How Many of These Copywriting Rules Do You Break?

NOTHING is more important to your marketing success than the quality of your sales copy most is crap!

Over a decade ago I wrote these copy rules for the staff at my ad agency who were mainly writing website copy for golf clubs and resorts. It’s still a great list today for any type of sales material website, email, sales letter, video script, or even a resume.

How many of the rules do you break on your website, landing pages, or brochures?

LEGENDARY MARKETING COPY RULES

At Legendary Marketing our job is to deliver results to our Partners. That can mean increasing play, membership sales, room reservations, outings, weddings, banquets, or home sales. The more exciting and compelling our copy the more likely it is to produce a response.

Please check your copy upon completion before submission to make sure these rules are followed

1. A successful sales copywriter is a paper salesman. The object is simply to get a decision for ACTION!
2. FrontPage must have 150–400 words of text. 300 is considered ideal!
3. All pages must have a headline preferably one that contains a benefit or strong statement about the content of the page. The headline should be in BOLD type, at least 16 pt.
4. ie. Where to Live if You Live For Golf!
5. All copy should be written with BENEFITS not features in mind.
6. All bullet copy should also be complete benefit statements not just features.
7. Numerous studies show that you have 3–8 seconds to grab a prospect’s attention, GRAB THEM BY THE THROAT with a GREAT HEADLINE or forget getting any response! Are the headlines on each page compelling?
8. Prospects must understand the offer or benefits in 20 seconds or less.
9. Do the headlines on each page sum up the offer or benefits that will be presented?
10. Do they lead the reader to want to read the copy below?
11. The world’s most successful campaigns all have long headlines.
12. Write copy only for the small percentage of people that will buy. Do not write to appeal to the masses who can’t or won’t.
13. Write copy in the style of writing to a friend.
14. Tell an interesting and believable story.
15. DO NOT SAY what everyone else does.
16. Does the body copy expand on the idea presented in the headline using different words?
17. Is the copy packed with “What’s in it for me style” benefits?
18. Is the copy loaded with secondary and comparative benefits?
19. Are benefits positioned to prove their value?
20. Is the copy vivid?
21. Disclosing limitations gains credibility for your offer
22. Copy should discourage unqualified buyers.
23. Do not allow anything in the copy to detract from the main purpose of the piece to get a response.
24. Copy should sell happiness.
25. The longer the copy the better it sells as long as it is interesting
26. Keep paragraphs to six sentences even at the expense of traditional grammar. Paragraphs should be short and arranged for ease of reading not meaning.
27. A reader should also be able to get the entire sales pitch by reading the sub-headings
28. Nothing is left out of the sales presentation? Meaning if you don’t tell them enough to motivate them to buy as if they were standing in front of you and asking questions they won’t.
29. People should be told what you want them to do
30. Testimonials are used frequently?
31. Do testimonials show people just like the target readers?
32. Testimonials hit on different benefits of the product. They should back up and confirm the key points of your copy?
33. The three stages of readership
34. A) People scan for relevancy
35. B) People read for a reason to say NO
36. C) People Read to say YES
37. Do not allow anything in the copy to detract from the main purpose of the piece to get a response.
38. Give multiple reasons for response.
39. Create subtle pressure to get the prospect to respond to the offer.
40. The offer should be repeated often in different ways throughout the text.
41. Prospects should be given reason to ACT now! (Outings pages, membership pages etc)
42. What will the prospect risk or lose if he does not act now?
43. The offer should be clear and compelling.
44. Avoid cheesy golf clichés ie?Holding your outing here is a hole-in-one!

The more of these rules you follow the more effective your sales copy!

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