12-Copywriting Tips to
Make Your Advertising More Profitable
by: Thom Reece
Year after year people make
the same mistakes in direct-response copy and
advertising. You can avoid the most common and
costly blunders by following the following
proven tips...
1. WRITE IN DIRECT RESPONSE
LANGUAGE:
- Use short paragraphs and
short words. This article has 68% short
words-five letters or less. Strive for at
least 65%-75%. Never go under 50% unless you
are writing to Ph.D's.
- Make your sentences and
paragraphs flow like a breeze.
- Ignore good grammar when
you have a good reason.
- Keep the bucket brigade
going: Start paragraphs with And, But, So
you see, However...
- Use the freshest concepts
and the most colorful language you can
without disturbing the flow.
- Use hot words: free,
profit, new, now, secret, easy, save,
guarantee, today... and the hottest word of
all: YOU!
- Use bullets... lots of
them.
2. WRITE LOTS OF HEADLINES.
Always think up dozens of
alternative headlines. Put your strongest
benefits in them and test your best
alternatives. When writing headlines for web
sites make sure they include key search words
and phrases along with the benefits.
3. DROP THE WARM-UPS...
You'll destroy your entire
letter/ad by starting off, "As a homeowner, you
know how maintenace costs are climbing every
day...". Take your first draft and try cutting
out the first two to three paragraphs... you'll
usually find the real "meat" starts to appear in
your copy after you have started to "warm-up" to
the writing.
4. STAND OUT.
Separate yourself from the
competition as clearly as you can. Discover,
isolate, and dramatize all the reasons for doing
business with you...today..., instead of your
competitor. Build your entire package or ad
around these reasons (benefits).
5. SELL BENEFITS, NOT
FEATURES.
Readers don't buy products or
features of products. They buy the
benefits-of-use of the product or features. Be
humble enough to realize that a buyer will not
give you one red cent for any product or feature
until you convert the features into
benefits-of-use.
6. LEARN TO GIVE.
Most advertisers and charities
think of direct response strictly as a device to
"get". Unfortunately, most readers also want to
get. So, to succeed, you must adopt a "give"
attitude... beyond what you offer in the product
or service. Give them something immediately in
your ad, your letter, your web page. Give them
news, business tips, interesting stories,
resources, freebies, special deals.
7. USE TESTIMONIALS.
They're proof that you're as
good as you say you are, and that you'll do what
you say will do. Like...
"I increased profits by
$100,000 last year using your services..." Joe
Smith, President, Smith Corporation
The more specific the
testimonial the more power it has. Give full
attributions whenever possible. Testimonials
give you believability and credibility. You
can't do successful direct-response without
these two essential factors.
8. OFFER A MONEY-BACK
GUARANTEE.
Whatever you are selling, make
sure you offer a money-back guarantee. It's a
critical factor in getting someone to send in
their monty to someone they don't know or maybe
never heard of.
9. CREDIT CARDS, TOLL FREE
NUMBERS.
Credit card purchases and
toll-free "800" numbers can increase your
response by as much as 50%. If you're on the web
make sure you opt for secure on-line
transmission (SSL) of credit card orders... or
allow other means for your customer to provide
their credit information to you.
10. ASK FOR ACTION.
It's amazing how often
otherwise good copy never gets around to asking
for the order. If you don't ask for action...
you won't get any.
11. BUDGET YOUR TIME.
Devote about one third of your
writing time to the lead elements, headline,
subheads, teasers, opening paragraphs.
12. KEEP CURRENT.
Direct-response is more
scientific than other types of advertising. Like
any fast-moving science, it has it's discoveries
daily. This is especially true of writing for
the Internet/World Wide Web. Subscribe to
industry trade journals such as Target
Marketing, DM News, Direct, and other relevant
publications.
(C) Copyright 2004 Thom Reece
All Rights Reserved |
