“Quick-Turn” Copywriting
· You don’t have to be Gary Halbert, or anyone like him
· You MUST outsource (quantity over quality, if you will)
· Work within a proven sequence
· You MUST outsource (quantity over quality, if you will)
· Work within a proven sequence
o One of the most important parts. Even if you write a really good copy and it’s not in the proper sequence, it probably will not work as well.
· Use templates as much as humanly possible.
· Use templates as much as humanly possible.
The Modular Sales Letter
The headline and the Offer are the most important parts of the Sales letter.
The rest of it is just a case of not screwing it up.
The headline and the Offer are the most important parts of the Sales letter.
The rest of it is just a case of not screwing it up.
Clicktale.com -> Captures videos of your visitors.
What I found from using Clicktale.com is:
· Uses read the headline and if its interesting, they scroll down to the offer.
· Now if that is interesting and the price is okay, they scroll back up to the text. At this point, they’re almost sold. What you have to do now is just “not screw it up”.
· They’re mostly looking for stuff that activates their BS-o-meter. So with SLO sites where you are solving a problem(a need), the rest of the page (apart from the headline and the offer) is just a question of not-screwing it up more than anything else.
· They just want to see if the rest of your sales page is congruent with your headline and offer.
· You can see in the image, that most of the parts of the sales letter can be copied/swiped from other resources. All you’ve got to work on is the body.
· In a trial, a juror makes up their mind in the first 2 two minutes. What they’re looking for the rest of the time are things that can make them change their mind. Sales letters are the same way.
What I found from using Clicktale.com is:
· Uses read the headline and if its interesting, they scroll down to the offer.
· Now if that is interesting and the price is okay, they scroll back up to the text. At this point, they’re almost sold. What you have to do now is just “not screw it up”.
· They’re mostly looking for stuff that activates their BS-o-meter. So with SLO sites where you are solving a problem(a need), the rest of the page (apart from the headline and the offer) is just a question of not-screwing it up more than anything else.
· They just want to see if the rest of your sales page is congruent with your headline and offer.
· You can see in the image, that most of the parts of the sales letter can be copied/swiped from other resources. All you’ve got to work on is the body.
· In a trial, a juror makes up their mind in the first 2 two minutes. What they’re looking for the rest of the time are things that can make them change their mind. Sales letters are the same way.
1. The Headline
First Priority: Grab Attention
· If you cant grab your prospect’s attention you’ll lose before you even begin
· The job of grabbing attention falls to the headline.
o Grabbing attention is not about being super loud or being extra cheeky.
o If you’re doing search network PPC or article marketing, the fact that they clicked through means they’re interested. Now you’ve just got to tell them that you have what they are looking for. So a simple “How to” or “Who else” headline would be perfect.
No need to have extra cheeky headlines with Search and EZA traffic.
Content network, maybe.
First Priority: Grab Attention
· If you cant grab your prospect’s attention you’ll lose before you even begin
· The job of grabbing attention falls to the headline.
o Grabbing attention is not about being super loud or being extra cheeky.
o If you’re doing search network PPC or article marketing, the fact that they clicked through means they’re interested. Now you’ve just got to tell them that you have what they are looking for. So a simple “How to” or “Who else” headline would be perfect.
No need to have extra cheeky headlines with Search and EZA traffic.
Content network, maybe.
Headline Copy Chunks
Ten proven headline templates:
1. “How To _____________________”
2. “Secrets of _________________ Revealed!”
3. WARNING: Don’t Even Think of ___________ Until You __________.
4. “Who Else Wants To _____________________” {make it short and concise – not too long}
5. Now You Can Have/Do [desirable outcome or circumstance]
6. “They Laughed When I ____________, But When I ______________ … ” {Don’t complete the story – that causes loss of curiosity.}
7. Give Me [short time period] and I’ll Give You [desired outcome] {use this in the beginning of a video sales letter}
8. The Lazy [person in market’s] Way to [desired outcome]
9. See How Easily You Can [desirable result]
10. You Don’t Have to Be [something challenging] to be [desired result]
Use a sub-head to introduce another big benefit or hint at the offer itself assuming it’s especially compelling. If the headline is an outrageous claim then you can use the subhead to validate your headline.
Ten proven headline templates:
1. “How To _____________________”
2. “Secrets of _________________ Revealed!”
3. WARNING: Don’t Even Think of ___________ Until You __________.
4. “Who Else Wants To _____________________” {make it short and concise – not too long}
5. Now You Can Have/Do [desirable outcome or circumstance]
6. “They Laughed When I ____________, But When I ______________ … ” {Don’t complete the story – that causes loss of curiosity.}
7. Give Me [short time period] and I’ll Give You [desired outcome] {use this in the beginning of a video sales letter}
8. The Lazy [person in market’s] Way to [desired outcome]
9. See How Easily You Can [desirable result]
10. You Don’t Have to Be [something challenging] to be [desired result]
Use a sub-head to introduce another big benefit or hint at the offer itself assuming it’s especially compelling. If the headline is an outrageous claim then you can use the subhead to validate your headline.
2. The Body
Identify the Problem
· We further gain our prospect’s attention by identifying a problem that resonates with them.
· You can try “Are you … ?” questions. But if you ask them, you need to be sure that your customer answers “Yes” to.
· People want to know that you’re talking to them. Think about your customer avatar and talk to it.
· First we identify the pain, then we agitate it. (Create the wound then run salt in it)
· Overcome inertia: Must remind them of their pain over and over again if you want your prospect to move. People are lazy.
· Make them feel the future of their problem. (Have your hair started to fall out yet? What will you do when your kids have to go to college?)
· Want to get the prospect to feel frustration and angst, and ultimately declare, “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel …”
· Best if you can talk in scenarios and stories at this point.
Identify the Problem
· We further gain our prospect’s attention by identifying a problem that resonates with them.
· You can try “Are you … ?” questions. But if you ask them, you need to be sure that your customer answers “Yes” to.
· People want to know that you’re talking to them. Think about your customer avatar and talk to it.
· First we identify the pain, then we agitate it. (Create the wound then run salt in it)
· Overcome inertia: Must remind them of their pain over and over again if you want your prospect to move. People are lazy.
· Make them feel the future of their problem. (Have your hair started to fall out yet? What will you do when your kids have to go to college?)
· Want to get the prospect to feel frustration and angst, and ultimately declare, “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel …”
· Best if you can talk in scenarios and stories at this point.
“Borrowing” Stories and Credentials
· Re-tell a news story
o Elvis’ probate issues
o “Woman uses balloon animals to get off welfare”
o Search Digg/Reddit
o Search NPR.org
o Search market-related forums
§ E.g. Beyond Adsense “Mercedes Story”
· Re-tell a news story
o Elvis’ probate issues
o “Woman uses balloon animals to get off welfare”
o Search Digg/Reddit
o Search NPR.org
o Search market-related forums
§ E.g. Beyond Adsense “Mercedes Story”
How To Find $20 Copywriter
· Don’t hire copywriters … hire article writers
o Article writers are dirt cheap
o Have them write on the BENEFITS of your topic and the problems it solves. Find a human-interest success-story and intro off it with it. Then add in the benefits of <x>.
· Rewrite from articles on articles directories or PLR articles.
All you need to do …
· Extract benefits from the product.
o Go through the product and write down benefits as they come to you (note the page number/minute in the product)
· Collect Testimonials from the product.
· Don’t hire copywriters … hire article writers
o Article writers are dirt cheap
o Have them write on the BENEFITS of your topic and the problems it solves. Find a human-interest success-story and intro off it with it. Then add in the benefits of <x>.
· Rewrite from articles on articles directories or PLR articles.
All you need to do …
· Extract benefits from the product.
o Go through the product and write down benefits as they come to you (note the page number/minute in the product)
· Collect Testimonials from the product.
Writing Bullet Points
· Keep them neat and even.
· Bold alternate points. Use the same number of lines for each bullet. Make them about the same length.
· Keep them on topic. All the bullets should focus on a single topic. So, for example, the symptoms and benefits bullets should not both be in the same list of bullet points.
· A normal bullet line width should only be about 80% of the length of normal line. So the point can be 2 lines long, but the div/table containing the bullet points should only be 80% the size of the body.
· Use graphical bullets – checkmarks, stars, light bulbs, etc.
· Bullet points should reaffirm what you said in the paragraphs above it.
· Remember to focus on actual benefits … not just features of your products.
o NOTE: Features are what your product is or does … benefits are the positive experiences your customer experiences or receives when they actually use your product.
· Keep them neat and even.
· Bold alternate points. Use the same number of lines for each bullet. Make them about the same length.
· Keep them on topic. All the bullets should focus on a single topic. So, for example, the symptoms and benefits bullets should not both be in the same list of bullet points.
· A normal bullet line width should only be about 80% of the length of normal line. So the point can be 2 lines long, but the div/table containing the bullet points should only be 80% the size of the body.
· Use graphical bullets – checkmarks, stars, light bulbs, etc.
· Bullet points should reaffirm what you said in the paragraphs above it.
· Remember to focus on actual benefits … not just features of your products.
o NOTE: Features are what your product is or does … benefits are the positive experiences your customer experiences or receives when they actually use your product.
Types of Bullet Points
· Qualifying Bullets
o Appears at the very start of the letter
o Calls out to your ideal prospects and tells them the product is them
o Example: Are you …
§ Tired of making your boss rich?
§ Frustrated by high gas prices?
§ Embarrassed when you look in the mirror?
o Make sure your qualifying bullets are relatively general. Because if even one of them doesn’t apply to the reader, then he’ll leave.
· Qualifying Bullets
o Appears at the very start of the letter
o Calls out to your ideal prospects and tells them the product is them
o Example: Are you …
§ Tired of making your boss rich?
§ Frustrated by high gas prices?
§ Embarrassed when you look in the mirror?
o Make sure your qualifying bullets are relatively general. Because if even one of them doesn’t apply to the reader, then he’ll leave.
· Features and Benefits Bullets
o Appears just after revealing the product
o Explain what’s actually in the product
o Should be clear and straightforward
o The magic word is “so” …
§ “Short and easy to read so you can put it together right now”
§ “Disc brakes so you can stop fast in emergencies”
§ “Fast acting so you can get on with your day”
§ [Feature] so [Benefit]
§ Always use so features and benefits bullets.
o Appears just after revealing the product
o Explain what’s actually in the product
o Should be clear and straightforward
o The magic word is “so” …
§ “Short and easy to read so you can put it together right now”
§ “Disc brakes so you can stop fast in emergencies”
§ “Fast acting so you can get on with your day”
§ [Feature] so [Benefit]
§ Always use so features and benefits bullets.
· Teaser Bullets
o Much more “blind” than Feature and Benefit bullets
o Don’t give away the milk just tell them how sweet it is:
§ Why …
§ How …
§ 5 Biggest mistakes …
§ A simple way to …
§ The one kind of …
o Much more “blind” than Feature and Benefit bullets
o Don’t give away the milk just tell them how sweet it is:
§ Why …
§ How …
§ 5 Biggest mistakes …
§ A simple way to …
§ The one kind of …
· Recap Bullets
o Recaps are the main benefits of the product
o Comes at the end of the letter just before call to action (buy button)
o Recap the entire offer in bullets and put it above the buy button -> increase in conversions
o Example: Remember, Alpo dog food:
§ Is delicious, so your dog will love it
§ Is all beef so it’s healthy and full of protein
§ Is 100% guaranteed to make your dogs coat shiny
§ Only today, it comes with our $7.95 personalized bowl FREE
o Recaps are the main benefits of the product
o Comes at the end of the letter just before call to action (buy button)
o Recap the entire offer in bullets and put it above the buy button -> increase in conversions
o Example: Remember, Alpo dog food:
§ Is delicious, so your dog will love it
§ Is all beef so it’s healthy and full of protein
§ Is 100% guaranteed to make your dogs coat shiny
§ Only today, it comes with our $7.95 personalized bowl FREE
Importance of Social Proof
· Social proof comes from two places:
o Average Joe who uses your product successfully
o Known experts who endorse your product
· An exciting (yet realistic) case study from an “Average Joe” is a better testimonial than a glowing recommendation from a “guru”.
· You must prove to them that:
o Your product works, and …
o It will work for them
§ This is the more difficult part. People might believe you, but they are very skeptical of their own chances of success with it.
§ E.g.; Casinos only show posters of unattractive looking people who’ve won moderate amounts as opposed to attractive people who’ve won millions.
§ You want the person to believe it can work for them.
· Social proof comes from two places:
o Average Joe who uses your product successfully
o Known experts who endorse your product
· An exciting (yet realistic) case study from an “Average Joe” is a better testimonial than a glowing recommendation from a “guru”.
· You must prove to them that:
o Your product works, and …
o It will work for them
§ This is the more difficult part. People might believe you, but they are very skeptical of their own chances of success with it.
§ E.g.; Casinos only show posters of unattractive looking people who’ve won moderate amounts as opposed to attractive people who’ve won millions.
§ You want the person to believe it can work for them.
Gathering Testimonials
· Post-sale “feedback” request email
o Ask for “feedback” not testimonials
o Provide a for (askdatabase.com)
o Prompt their answers:
§ “Were you skeptical in the beginning?”
§ “Why did you buy it?” Answer: Because of the money back guarantee.
§ “What happened when you used the product?”
§ “Who would you recommend this product to?”
· Post-sale customer follow-up calls (turn interviews into testimonials)
· Give away products in return for feedback
· Post-sale “feedback” request email
o Ask for “feedback” not testimonials
o Provide a for (askdatabase.com)
o Prompt their answers:
§ “Were you skeptical in the beginning?”
§ “Why did you buy it?” Answer: Because of the money back guarantee.
§ “What happened when you used the product?”
§ “Who would you recommend this product to?”
· Post-sale customer follow-up calls (turn interviews into testimonials)
· Give away products in return for feedback
