buy Now” button.
The trend right now in online sales is to hit them high, and then offer a lower price.
Like this:
What would you pay for that kind of freedom? What’s your financial independence worth to you?
You’re probably thinking, “A minimum of one million dollars”
And you’re right- but because you’re one of my treasured subscribers, I’m offering it for only $497…. But Wait, There’s More!
If you buy today, or anytime before next Tuesday, you can have our guide to financial freedom for only $17- But hurry, this is a limited time offer.
Again, I exaggerated for effect- but all the pieces are there. Establish a high value for your product and then give a believable reason why it’s cheaper in your offer. Create a sense of urgency- and stick to it. If you say that the price is going up on Tuesday, make darn sure you raise the price on Tuesday.
The close is where you mention the bonuses.
Whenever another author asks me if I’ve got anything laying around they can use for a bonus, I always answer “yes,” even if I have to write it specifically for their project. Most marketers and authors are the same way.
Why?
Because we embed links to our web pages and our products in those bonuses. They are an excellent tool for driving traffic to our websites. The more traffic, the more sales for us.
You will have no trouble gathering up as many bonuses as you need.
Let’s say you round up ten e-books as bonuses, and can realistically valuate them at $30 each. That’s $300 in bonuses that you can give away that didn’t cost you a cent.
Those bonuses will make your “Close” a whole lot easier to write.
Like this:
Buy “You can grow tomatoes automatically” for only $17, and get these bonuses, valued at $300, absolutely free!
Remember, people buy with their emotions and justify the purchase with their intellect. What sort of emotional response do you think you’re going to get, when you offer to trade $317 worth of product for $17 in currency?
Bonuses make sales.
The P.S.
After you’ve asked for the sale, you sign the sales copy and go home, right?
Wrong.
One of the most important lines on your sales page is your P.S. Put it right under your signature.
Everybody reads the P.S.
This is where you restate the most important aspect of your sales letter.
Like this:
P.S. There is no risk on your part- our products are guaranteed for your lifetime, and the lifetime of anybody who looks like you. Buy now!
Or:
P.S. Don’t wait- offer ends tomorrow!
Use the P.S. to convince the reader who has passed right by the “Buy Now
Use the button to trace his steps again and then buy.
A P.P.S. is sometimes added by copywriters. A P.P.P.S. and an P.P.P.S.
There is no upper limit on the amount of things you can use effectively. My limit is two.