"Copywriting Tutorial 5"
"Now You've Aroused Them
Show 'em Your Great Body"
Words. What are they? They're magic!
Politicians use them to wield power. Poets reduce us to tears with them. One word can cut like a knife and another lift us to cloud nine. And they enable ordinary guys like you and I to motivate readers into spending their hard earned cash. Magic indeed! I think I'm getting carried away.
Hold on to your seat as I repeat my dictionary's definition of 'word';
Word; "One of the units of speech or writing that native speakers of a language usually regard as the smallest isolable meaningful element of the language, although linguists would analyze these further into morphemes." Hang on while I look up morphemes....
Whenever I read the writings of 'highly literate and educated' scholars it makes me feel so pleased I became a copywriter. At least my readers can understand what I am saying! But here's another description taken from a second dictionary;
Word; "Written or spoken representation of an idea or image".
Now I can understand that! And it took less than a third of the words that the other took to describe the word 'word'. (What am I talking about!) Let's get to the point because we can learn an important lesson from this.
"Never over-estimate the
'intelligence' of your readers"
That first description came from an expensive three feet thick dictionary which presumably is bought by the more affluent 'educated' section of the public (mine was a Xmas present.) The second was written for a cheap dictionary which probably far outsells the first. So the publishers know that to be successful, the cheap dictionary has to be understood by the 'masses'.
And so it has to be with your Copywriting. Your message has to be understood by everyone - not a select few. Even when your message is aimed at 'technical' people you will find that too much 'Jargon' will turn off a fair proportion of your intended audience. Even if they understand the jargon they will find it too boring to read.
"You don't have to learn
German to buy a Mercedes"
Think about it. Do structural engineers eagerly look forward to a cozy night by a log fire, with a technical manual on the breaking threshold of high tensile steel! I have lost count of the number of software ads that totally confuse me with technical jargon. Yet even though I am reasonably 'computer literate' I simply do not understand. Their ads are completely wasted on thousands of potential buyers.
Example "......program for getting files from FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, GOPHER and DICT servers, with URL syntax support." Now you may understand it. I don't. And I guarantee that TENS OF THOUSANDS of others don't either. Yet that piece of software may be of immense benefit to me.Why do they do it? Because they don't know any better. So next time you see an ad like that, direct the writer to this site.
"People who know the 'BIG' words
know the 'little' words too"
Copywriters are often accused of taking liberties with the language. And it's true. We start sentences with 'And' or 'But'. We often reduce paragraphs to a mere couple of lines. And we highlight important blocks of text in a way that makes creative writers curl their toes in horror. But the purpose of Copywriting is not to impress the reader with our literary talents. It is to SELL. And as every successful salesman will tell you, before you can make a sale you first have to make a friend.
No-one buys from a salesman they don't trust. We can't 'warm' to someone who bombards us with a stream of obvious sales blurb. And we certainly don't feel comfortable with a person who thinks he is 'superior'. Yet if you're not careful your copy can create the same impression. So keep it reasonably friendly if you wish, and skillfully present your 'sales pitch' with the use of carefully crafted phrases. If you treat your reader with respect, and speak in words of one syllable, you have a fighting chance of gaining his confidence.
Copywriting should "communicate and sell a message, with the least number of words". That's why you have to take liberties with the language. Incidentally, do you think the academic who wrote that first description of 'word' would give your ad a second glance if it were written in the same cumbersome style? And if he did read it, would he understand it?
"So how do you start writing your copy?"
Actually, now that you have written the headline you have already started. So the first sentence of your body copy should flow from the headline. You have made a statement. And your reader expects you to supply her with more information NOW. Not three paragraphs down the page. Because you can guarantee she won't go looking.
"FREE To Every Harassed Mom,
3 Hours A Week All To Yourself"
"Because When You Own
A Speedy Iron You Will
Hardly Ever Use It!"
Independent tests by Clothes Ironing Weekly reveal that ironing clothes with the revolutionary Speedy Iron saves busy homemakers at least 3 hours every week over traditional steam iron methods...
Again, it's not intended as a finished job. But this opening paragraph illustrates one of many ways you could use to open your ad. Notice how the ad flows seamlessly from the headline, through the subheading, and into the main message. And notice also the use of certain words that will trigger different emotions in the mind of our busy mom;
• 'Independent tests' - credibility.
• 'Clothes Ironing Weekly' - I trust them.
• 'Revolutionary' - new idea, ultra modern.
• 'Saves 3 hours every week' - increases my free time every week.
• 'Busy homemakers' - that's me!
• 'Traditional steam iron methods' - old fashioned.
Why not carry out your own exercise and see how easy it is when you follow these few basic guidelines. This is by no means the only way to write copy. Heaven forbid! There are scores of different ways to write an ad. And this is just one of them. But we have to start somewhere.
Now that your prospect is hooked don't keep her dangling. Pile on the benefits. Reveal feature after feature. Push your USP. She wants to know more. Fill her imagination with 3 hours a week in a hammock! And don't you dare relax for one second with stories of research and development costs and the best scientists in the industry - she's not interested. She wants to know what's in it for her if she buys this wonderful appliance. So each time you mention a benefit imagine her saying "So What!" And if her answer isn't "that's great!" then re-write it.
"Now set her up for the Close"
OK your prospect is really excited about this fantastic product of yours. She's all fired up by it's range of features and benefits. The 50 year guarantee is unbeatable. Your credibility is firmly established and she can afford it. So she rushes to the phone and places her order right? Well after you've woken up from that wonderful dream, you have to face up to the reality. You have to ask for the order first! And to get the order you must tell her exactly what to do.
Don't assume she will scour the ad for ordering details...
She won't.
Don't 'suggest' she should telephone you some time...
She won't.
If she has to tour the shopping mall to find one ...
She won't.
Tell her exactly how to order it and tell her to do it NOW.
Take her by the hand and make it as easy as is humanly possible for her to own this wondrous product and begin enjoying the great benefits straight away! She has to be told which store to buy it from, how to fill in the order form, and which free telephone number to ring.
"Don't let her think about it!"
Every salesman hears these 6 words every working day of his life. "I want to think about it." Ever said it yourself? Of course you have. It's our defence mechanism against making an instant decision. However much we tell ourselves we would really like that new car, a little safety valve in the deep recesses of our subconscious opens, and a tiny voice says "Hold on, what's the rush? Don't decide now, you may find a cheaper one down the road." The salesman of course has the skill and experience to overcome this, and carries on with his presentation.
But you're not face to face with your reader. So you have to overcome the objection in other ways. It's a fact of life that your prospects need a little 'push' now and again before they make a buying decision. They need reassurance. They need to justify in their minds that they are making a logical decision and not simply being carried away with emotion. And it's your job as a copywriter to plant that 'push button' into the prospect's mind.
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