My Copywriting Secrets

I want to talk to you about something that I used to think was very complex, and that is writing copy.

I had this belief that it was tricky, or difficult, as if there were words that good copywriters were using that were magical.

And that was me, with 10 fiction books already under my belt...

I mean if there were magical words out there you think I would have discovered them by now. :-))))

And then I realised something interesting...

It wasn't the words that the copywriters were using that were important, it was HOW they were using them.

I started to see writing any sort of copy - whether it be an ad or a sales page or even an email - as me creating a road for my prospective client to travel along.

If I made it too difficult, or boring, they were never going to follow my road to its destination...

But if I made it a pleasant, smooth journey for them, I was dramatically increasing my chances of getting them to the goal.

SO today I want to share with you my 10 Top Copywriting Secrets that are going to demystify writing copy, and allow you to see how easy it actually can be.

COPYWRITING SECRET NO 1.

Good copywriters spend 90% of their time researching, and 10% of their time writing.

This is where most of us go wrong. 

We are in a HURRY to get the words onto the page, without thinking it through strategically.

We need to really think about how our product solves our clients' problems and then work backwards from there.

What is the problem they want to be solved? How do they feel while having this problem? How does it impact them? What is their pain around it? Their frustration?

Then...what is the end result they really want? 

(This is important because we need to make sure our product is going to be able to give them this end result.)

How would they feel to have this result? Do they really believe they can have it? 

(Also crucial - if they do not truly believe it is possible for them, then they will never be ready to commit!)

What are their dreams and desires surrounding this end result?

Once we know these things, and we understand them intimately, then we will be able to write copy that speaks to our ideal client, and draws them to us.

COPYWRITING SECRET No. 2

Did you know that from a marketing view, there are five different stages of awareness?

Which means...

When you are writing copy you need to know what stage of awareness your ideal client is in.

Are they totally unaware that th3ey even have a problem, or so aware that they know all the possible solutions and even know about you?

Someone who is totally unaware they even have a problem needs to be spoke to totally different than someone who is already totally aware.

With the unaware person, you need to start by educating them that they even have a problem, with the totally aware, maybe all you need to do to get them off the fence is offer them a discount.

The job of marketing is to move people up through the five stages of awareness until they get to the top and are able to make a buying decision.

Which stage of awareness people are in dictates where you start.

Have you ever seen those infomercials that go for what seems like forever???

Next time one comes on, stop and listen.

The reason they are so long is that they are attempting to take somebody who is unaware all the way through to the point of being able to buy right then. 

They start by educating them on the problem, then they educate them on the solutions, then on their particular solution and then make them an offer they can't refuse.

Those ads are often masterpieces and well worth listening to, just to take notes and see how it works.

So when you sit down to write, have a think about where your clients are at right now...

And then take up the conversation from there. 

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 3

There are formulas to good copy. 

Formulas that give structure and a way to begin.

Which is great, because the beginning is the hardest part of all.

The very first copywriting course I ever did was all about one such formula.

AIDA

Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

YOU may also have heard of Hook, Story, Offer.

The two are actually the same.

The first thing you need to do is to get your prospects attention. We do this with a HOOK.

The headline of an ad or sales page, the subject line of an email. 

These are hooks, designed to catch attention and then get the person to want to know more.

Once you have their attention, you need to get their interest and then harness their desire. 

A great and easy way to do this is through the art of storytelling.

You see, when we know our prospects pains and frustrations and we craft a story that digs into that, then what they are actually hearing is a story about themselves.

People are very good at making things mean something about themselves, and this is no different.

Hook them with a headline that catches their attention because it evokes a pain, frustration, desire or dream. Then tell them a story that keeps their interest and then creates desire.

After you have done that, it's time to make your offer.

Easy, peasy, apple squeezy!

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 4

Your job while using the above formulas is to create what I think of as, as smooth road.

You want to take these people on a journey right to the end where you make your offer and they go and but.

If you jolt them in any way along the journey, you will give their logical brain a chance to jump in and intervene.

Don't use big, fancy words in an attempt to show how smart you are, you will just lose your audience.

They don't really care that you have a fantastic grasp of the English language...

They only care about how you are going to solve their problem.

Don't make the copy hard to read. Paragraphs that are too long or dense, need to be broken down. 

Use white space...

And parenthesis...

Just like this...

To draw the readers eye down your page...

To the bottom where you make your offer.

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 5 

More is Less.

The art of copy is to capture people, not to bore them silly.

So make sure that all unnecessary words, and even paragraphs are removed from your copy.

They just dilute the impact of your words.

Similarly, don't belabour a point. 

Things are much more powerful when delivered with a single punch. 

If you go on and on and on, you will end up boring your prospect...

Which always ends in them departing stage right immediately.

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 6

The goal of the headline is to get them to read the sub-headline.

The goal of the sub-headline is to get them to read the next line.

The goal of that line is to get them to read the next one.

Starting to see a pattern emerge?

That is why each line has to be engaging, or evoke curiosity or draw them up into a story where they actually see themselves as the protagonist. 

Remember it is always about them, and about getting them to read far enough for you to be able to offer to help them.

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 7

Overcome objections as you go.

This way, when you get to the end and make your offer there are no reasons left for them to say no.

You can do this in several ways...

Through your story, by showing how somebody else had that objection and then realised they were wrong.

Using a Q and A section, so that all their questions have been asked and answered.

Reviews from other happy clients.

With the words, 'By now, you are probably thinking.... But this is why you are wrong.'

The beauty of the one above is that it also uses an NLP method. The words, BY NOW, are subliminally heard as BUY NOW.

Your goal is to identify and remove any objections their logical brain may have, so that the emotional brain is free to go ahead and purchase the solution to their pain.

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 8

Future pace them.

SO what does that mean???

Well, future pacing someone is when you show them a version of them that has already solved their problem and gotten to their dream destination. 

By future pacing you are really tapping into that emotional brain.

You are showing them it is possible and you are evoking the emotions that are attached to having that goal.

You are making them want it...which can help with them making a buying-making decision right then and there.

If somebody leaves to 'THINK ABOUT IT' you are probably never going to see them again.

They will let their fears take over, and sink quietly back into their hole of despair.

It is your job to give them the injection of hope that they need to take the leap of faith in themselves that they must!

Future pacing is a very good way to do this. 

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 9

Build rapport.

This is especially important if your product is them working with you.

You need to develop the know, like and trust that will enable them to commit to the process.

Your story helps with this. Even though they are making it mean something about them, they are also relating to you through the experience. 

Humour, if appropriate, is also a good way to do this.

If you can make someone smile, or even better laugh, then you have immediately forged a bond. They like you, even though they have never met you.

Video is a great way to build the know like a trust...

If you totally suck on video, just remember that practice certainly helps. I recommend doing live videos on a Facebook page that has no engagement so that you can get used to doing it without worrying about people seeing you, and then move on up from there.  

COPYWRITING SECRET NO. 10

Engage the emotional and the logical brain.

Some people buy emotionally, some logically, and some have a blend of both.

The average person buys emotionally and then backs it up logically, so you need to give them both within your copy.

You engage the emotional brain through story, talking about emotions, and by future pacing them.

You engage the logical brain through facts, Q and A, reviews, and by overcoming objections.

Think of the two pieces of the brain as being two totally different people who have to make a buying decision together. 

The emotional brain is quick to make decisions, they want it now, and they are normally looking for evidence to back up their decision to purchase.

The logical brain drags its feet. It wants all the facts before it commits. And even then, it wants to think about it.

Once you have engaged it, the emotional brain is always looking for reasons to commit, the logical brain looks for reasons not to.

Sense of urgency elements like timers are used to try and get the logical brain to jump.

SO is the fear of missing out.

The emotional brain is like an attractive, enthusiastic, teenage girl, the logical brain is like her overweight, acne-covered friend, who can't quite get herself to believe that dreams can come true.

Plan for both of them in your copy, and you will dramatically increase your chance of converting.

Right, so there you have it,

My Top 10 Copywriting Secrets.

I hope that next time you sit down to write something, these will help. 

In Your Corner

Donna Joy