The HIGH-PERFORMANCE Copywriting checklist that never, EVER LETS UP! FACTS ON PRODUCT OR SERVICE Is there any previous information on this product/service? If so, review: Tear sheets of previous ads __________________________ Brochures ___________________________________________ Catalogs _____________________________________________ Article Reprints _____________________________________ Technical papers _____________________________________ Copies of speeches ___________________________________ Audio/visual scripts _________________________________ Press Kits ___________________________________________ Swipe files of competitor’s ads ______________________ ______________________________________________________ Website addresses selling similar products/services ___________________________________________________ o ______________________________________________ o ______________________________________________ o ______________________________________________ Market/RESEARCH Questions 1. Who in the heck am I writing to? Occupation _________________________________________ Age range __________________________________________ Sex ________________________________________________ Personality aspects ________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Political views ____________________________________ Location ___________________________________________ Beliefs about themselves ___________________________ ____________________________________________________ Problems they face _________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 2. What do I want them to do as a result of reading the copy? 3. What is it about this product/service that the market is invested in emotionally? 4. What emotional benefit will they experience as a result of using this product/service? Satisfy curiosity Save time Avoid effort Gain pleasure. Enhance how? enjoyment Be in style Be successful Make work easier Protect your Renew vigor and family energy Get rid of aches Be liked Be loved Satisfy their ego Win affection and and pains admiration Feel important Improve sex Be recognized Enahnce leisure Overcome appeal obstacles Gain social Be proud of your Resist being Gain self-respect Be among the elite acceptance “stuff” dominated Stop worrying Work less Escape shame Live better Protect reputation Avoid criticism 5. One-up others Avoid money troubles Add fun to life Avoid trouble What problem am I solving for them? 6. What are they most worried about? What’s the dominating thought in their mind that keeps them up at night? (imagine them NOT sleeping…) 7. What problem are they attempting to solve? (is it a health related problem? a money problem? a relationship problem?) 8. What do they complain about? too much of?) (what do they not have enough of? What do they have 9. What trends are occurring in their lives and businesses? (in their industry, is there more money than there was a few years ago? What’s my source? Are people losing jobs and their livelihood?) 10. Are they angry about something? Are they pissed at themselves for NOT doing something? Are they pissed at someone else for what they did, or DIDN’T do to/for them? 11. What kind of mistakes are they making right now that the product/service can help them with? 12. Aside from the product, what is REALLY being sold here? 13. What emotional triggers could be used to sell this product? (other websites/media selling similar product/service) (vanity, curiosity, anger, guilt, sadness, pride, wit, happiness, exhaustion, desperation, envy, lust, fear ,stupidity, insecurity, revenge, loneliness, sympathy, embarrassment,, confidence…) 14. What are the features/FACTS of your product/service? leave anything out…) 15. (don’t Now, what do each of these features do for someone? 16. Now, what emotional need the market has do these benefits satisfy? Satisfy curiosity Save time Avoid effort Gain pleasure. Enhance how? enjoyment Be in style Be successful Make work easier Protect your Renew vigor and family energy Get rid of aches Be liked Be loved Satisfy their ego Win affection and and pains admiration Feel important Improve sex Be recognized Enahnce leisure Overcome appeal obstacles Gain social Be proud of your Resist being Gain self-respect Be among the elite acceptance “stuff” dominated Stop worrying Work less Escape shame Live better Protect reputation Avoid criticism One-up others Avoid money troubles Add fun to life Avoid trouble 17. What methods, approaches, and sales techniques is the competition using successfully? (get amazon.com and clickbank.com top sellers for this…) 18. Can I tie the copy into some news event? headlines, etc.) 19. (Yahoo headlines, MSNBC.com Can I tie my copy to some holiday or seasonal event? 20. How can I make readers “experience” the benefits of the product/service? (tune in the five senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, taste, or feeling…) HEADLINE 21. What can I say here to immediately get the market’s attention? 22. What are their biggest problems? 23. How can I focus my efforts 100% on my customer’s wants? 24. What is their biggest negative feeling they want to change 25. What do they REALLY want and how can I help them? And how can I solve it? 26. Write at least 25 headlines for the product: (utilize templates, “swipe” file) BODY COPY OPENING 27. What’s the story behind the product or seller? here? Can that be used 28. How can I establish “empathy” right from the get-go? How can I show, not tell, that I know what my prospects are feeling and going through? 29. What style of writing/copy formula could be used here? Problem-Agitation-Solution Fortunetelling – (predicting bad time if you DON’T buy the product) Winners and Losers Portrayed as an expert/better positioning in the market/high prestige 30. Have a created a picture/atmosphere of the prospect enjoying the benefits of the product/service AFTER they’ve bought it? 31. What are the “hidden benefits” of the product? How can I address them that really grabs the prospect’s attention and imagination? 32. What is the interesting “hook” or story here? 33. Do the subheads support the main idea/headline? 34. Have I created a clear “voice” intended to connect with my specific audience? (Ex.-If I’m writing to women, writing in a man’s “macho” tone won’t work…) Credibility 35. Have I included results-based testimonials (if applicable?) 36. Are there enough proof elements to prove I am credible to my prospects? 37. Is there anything in the copy that DOES NOT add credibility? 38. For each testimonial have I included the person’s picture, full name, city/state of residence, phone number or website if available? 39. If I’ve included specific results via testimonials, have I also included the typical results a customer should expect? (IAW the FTC results effective Dec 1, 2009) 40. What can be used near the top of the copy to generate interest and readership? (grabber, picture, video, etc.) 41. Have I included visual elements (arrows, pointers, copydoodles) to drive my reader to take action? 42. Do I have enough proof elements (testimonials, news findings, factoids, third-party quotes, screen shots, case studies, interviews, videos, etc.?) 43. What is my damaging admission? (What does the prospect need to know about me/the seller to feel more at ease with buying?) 44. How is my double readership path – have I emphasized benefits in the subheads and bold type throughout the copy? 45. Have I included “trust seals” (such as the Hacker Safe logo, HONESTeOnline, the BBB seal, etc.?) to add more credibility for the internet? 46. Is the transition to talking about my product smooth and easy? 47. Am I using an easy to use font (Trebuchet MS, Courier New, Georgia, Times New Roman, Verdana, or Arial Unicode MS/) Bullets 48. Ensure the bullets create curiousity and AMPLIFY the benefits of using the product/service. Who’s it’s for/who it’s not for 49. Make sure I don’t sell the wrong thing to the wrong people. make sure I’m attracting the people I WANT to attract. And 50. Give them an opportunity to look inside themselves, re-validate why and what they’re buying. 51. Eliminate competition if necessary. Making/closing the sale/the offer 52. REMEMBER - Focus on what I’m “giving” my prospect. And if they’ve made it this far, they want what I’m offering and have made up in their minds that I can provide it for them. So, it’s better I give them what they WANT, not what they think they need. 53. What is the asking price of the product? in the copy? 54. What type of positioning tactic can I use here? Limited-number available/ raise price after certain number sold Premium(s) (bonus for buying) Deadline (must by before _____) Discount for fast response You can only buy if… Most will buy (bandwagon effect) Sell money at a discount 55. Web copy: order button? 56. Is it explained early Have I given the prospect minimum 3 times to press the How can I make the price “sweeter”? Compare apples to oranges (promote value of unrelated service/product) Sell bulk Make the parts worth more than the whole Conceal the actual price (split up payments) Sell the price up front (ego appeal/positioning) 57. Have I included Paypal and credit card logos near the primary call to action so my prospects know what forms of payment I accept? 58. If I’m selling a money-making product or business opportunity, do I have the appropriate income earning disclaimers present? GUARANTEE 59. Do I offer a guarantee? Can I make it stronger? Basic money-bank guarantee Refund, but keep the premium FREE trial offer/ $1 dollar offer Make the GUARANTEE the primary focus of the letter 60. Does my guarantee support my offer? Do they conflict? 61. Also, how can I make the guarantee more VALUABLE to the prospect? They need to understand they’re making a mistake if they don’t buy from me. P.S. 62. What could I add based on the benefits of the product to sweeten the pot? 63. Is there an ego element I can emphasize here? Final pre-launch checklist 64. READ COPY OUT LOUD. Headline: Clear, concise, benefit-oriented Sub head: Clear, benefits oriented and expands on headline First paragraph: Does it tell the prospect from the beginning “What’s in it for me?” Body copy: Good flow, subheads, testimonials, graphics with captions) Close: Is it clear and specific on how to order? Does it give clear instructions on what to do next? Guarantee: Review to ensure all risk is removed from the prospect P.S. – Does it re-emphasize the offer? Does it include another call-toaction?
