You're ready to launch that new product or promotion, & you're really
counting on a piece of advertising copy to come through for you.You're looking for stellar results! And, you're determined to do everything
in your power to get them. Which means surveys, thorough testing, and
ongoing refinement of your ad copy.
Hold the phone!
When you've got your draft, run it through this 10-point check list. Cover
off these basics, and you can be sure you're off to a running start.
1
– Do You Have A Compelling Headline?
Does it generate curiosity or envy? Does it promise a benefit that will
compel someone with an interest in what you're selling to keep reading.
Remember, your headline is the ad for the ad.
When I am being paid to write direct response ad copy, or a sales letter, or
have a very important sales objective of my own, I normally write 25
headlines before I begin the body of the piece.
Then I'll pick half a dozen that I think will work & test them. The best of
the rest, I use as sub headings throughout the piece to propel readership,
and draw skimmers & skippers back into the copy as they move down the page.
2 – Are Your Headlines Pleasing To The Eye?
I most often find that headlines work best when they are centered on the
page, & present a balanced appearance in terms of the shape they create.
Encasing them in quotation marks also serves to grab more attention.
Long top headlines tend to reduce readership, but if they help qualify more
effectively they can improve sales! Try them, but look for ways to
modularize the text using punctuation & spacing so your readers don't
suffocate trying to read them. Sometimes a long top headline is better
presented as two or even three separate headlines.
3 – Is Your Opening Provocative & Arresting?
Does it trip the reader, interrupting the internal turbulence of the day?
Each line of your ad copy must serve to "sell" the reader on continued
reading, especially at the beginning.
You are looking to build enough momentum & interest to convey the points
necessary to generate a greater desire for the product than it's price.
Generally speaking, the higher the cost of the product, the more words
required.
4 – Are You FAB Balanced?
You must focus on painting a picture of your prospects future life, as a
result of their purchase. Does your copy promise emotional benefits? Does it
pledge the realization of positive feelings, or the relief of negative ones?
Does it show how these outcomes are achieved with concise descriptions of
the features & advantages that will deliver them? Your ad copy must strike a
balance between emotion & logic if it is to be effect.
5 – Are You Creating Excitement & Enthusiasm?
Demonstrate your personal belief in what you are selling. Will your
message quicken the readers pulse? Is it upbeat, positive, & full of
inspired energy? Is there a sense of WOW?
6 – Is Your Body Copy Highly Readable?
Remember simple is best. Keep sentences short. Use a plain 10-point to
12-point font. Paragraphs no more than a few lines. Words that are
comfortable & specific to the audience you are targeting. Inject subheads to
break up text. Highlight important points.
7 – Do You Have High YOU density?
Remember to you use the words YOU & YOUR to the hilt. Your reader is auto
translating to ME & MINE.
8 – Are you speaking intimately?
Can you get a strong sense of personality when you review your letter
after being away from it for a while? Visualize yourself, or the character
you are personifying, writing a personal letter to your perfect prospect.
Never write to a crowd.
9 – Are you inspiring the readers imagination?
You must trigger mental images with your writing. The mind has difficulty
distinguishing between vividly painted word pictures, & reality. Daydreams
enchant, & emotions flow in their wake.
When you have emotion, you have desire. When you have desire, you have
suggestibility. When you have suggestibility, you can direct action. Your
levers are allegory (storytelling), metaphor, similes, verbs, adjectives, &
specificity.
10 – Do you offer proof?
Specific testimonials & convincing guarantees worked into your ad copy
are essential.
See Also:
Boost your selling power with your call-to-action phrases
Is there something missing from your marketing material? If you don't have a call-to-action phrases, you're missing an essential component to great copy.
How to produce an effective ad and get results
One of the first skills anyone new to business has to
master
is the art of writing an ad. To promote a product or
service
we need to advertise and for this we need a well
written power- packed ad. Its a lot more difficult than it
seems.
10 Ways To Electrify Your Copy And Pull More Sales!
Electrifying, razor-sharp "bring in the money" sales letters and
ads can be yours when you follow these
simple rules.
Power Phrases Increase Your Sales
Use the information in this article to develop power
phrases for your products and services. Then include those
power phrases in your web pages, sales letters and other
marketing and sales messages. They will immediately
increase your sales.
8 Tips for Writing A
Knock-Em Dead Headline
There are so many elements that play a very important part in every ad, sales letter, brochure or any piece of business communication that you write. And one of the most important elements is the headline.
The headline of your piece will either makes your reader so excited they'll want to read the rest of your ad, letter etc. or it will make them switch off completely.
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