The Fundamentals of Writing to Sell Or... What’s worked for me at least... Day 1 Before Copywriting Fundamentals After Copywriting Fundamentals The next 2 days... Day 1 - The Workbench - Why ‘digital marketers’ fail (and a simple lesson from 1867) - How every prospect decides what they’re going to buy... - Harnessing the power of EDM (not Electronic Dance Music) - Remembering your real job - mastering the Stages of Awareness... - ‘RIOA’ - The secret weapon most marketers are afraid to use - The multi-million-pound research process that wins time and time again The next 2 days... Day 2 - The Tools - Now you’ve built the workbench, it’s time to get the tools... - Answer these 5 questions, and you can sell anything to anyone (mostly) - Applying ‘IVOC’ and finalising ‘RIOA’ to craft your message - How to eliminate ‘blank page syndrome’ and never feel stuck again... - Writing the ACTUAL copy - ‘CUB’ and ‘SWAPI’ - the only editing techniques you’ll ever need - How all this works in the ‘real world’ of marketing - Improving your skills by 1% every day... What you can expect... By the end of Day 2, you’ll have a proven ‘system’ for writing the best-performing copy on ANY project... So... Here’s the exact presentation I give to all the copywriters and marketers I manage... The problem with copywriting & why ‘digital marketers’ fail “Never sell something just because you want to sell it, or indeed, never advertise something simply in the way that you want to advertise it.” - Gary Bencivenga Most marketing underperforms because copywriters are taught to write for the company, not for the prospect. Nissan’s 300ZX Ad of 1996 Ad Spend = $200 Million Named as ‘Commercial of the Year’ by Time Magazine, Adweek, and USA Today Praised publicly by Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Seinfeld But... U.S Sales down -37.04% in the year after the ad aired The model was completely taken off the U.S market one year later It was great for Chiat... not so much for Nissan. Toyota Camry Ad of 1996 Not recognised as a high-award winning advert You’ll be hard-pressed to find ANY discussion about it online Never praised as ‘revolutionary’ But... U.S Sales up by over 350,000 (+8.7%) throughout lifespan of ad Best ever year for sales of the model - became the 2nd highest in sales for foreign car model in the U.S But why is all this relevant to you? The truth is, this anti-market focus is even worse in the digital age... - Brand Awareness Likes, Reacts, Shares, Comments Engagement For the next 2 days, we’re going to push these ideas out of our minds We’re going to talk about THE ‘thing’ that actually matters when it comes to marketing... Sales... And the fundamentals of writing to sell... The difference between 2 schools of advertising... - Indirect-response - Direct-response The difference? Immediate Action So what’s the problem with so much modern copywriting? It takes inspiration from the WRONG school of advertising... The only indicator of good copy is its measurable results. In marketing, this ultimately means sales. Direct-Response Advertising = The Fundamentals We Need So, why isn’t every agency doing this? Direct-Response Advertising The ‘forever’ rule of copywriting... “Connect your product to your prospect’s dominating, conscious desire, using only your advertising message.” Most marketers and businesses focus on what they like about their product, not what it means to the customer. - Most marketing underperforms because copywriters are taught to write for the company, not for the prospect - Creativity and entertainment don’t usually equal sales - The difference between indirect-response and direct-response advertising comes down to immediate action - Copy that aims to convert should take its inspiration from direct-response advertising - Your copy’s purpose is to “Connect your product to your prospect’s dominating, conscious desire, using only your advertising message.” How any prospect decides what they’re going to buy... How people make buying decisions The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making - Scott Plous, 1993 Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain - Antonio Damasio, 1994 Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman, 2011 - Our brains are wired to categorise things immediately The longer we take to make decisions, the less confident about them we are We rely on ‘Herd Mentality’ more than we’d like to admit ‘Logic’ is secondary Decision-making is based on emotion Join the conversation already happening in their head Objective Facts About a Product What We Care About Our Beliefs, Problems, and Desires Logic-first Conversion Rate = 1.15% Emotion-first Conversion Rate = 11.75% Logic-first Orders = 19 (approx.) Emotion-first Orders = 113 (approx.) Logic-first Emotion-first 68% 27% Nick Clegg Nigel Farage Emotional Decision Making Emotional Decisions are immediate... How to know where to start and continue: Here’s the universal prospect journey that’s often overlooked in the mainstream world of marketing... 5 Stages of Awareness 5 Stages of Awareness Unaware Your reader is unaware they have a problem that needs solving Problem Aware Your reader knows they have a problem that needs solving but don’t know of any solutions Solution Aware Your reader knows of solutions that will solve their problem but don’t yet know your product can also provide a solution Product Aware Your reader knows of your product but isn’t fully convinced they want it yet Most Aware Your reader knows of your product, knows exactly what it does, and knows they want it 5 Stages of Awareness Unaware You can only appeal to the identity of the reader; you may never write to Unaware prospects in some industries Problem Aware Show your reader that you understand their problem and claim you have a solution Solution Aware Show your reader that you understand the solution they’re aware of, and go on to prove your product achieves it or is even better Product Aware Reiterate your best promises and claims, and prove why your product is the best choice for the reader Most Aware Overcome that final objection or show them an offer they’ll find hard to refuse 5 Stages of Awareness Unaware Club-level Golfers Could Be in for a ‘Big Surprise’ this September Problem Aware Golf Pro Denies His Handicap-cutting Method Gives Club Players “An Unfair Advantage…” Solution Aware How to Sharpen Your Short Game (NO Additional Equipment Needed!) Product Aware Achieve ‘Flatstick Mastery’ in Just Two Weeks Most Aware 100% Refund If You Don’t Lose At Least 5 Strokes Within A Single Month Problem Aware Men Drink This When They Need To Focus Problem Aware/Solution Aware Stream Clearly with Axeball’s Unique ‘SoundWave 2.0 Technology’ Most Aware 30% OFF – DogDown Dry Shampoo Unaware/Problem Aware How to avoid the BIGGEST mistake new real estate investors make... 🏠 Product Aware “Dan’s 5k-to-1Mil Changed My Life” - Sarah, Ex-Homemaker Solution Aware Revision Management For Students By Students Problem Aware The Perfect ‘Slim-look’ Shirt for All Sizes Why Are They So Important? - Nobody wants to read sales copy so you need to make that first contact relevant and intriguing for the prospect - Decision-making is based on emotion that is felt immediately - Logic (anything that may seem relevant but isn’t, or an objective, rational view of things), is secondary when making decisions, and your prospect’s brain will post-rationalise what they already want to believe - Empathy is an important key to being a good copywriter - The Stages of Awareness should guide how you write your copy and at what ‘point’ you meet your prospect The Secret Weapon Most Marketers Are Afraid To Use RIOA - The Rule of One R Reader (One Reader) I Idea (One Idea) O Offer (One Offer) A Action (One Action) One Reader What it means: Your copy must be written as if aimed at one person specifically. Why it’s important: It focuses your messaging based on your research and attracts only those who align themselves with the idea of your product, meaning the copy you write will be far more persuasive for your perfect prospects, rather than mild and forgettable for ALL those who read it. Example: I’ll write this landing page as if the only person who’ll be reading it is a 50-year-old mum who’s had back pain that’s been getting progressively worse over the last decade and who is only just getting time back to themselves after the kids have moved away. She hates exercise because it’s painful, but feels guilty for not being more active. One Idea What it means: The single, core message of your copy. What main benefit are you promising that will satisfy your One Reader’s most intense, conscious desire? And why and how is your product able to support the delivery of this benefit? Why it’s important: The One Idea is the crux of your entire sales argument. You must be able to explain it in a single sentence so it’s undeniably clear to you, and consequently will be clear in the copy you write. It focuses the copy and doesn’t overwhelm the prospect with competing benefits or features that will dilute the primary benefit most relevant to them. Example: ‘Glucosamine helps support joints of older dogs so they can walk more comfortably our treats contain the highest concentration of naturally sourced glucosamine.’ One Offer What it means: The entirety of what your prospect will gain after taking action. What deliverables are you promising to your prospect? What is the cost to them for getting these deliverables? Why it’s important: Your offer must be clear otherwise nobody will trust you to deliver on it. Simply put, they must be able to picture exactly what they’ll gain and this must be easily defined because ‘a confused mind doesn’t buy (or click)’. Example: By entering their email, my prospect will receive a free PDF that details the 7 things I’ve learnt about PPC ads. It will be downloadable on the next page and it will be delivered to them via email. One Action What it means: There must only be a single action you’re guiding your reader towards performing for each piece of copy you write. Why it’s important: Multiple options are one of the biggest conversion killers. You must establish, in line with your One Offer, what the single action should be that you want the reader to take - otherwise you run the risk of them getting overwhelmed or sidetracked with something unrelated to your ultimate goal. Example: On this page, I only want the reader to click through to the order form, so I won’t include any other links or buttons to distract from that single aim. RIOA = Focused Copywriting The Two Core Pillars of Effective Copy The Stages of Awareness The Rule of One - RIOA Okay, enough about theory... Research - The Foundation of Every Successful Campaign And the multi-million pound process that’ll win for you time and time again... The Sticky Research Process 1) Product Research - What you’ve got to work with 2) Competitor Research - What others are already doing 3) Market Research - What your audience really wants Product Research 1) - The Product The physical product (facts + features) The functional product (benefits) USP’s (what makes it different) 2) The Ideal Client (Who was it created for? Who buys it?) 3) - The Existing Brand Image (IC alignment) Authority (status of trust) Product Research Competitor Research Finding Competitors: Outside of the ones that will already be obvious, the best way to find competitors is to act as your Ideal Client. - Set up new accounts on Facebook, Google, YouTube, Reddit… - Search terms similar to the concerns of your IC - Click into as many Ads that focus around the area of your product as possible - Highlight competitors who sell a similar product OR who sell to the same audience Competitor Research Market Research Discovering what your audience really wants... Tools: - Existing Audience Data Facebook Groups Facebook Ad Library Reddit (Relevant Subreddits) YouTube Videos Amazon Listings and Reviews Online Forums (and Other Social Media) Feedly Quora So, what are we looking for? ‘Voice of Customer’ Data (VOC) AKA: What prospects actually say about what they want “The trouble with market research is that people don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.” - David Ogilvy “I wouldn’t drink this piss if you paid me to.” “This is the perfect hybrid of something that’s inexpensive [and] open…” “Razors should be cheaper or last longer.” “... the truth is that it’s inconvenient to buy razors.” What’s the thread, here? The only kind of research you can ALWAYS rely on is ‘indirect’ Indirect Voice of Customer (IVOC) Data We need to source Voice of Customer data from places where people have no idea they’re being probed for market research... Recording IVOC Data Pains and Fears - Problems that require a solution, and worries about these problems Objections - Issues they have with believing alleged solutions Desires - Positive associations with the imagined outcome of solving a problem Firm Beliefs - Opinions they hold as fact that they refuse to be violated Shakable Beliefs - Opinions they hold that they don’t want to be true and could conceivably be convinced otherwise Other - Anything seemingly useful that doesn’t fit into the categories above Common Words/Phrases - Any parts of the market’s vocabulary that get used frequently Normal = My Thoughts Italics = Raw Data The Final Research Steps... - Rank the IVOC Summaries by intensity and frequency - Match each Summary to a corresponding benefit (if possible) from your benefits list - Go down your ranked list and establish which messages would be best to incorporate into your copy... which one will be your One Idea? (We’ll come onto this tomorrow...) So, how important is research? Okay... well done on making it through... - Most marketing underperforms because copywriters are taught to write for the company, not for the prospect Creativity and entertainment don’t usually equal sales The difference between indirect-response and direct-response advertising comes down to immediate action Copy that aims to convert should take its inspiration from direct-response advertising Your copy’s purpose is to “Connect your product to your prospect’s dominating, conscious desire, using only your advertising message.” Nobody wants to read sales copy so you need to make that first contact relevant and intriguing for the prospect Decision-making is based on emotion that is felt immediately Okay... well done on making it through... - - - Logic (anything that may seem relevant to the prospect but isn’t, or an objective, rational view of things), is secondary when making decisions, and your prospect’s brain will post-rationalise what they already want to believe Empathy is an important key to being a good copywriter The Stages of Awareness should guide how you write your copy and at what ‘point’ you meet your prospect RIOA (One Reader, One Idea, One Offer, One Action) will keep your copy focused and ensure your target audience is attracted to it Good research is the foundation of effective copy Direct market research can be famously unreliable; only Indirect Voice of Customer (IVOC) data can be trusted because it allows your prospects to see themselves in your copy The Sticky Research process gives you a better understanding of your product, competitors, and market than any other copywriter you’ll be competing against Day 2 Let’s learn how to write some damn good copy... The 5 Subconscious Questions - How is this relevant to me right now? - Why shouldn’t I categorise this as something I already know? - Do I understand the benefits I’ll stand to gain? - Do I understand how those benefits will be delivered? - Do I trust the person/business talking to me? You need to start with a plan... Step 1 - Laying Out RIOA R Reader (One Reader) I Idea (One Idea) O Offer (One Offer) A Action (One Action) One Reader Example... One Idea - What main benefit will your reader get from taking action? What makes this benefit possible? 2 easy formulas to craft ideas... “This opportunity they’ve never seen before is the key to the prospect’s desire and it’s only attainable through this product.” “Here’s the big and relevant benefit, and this is why it works.” One Idea Examples... “This opportunity they’ve never seen before is the key to the prospect’s desire, and it’s only attainable through this product.” e.g. Grouping applications on a single platter is the key to running up to 10 design apps simultaneously without crashing your PC, and it’s easiest to do with SystemXA “Here’s the big and relevant benefit, and this is why it works.” e.g. Triple the speed of load times when running multiple heavy-duty design apps by reading secret hacks from the very people who developed them One Offer One Offer Example... d One Action The simplest one... but SO often overlooked... One Action Example... Before we move onto step 2 of planning your copy... The Attention Span Fallacy Harmful logic... A shorter attention span SHOULD NOT equal shorter copy If what you’re saying is relevant, interesting, or useful... you can keep a prospect hooked for hours... And importantly, there’s something else this misconception proves... Copywriters are Attention Managers You need to take your prospect down a linear path in your copy... - It keeps you in control of what your prospect sees It strengthens your One Idea It leads to a more convincing argument It prevents overwhelm for the prospect A>B>C>D You already know: - Your IC’s Stage of Awareness - RIOA - The most frequently and intensely mentioned topics in the market PPPP DIC The Story Mill PAS AIDA PASOP PPP APPROA 16-Words OCPB* The 4 C’s Step 2 - A Messaging Hierarchy So you know WHAT you need to write... A>B>C>D - Use your IVOC Summaries to lay it out Refer to your RIOA Refer to the 5 subconscious questions Use your One Idea as the starting point Start with the Emotional Decision The Messaging Hierarchy is an overview You’ve presented your One Idea... Now prove it... 1) Collate all the IVOC Summaries and their benefits you’ve identified in your research that are relevant to your One Idea 2) Collate all the objections you’ve identified in your research that your One Reader would have to your One Idea 3) Order them by their relevance to the previous point (starting with the One Idea) - this will be the order that your One Reader is likely to need them dealt with in 4) Ask yourself the 5 Subconscious Questions and whether your One Reader would be able to answer all of them according to your Messaging Hierarchy Step 3 - Spit Drafting - A more in-depth version of your Messaging Hierarchy - Spit Drafting is the ‘WHAT you say’, the copy is the ‘HOW you say it’ - Gives a clear purpose to each small section of copy - Creates steps for dealing with the points of your Messaging Hierarchy As long as you understand what you need to write, it doesn’t matter how you do it... - - As a minimum, there are 5 Subconscious Questions a prospect needs to answer in order to take action Laying out RIOA will keep your copy on track and ensure you know who you’re writing for, what they want, how you’ll give it to them, and what they should do Shorter copy doesn’t equal better copy - we simply need to understand how to manage attention with relevance and intrigue Controlling your prospect’s attention means taking them down a single, linear path There’s no ONE copywriting formula that can be right in every scenario A Messaging Hierarchy will cure ‘blank page syndrome’ by using your research to show you what your prospect needs to hear Spit Drafting gives you an in-depth look at WHAT you actually need to write Turning Your Research and Planning into Copy Adapting IVOC Data Turning your audience’s thoughts into copy they’ll resonate with Dimensionalization Making your messages feel more ‘real’ for the reader Adapting IVOC Data - Raw IVOC Data Sticky Research Document Spit Draft Dimensionalization Whenever you’re pressing on a pain point, presenting a desire, or showing a benefit, use dimensionalization to make it feel more urgent, real, and relatable. “your business won’t need as much of your direct attention” “You’ll no longer be on constant alert for ‘urgent’ emails during that well-deserved vacation” “They’re disappointed in the results of their ads” “That empty feeling you get when your worst fears are confirmed... when the ‘CR%’ won’t seem to go up no matter how many times you click ‘refresh’” A simple way to remember dimensionalization is “show, don’t tell” 1) Highlight the benefits or pains you’re focusing on in your messaging 2) Ask “so what does this really mean to my reader?” 3) Identify the effect it will have or is already having on their life 4) Dramatize it with your words So, remember the 2 techniques you should apply as you write... Adapting IVOC Data Turning your audience’s thoughts into copy they’ll resonate with Dimensionalization Making your messages feel more ‘real’ for the reader The Core Copywriting Structure - Hook/Promise Objection-fighting CTA (Call to Action) Or… - Lead Body Close The Lead (or ‘lede’ if you want to be fancy) THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF COPY - It’s responsible for ‘hooking’ your reader - This is where the emotional decision happens - Your One Reader’s first point of contact with your copy should be entirely relevant to their strongest conscious desire. And this is something you’ll have refined as your One Idea - There’s no definitive length of a lead. It could be a single headline. It could be 500 words - Will change depending on your One Reader’s Stage of Awareness Writing a Half-decent Headline Headlines get read, the rest of the copy rarely does... THEY do the ‘hooking’. What does a headline need to do? - Grab your One Reader’s attention - Get them to read the next line - Set relevant expectations for what comes next The 4 U’s - A Simple Way to Check Your Headline Is your headline: - Useful? How does it help the One Reader? Urgent? How does it encourage them to read on right now? Unique? How does it differ from what they’ve seen before? Ultra-specific? How does it prove the copy has specific details? If completely stuck, you can always turn to the 4 U’s for inspiration... The end of the lead comes when the reader has decided they WANT to be convinced of what you’ve said/implied... The Body Most copywriters and marketers mess up after the lead by thinking that piling on benefits and features is the way to make their argument stronger. Instead, it serves only to... - Scatter attention Dilute the most powerful message Make any previous or subsequent claims less believable Vs. There’s nothing wrong with including other messages, but... They must either: - Be linked to, and support, the One Idea - Fight against specific objections the One Reader will raise Body Copy = Objection-fighting Well, if your One Idea is strong enough (which it absolutely will be), fighting existing objections (incl. ones that form as a result of the One Idea) is ALL you need to do. And what’s more... there is a formula we can rely on to achieve all this... OCPB Objection - acknowledge their specific doubt (can also be assumed) Claim - answer the objection Proof - provide evidence for your claim Benefit - show them what the claim would mean to them “The Ulti-lamp can’t even run out of battery! Its patented solar grids and emergency crank system mean you’ll never have that “Oh no, I forgot to charge it” moment ever again…” The Close - Lay out the offer in a clear and compelling way Ask for the One Action directly Achieving these will do the following: - Makes the One Idea more achievable in the eyes of the prospect Lays out the exact expectations they should have Creates a sense of urgency to encourage immediate action Lay out the offer in a clear and compelling way... Understanding exactly what they’ll get and what it will cost them is just as important to the prospect as the feelings you invoke. The One Offer is effectively the personification of how the One Reader can actually achieve the One Idea. Your job when laying out the offer... Your job is to increase the perceived value and certainty of your solution - whether it be a £10,000 software, or a free eBook. The easiest way to do this is to break down the One Reader’s biggest problem into logical chunks, then do the same with whatever it is you’re offering and match them up to one another. As long as your prospect understands how you’re proposing to deliver on the One Idea, your offer can follow any formula you want it to. Ask for the One Action directly... The prospect should know what to expect when performing the action and that expectation should be fulfilled immediately. Urgency and scarcity enhance CTA’s in most cases, but they must be well justified. And of course... You should only ever drive a reader to One Action per page. Lead, Body, Close - It follows the basic structure of psychological buying decisions - It can be wrapped into 3 sentences or 30,000 words - It always gives free reign to adapt to each situation - - Two key techniques to upgrading copy as you write it are: IVOC Adaptation and Dimensionalization. (Showing the reader you understand them and making your messages feel more real for them) Almost every copywriting formula follows a structure of: hook/promise, objection-fighting, CTA - personified as the lead, body, and close The lead is where you need to force the reader to make an emotional decision - a good lead is the most important part of your copy Headlines should grab attention, get them to read the next line, and set a relevant expectation for what’s to come Your body copy should support the One Idea set out in your lead by fighting every objection your One Reader is likely to have OCPB (Objection, Claim, Proof, Benefit) is a reliable body formula to follow for each objection The close should establish your exact offer and ask for action directly - make sure your prospect knows what to expect and how to get it Editing copy There are only 2 editing techniques you need in copywriting... - CUB Method - ‘SWAPI’ CUB Method The 3 killers... Confusing copy Unbelievable copy Boring copy How to fix CUB copy... Confusing - Cut it out. Cut it down. Simplify. Unbelievable - Cut it out. Prove it. Boring - Cut it out. Cut it down. Make it relevant. SWAPI - ‘So What [And] Prove It’ So What? - Is this line doing anything for the reader? Prove it - Have I given the reader a reason to believe me on this? Grammar and Punctuation in Copy - Ellipses (...) build momentum and tap into prospects’ natural curiosity... Capitalise to EMPHASISE, not to be grammatically correct Avoid commas where possible because people don’t know how to use them The rule above goes double for sub-clauses - use simple sentences instead It’s true that the length of copy shouldn’t matter - HOWEVER - make your copy look short at a glance... try to avoid more than 3-5 lines per paragraph Read copy out loud to check it - it should read like someone could speak it Use contractions unless you’re trying to emphasise something (you’re vs. you are) ABSOLUTELY start sentences with conjunctions if it sounds right Avoid humour ‘A’ or ‘An’ comes down to the next sound, not the next letter Okay, we’re in the final stretch... A/B Testing (Split Testing) “Test screams, not whispers” This is the only real way to judge the effectiveness of your copy. Best things to split test: - Idea Headline and Lead Page Structure Hero Section Layout Transactional Forms Offer Layout The Wider Marketing Strategy Copy is the lifeblood of any campaign... but... - What form will it take? Will the prospect be ready to hear it? Is the product good enough? Does the offer justify a purchase? Is the product different enough (either in reality or by perception)? Is the prospect’s attention being managed in a linear way? Does RIOA apply to the entire task? Improving your copywriting, long-term - 30 minutes of hand-copying good copy a day 30 minutes of analysing and annotating good copy a day 30 minutes reading a copywriting-development book a day - Daily consumption of news and articles from at least 4, wildly different, media companies Weekly review of DR fundamentals’ notes Collect and re-read maxims regularly Stay curious, stay empathetic - - - The CUB Method allows others to help you catch any copy that’s confusing, unbelievable, or boring SWAPI (So What and Prove It) will force you to justify each line of your copy, ensuring it’s always working towards your objective Proper grammar and punctuation don’t always matter - write so your audience understands your message clearly and doesn’t find the source any less credible Split (A/B) Testing is the only real way to judge copy’s effectiveness, but it’s always best to ‘test screams, not whispers’ Copywriting can’t take place in isolation - you should always ensure the entire marketing campaign is working in unison Like any craft, the only way to become a master copywriter is to continuously hone your skills Most marketing underperforms because copywriters are taught to write for the company, not for the prospect Controlling your prospect’s attention means taking them down a single, linear path Creativity and entertainment don’t usually equal sales There’s no ONE copywriting formula that can be right in every scenario The difference between indirect-response and direct-response advertising comes down to immediate action A Messaging Hierarchy will cure ‘blank page syndrome’ by using your research to show you what your prospect needs to hear Copy that aims to convert should take its inspiration from direct-response advertising Spit Drafting gives you an in-depth look at WHAT you actually need to write Your copy’s purpose is to “Connect your product to your prospect’s dominating, conscious desire, using only your advertising message.” Two key techniques to upgrading copy as you write it are: IVOC Adaptation and Dimensionalization. (Showing the reader you understand them and making your messages feel more real for them) Nobody wants to read sales copy so you need to make that first contact relevant and intriguing for the prospect Almost every copywriting formula follows a structure of: hook/promise, objection-fighting, CTA - personified as the lead, body, and close Decision-making is based on emotion that is felt immediately The lead is where you need to force the reader to make an emotional decision - a good lead is the most important part of your copy Logic (anything that may seem relevant but isn’t, or an objective, rational view of things), is secondary when making decisions, and your prospect’s brain will post-rationalise what they already want to believe Headlines should grab attention, get them to read the next line, and set a relevant expectation for what’s to come Empathy is an important key to being a good copywriter Your body copy should support the One Idea set out in your lead by fighting every objection your One Reader is likely to have The Stages of Awareness should guide how you write your copy and at what ‘point’ you meet your prospect OCPB (Objection, Claim, Proof, Benefit) is a reliable body formula to follow for each objection RIOA (One Reader, One Idea, One Offer, One Action) will keep your copy focused and ensure your target audience is attracted to it The close should establish your exact offer and ask for action directly - make sure your prospect knows what to expect and how to get it Good research is the foundation of effective copy The CUB Method allows others to help you catch any copy that’s confusing, unbelievable, or boring Direct market research can be famously unreliable; only Indirect Voice of Customer (IVOC) data can be trusted because it allows your prospects to see themselves in your copy SWAPI (So What and Prove It) will force you to justify each line of your copy, ensuring it’s always working towards your objective The Sticky Research process gives you a better understanding of your product, competitors, and market than any other copywriter you’ll be competing against Proper grammar and punctuation don’t always matter - write so your audience understands your message clearly and doesn’t find the source any less credible As a minimum, there are 5 Subconscious Questions a prospect needs to answer in order to take action Split (A/B) Testing is the only real way to judge copy’s effectiveness, but it’s always best to ‘test screams, not whispers’ Laying out RIOA will keep your copy on track and ensure you know who you’re writing for, what they want, how you’ll give it to them, and what they should do Copywriting can’t take place in isolation - you should always ensure the entire marketing campaign is working in unison Shorter copy doesn’t equal better copy - we simply need to understand how to manage attention with relevance and intrigue Like any craft, the only way to become a master copywriter is to continuously hone your skills
