One Looooong-Arse Copywriting Lesson
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Below is one very long copywriting lesson.
In fact, it’s actually nine copywriting mini-lessons rolled up into one.
There is no magic to these lessons.
No “killer” techniques or “black hat” super-persuasion tactics involved.
But if you take a few minutes to read and apply them to your business, I suspect they will make copywriting and marketing much easier and more profitable for you.
Anyway, enough small talk.
Here we go…
1. Embrace Your Insomnia
True story:
Couple months ago my dog ate something that gave her a nasty case of diarrhea at about 1:00 am and I couldn’t fall back asleep. I didn’t feel like watching TV or reading. So I decided to start “doodling” cartoons.
Then a funny thing happened.
I was just sitting there, pen and paper handy, and the answer to a problem that had vexed me for months just sort of “popped” into my mind. I excitedly wrote the idea down and had an idea for an entire new business and product line.
Yes, I was tired… but I was also extremely grateful.
Had I not gotten up, I may never have gotten this idea.
Next time you get insomnia (or just need to stay awake) I HIGHLY recommend you do the same thing.
Just start writing.
Doesn’t matter what you write about, either. Can be an ad, business plan, newsletter, blog, grocery list, anything.
Strange as it sounds, there is a connection between your hands and the creative part of your brain. When you start writing (or doodling) you automatically start tapping into the deep reservoir of ideas stored in your mind.
And there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get some of your best ideas… and discover some truly incredible breakthroughs for your business and life… when you’re in that sort of subconscious “twighlight zone” at 3 am.
In fact, I have learned not only to look forward to getting insomnia… but to actually be thankful for it.
2. Edit Your Copy With Your Mouth
You’ve probably heard copywriters say you should read your ads out loud before running them to catch any “snags” in the copy.
And I totally agree with that.
BUT… I don’t think copywriters should stop at just one read through. I think you should read it out loud at LEAST 10 times.
Why 10 times?
First of all, you will catch WAY more errors, and iron out ALL the “wrinkles” in your narrative flow, by your 10th time through.
Plus (even more importantly) you will get more and better ideas — that will almost always strengthen your ad — on each reading.
I can’t tell you how many times I thought I had a final draft… only to read it out loud 10 times and wind up with an ad that was much stronger and more interesting than before I read it out loud the nine previous times.
But here’s the catch:
Do not read it through 10 times out loud in one or two sittings.
Stretch your readings out over a good week.
I like to read my ads out loud twice on Monday, twice on Tuesday, twice on Wednesday, etc.
This gives your brain a full 24 hours to “sift and sort” through new ideas before your next reading — and give you even more great ideas and insights.
By Friday (or whatever your 5th day is)… you’ll have an ad that’s several times stronger than it was originally.
Try it in your next ad. You’ll see exactly what I mean.
3. People Tithe Where They’re Fed
This isn’t so much a copywriting “technique” as an observation.
Whenever someone asks my pastor about where to tithe — or who to tithe to — his answer is always the same:
In other words, if your church is feeding you good spiritual “food” — then that’s where you tithe. On the other hand, if you leave there feeling like you haven’t learned a thing or haven’t gotten any growth or value from being there, then tithe to a church that IS giving you these things.
So what does this have to do with marketing?
Quite a bit, actually.
Because people naturally do this same thing in all areas of their lives.
For example, if someone has a list of newsletter subscribers, customers, leads, etc — and they aren’t “feeding” that list (i.e. giving them value) — they probably aren’t going to stick around for very long.
It’s more likely they will find somewhere else (like maybe your competitor) to spend their money with.
Ask yourself every day: Are you feeding your “flock”?
Or are you bullying them, intimidating them, or pressuring them into buying — relentlessly hammering them day in and day out with nothing but pitch after pitch after pitch after pitch?
This is a great way to “check” yourself and make sure you are doing right by your list.
Which leads us to our next “gem”…
4. Treat Your Customers Like Family
This is one of the foundations of an eBook I’m writing for affiliate marketers with small lists who would like to double (even triple) their current sales, while simultaneously beefing up their traffic and new subscriber sign-ups. (More on this eBook coming soon — go to www.AffiliateTrumpCard.com to be on the notification list.)
This may sound “corny.”
But I firmly believe that, when writing to someone you wish to sell something to, you should pretend you are writing an informal email to someone you REALLY love and care about.
Maybe a parent, grandparent or child who is suffering from some kind of pain your product can eliminate.
If you were writing a letter to someone you truly love, would you pack your ad with obnoxious, over-inflated claims just to make the sale?
Would you lie, exaggerate, or “bend” the truth even a little?
Would you send out some “form email” that a hundred other people are also sending them, all trying to badger them into buying?
Or would you be respectful, honest, and empathetic?
Maybe even admit the product’s flaws or why it may very well NOT be the right product for them and their particular situation?
Anyway, here’s the point:
Your customers are your business “family.”
Earl Nightingale talked about how your customers are the people who will write every pay check you ever cash, put your kids through school and buy your homes, cars and other “toys.”
Treat them with the respect they deserve and you can’t go wrong.
5. Do This When You Lack Credentials
As Gary Bencivenga (the world’s greatest living copywriting) once said:
But what do you do if you’re just starting out — with no “track record” of success, no testimonials, nothing but lots of raw enthusiasm and excitement?
Two things:
The first thing is crank out a press release, send it to the media, and get yourself on the radio or TV, or in the newspapers and magazines.
Why?
Because the instant you’re in print or on the air, you’re an expert. Period.
Doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or how “new” you are to your field, either. Once you’re in the media it’s like you’ve been automatically “knighted” an expert at whatever you do.
This is one of the big benefits of publicity.
Forget all the extra sales, leads and “good will” you generate by getting into the mass media. There’s also a LOT of power in the automatic credibility — the “halo effect” — you can use in ALL your ads for the rest of your life.
Best part:
It takes no particular brains, connections or speaking talent to get in the media. Just the ability to write a simple press release and have a pleasant conversation about what you do.
Then, when you lack proof or credibility, take the MP3 recording of your radio interview, the video of your TV interview, or a copy of your print interview, and use it in your advertising as “proof.”
By the way, if you don’t know how to write a press release, be sure to check out the free lesson I have up at:
The second thing you can do is public speaking.
As JP Maroney said when I interviewed him, you have almost “magical” powers over the crowd. They believe you, trust you and will often do what you tell them to do (like go to a website, buy a certain book, hire a particular service provider, etc).
In his “Advanced Copywriting For Serious Info Marketers” course, Ken McCarthy calls this phenomenon “the podium effect” — and it’s very, very powerful.
6. Create Instant Joint Ventures
Do you sell a “commodity” type product?
Or, at least, something people are already shopping for?
Then one cool thing you can try is finding eBay power sellers (who already have a large number of customers and people looking at their auctions) and ask if they’d be willing to joint venture with you — selling your product in their “store.”
It doesn’t have to cost them anything (you offer to pay the eBay fees). And they get another chance to make money.
Or, even better, if you sell something that’s informational in nature, let them keep all the money, but you fulfill the product (and they send you the names). That way you can mail those highly targeted customers other offers later.
Anyway, just something to think about…
7. Quit Selling So Hard
Master copywriter Doug D’Anna nicely summed this up in the interview he did for my site:
BEN: Now, one thing you teach in your DVD that is this whole idea of selling without selling. Where you’re selling the whole time during an ad, but not by constantly pushing the product or even necessarily mentioning it. Can you talk about how you do that?
DOUG: Let me see if I can’t give you an answer that isn’t just words, that will make you feel it. If I was going to launch a sales course, and you’ve already bought one of my books, you’re one of my buyers. We’re talking on the phone. Have I tried to sell you anything on this call?
BEN: Actually, no. Nothing.
DOUG: So why would you buy from me? I have warmed up to you, Ben. Now, hopefully I’ll warm up to the other people on the call. And I did it by being honest. By giving you some information and telling you a few things that you didn’t know. Being generous with the time and not being pushy.
One guy wrote me one time about one of my A-list things and he says, “I got to the end of your letter and I was ready to buy, but you weren’t selling anything.”
Interesting, ain’t it?
Here we have one of the world’s top copywriters saying he doesn’t mess around with hype, gimmicks or exaggerations.
Instead, he simply warms up to you, demonstrates his knowledge, and then makes you an offer.
If that’s not a great sales “recipe” I don’t know what is.
8. Start Or Join A Mastermind Group.
This is perhaps the most important thing on this list.
I’ve been in a mastermind group for roughly one year now, and I could kick myself for not having done it earlier.
As you know, just one idea can literally change your life.
Well, when you “master mind” with the right people, you’ll be SWAMPED with great ideas to test, use and experiment with.
More than you can ever hope to exploit in a lifetime.
I think I have actually learned more talking with these guys every couple months than from many of the high-priced info products I own.
And I highly recommend you check out each of their sites (and join their lists) so YOU can plunder their minds and experiences, too:
9. Make Your Copy Easier To Read… Than Not To Read
You know, when you boil copywriting down to it’s core, it’s mostly just keeping people reading line by line by line.
To paraphrase Eugene Schwartz: Each line in your ad should only “sell” you on reading the next line and so on.
Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?
Well, as anyone who has ever sweated over an ad knows, simple does NOT necessarily mean easy.
Here are some tips that I’ve found helpful for increasing ad readership:
- Give interesting and useful information away in your ad. A great example of this is Gary Bencivenga’s “100″ DVD sales letter. He constantly gives you tips and tidbits throughout the letter. I found the entire 60+ page letter almost impossible to put down — and I KEPT reading over and over it until I finally bought it. You can read the letter (and see what I’m talking about) at:
- Use short, “choppy” sentences. I LOVE packing my ads with short, one line paragraphs — especially after subheads. It makes the page (or screen) more inviting, and makes your copy non-threatening and easy to read.
- Tell them they are getting something free right from the start… and then keep “foreshadowing” more interesting stuff to come later on in the letter. Hollywood movies use foreshadowing all the time, and it also works great in ads. Just make sure you deliver on your promises — or you’ll look like a dork.
Okey-dokey.
That’s it for now, my friend.
I know this was kind of long for a blog post.
But I hope you got some good value from it nonetheless.
