So many new copywriters and even some of the old ones run into a major problem that not only destroys their copy but makes it near impossible to make money. That problem is CONFUSION. I can picture you at your desk, books and papers scattered over the surface, pdf files open and you begin to write your headline. You go through your notes, your swipe file, and look for something to borrow.
It pays to have a bit of a folksy, down-home style to your writing. That's a very good thing! Using phrases like "chewing the fat" and "that's a head-smacker" is the exact opposite of corporate-speak so it will resonate with readers. They won't feel like you're selling to them.
Tell stories rather than trying to make a sales pitch. Make use of humor and the unexpected. For example, I was at a networking event recently. A few days earlier I'd severely cut my left forefinger. Several people noticed the very obvious bandage and asked about it. I answered by telling a true, but unexpected story of how it happened. "It was a tragic oatmeal accident." (Stunned silence.) "Seriously. I was cutting up dried fruit to put in my oatmeal and it fought back. Oatmeal is dangerous stuff. Consequently, I'm not allowed near oatmeal anymore." That was as much as I told. The people I was talking to (your readers if you were writing that in a promo) can figure out for themselves what really happened.
They may also be left wondering how much truth, if any, is in your story. A little mystery is a good thing for building interest. In situations like that, the truth is unimportant in most instances. The purpose of copywriting is to elicit a response, not to educate or inform. (Though sometimes that's necessary in order to make the sale.)
Do your thinking BEFORE you write and then GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. Over analyzing the material while you're writing will only slow the flow of the words and stop the progress of your sales letter. Here's 5 tips for writing successfully. 1. Writing is like building; lay the foundation then one brick after another... 2. The best writing is conversational... 3. Connectors are crucial in eliminating confusion... 4. The number of ideas that need to be in a paragraph should be an odd number and three is too much... 5. The more you write the faster the confusion disappears from your writing.
Your first letter may not be stupendous, but it's a beginning and everyone has to begin somewhere. If you are always analyzing you'll enter analysis paralysis and never get anything done. You'll never even start, and that is where the major problem lies.
Trust yourself to write. You know the product, you've done the research, you know WHY someone would want this product in particular. In essence you KNOW what you're doing. Trust yourself to do it and you can take the raw talent and transform it into a masterpiece.
It pays to have a bit of a folksy, down-home style to your writing. That's a very good thing! Using phrases like "chewing the fat" and "that's a head-smacker" is the exact opposite of corporate-speak so it will resonate with readers. They won't feel like you're selling to them.
Tell stories rather than trying to make a sales pitch. Make use of humor and the unexpected. For example, I was at a networking event recently. A few days earlier I'd severely cut my left forefinger. Several people noticed the very obvious bandage and asked about it. I answered by telling a true, but unexpected story of how it happened. "It was a tragic oatmeal accident." (Stunned silence.) "Seriously. I was cutting up dried fruit to put in my oatmeal and it fought back. Oatmeal is dangerous stuff. Consequently, I'm not allowed near oatmeal anymore." That was as much as I told. The people I was talking to (your readers if you were writing that in a promo) can figure out for themselves what really happened.
They may also be left wondering how much truth, if any, is in your story. A little mystery is a good thing for building interest. In situations like that, the truth is unimportant in most instances. The purpose of copywriting is to elicit a response, not to educate or inform. (Though sometimes that's necessary in order to make the sale.)
Do your thinking BEFORE you write and then GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. Over analyzing the material while you're writing will only slow the flow of the words and stop the progress of your sales letter. Here's 5 tips for writing successfully. 1. Writing is like building; lay the foundation then one brick after another... 2. The best writing is conversational... 3. Connectors are crucial in eliminating confusion... 4. The number of ideas that need to be in a paragraph should be an odd number and three is too much... 5. The more you write the faster the confusion disappears from your writing.
Your first letter may not be stupendous, but it's a beginning and everyone has to begin somewhere. If you are always analyzing you'll enter analysis paralysis and never get anything done. You'll never even start, and that is where the major problem lies.
Trust yourself to write. You know the product, you've done the research, you know WHY someone would want this product in particular. In essence you KNOW what you're doing. Trust yourself to do it and you can take the raw talent and transform it into a masterpiece.
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