| "You've got mail!" | | | | The sole purpose of your headline, subhead and photo |
| That phrase blasted from the 10" cheapo computer | | | | captions is to get the reader to read your first |
| speakers that flank my 19" big boy monitor. I don't use | | | | sentence of copy!! This is the most important step you |
| AOL but I set my email client to "belt out" the common | | | | can get them to take. If they just skim your ad from |
| phrase to let me know I have a new batch of mail | | | | top to bottom your chances that they take your |
| screaming down the pipe. | | | | desired action is drastically reduced. |
| In that avalanche of mail that poured into my mailbox | | | | You must get them to the first line of copy. Your first |
| like a broken-handled faucet, I noticed a pieced of | | | | line of copy should be short and its sole job is to get |
| spam (gotta love the spam). This wasn't' just an | | | | them to read the next line of copy. The second line of |
| ordinary piece of spam this was a high-tech, glossy | | | | copy's job is to get the reader to read the next line - |
| piece of spam - an html spam (the ones with fancy | | | | and so forth. |
| pictures on it). | | | | Your first two paragraphs of copy should be short |
| This spam was actually from someone I had met in | | | | and non-threatening and should create a desire for the |
| person and gotten my email address off a piece of | | | | prospect to keep reading through to the next |
| email I had sent to her and then put me into her spam | | | | paragraph. |
| database without permission. | | | | The copy should create a "slippery-slide" down the |
| This piece of spam was a marketing lesson that I | | | | copy to the call to action. All along the copy should |
| needed to share with you... | | | | anticipate and answer any questions the reader would |
| The spam was nicely set up with a headline and | | | | come up with as they read. |
| subheads, but since it was HTML and the headline | | | | This "slippery-slide" copy concept was taught to me |
| was an image the image took way too long to load | | | | by Joe Sugarman. Joe is one of the all time great |
| and I was already into the subhead (it was text) | | | | direct response copywriters of our time. He is the |
| before the headline even made its first showing. | | | | marketing master behind so huge product success |
| The subhead (first thing I read) said, "Are you trying to | | | | stories such as "Blu-Blocker Sunglasses." |
| force round pegs into square holes?" Now we've all | | | | Copywriting Tip #3 |
| heard this cliché line before and I'm asking | | | | Have you ever been standing in a line for a ride at |
| myself what the heck does it mean and what the | | | | Disney World or another busy theme park? Have you |
| heck does it mean to me in the context of your | | | | ever noticed how the line is all zigzagged? Have you |
| business??? | | | | ever wondered why they do that? It's not to save |
| Copywriting Tip #1 | | | | space it's to make you feel more comfortable and so |
| Don't use cliché lines in your headlines and sub | | | | you don't freak out at how long the line is. |
| headlines. We've all heard them before which means | | | | Imagine how long the line would look if it were |
| we don't take notice and they don't cause us to think. | | | | perfectly straight! |
| You need provocative headlines and subheads that | | | | The same goes for your copy. |
| engage your reader and make them think about | | | | The third copywriting tip I'm going to give you here is to |
| themselves in terms of your business or solution. | | | | use sub headlines to break up your body copy into |
| This was a question type of headline and question | | | | manageable sections. This keeps the reader engaged |
| type headlines are a strong headline option - but, you | | | | and makes the copy seem easier to read and not as |
| must ask thought provoking, engaging questions. Don't | | | | long. These sub headlines can be a summary of a |
| waste your one opportunity to grab your reader with a | | | | major point in the previous paragraph or in the one to |
| worn out, cliché, wet-noodle question. Smash | | | | follow. They could also be a curiosity generating line |
| them over the head with something that will engage | | | | about what's to come in the copy. |
| them and get them wanting to read the next line of | | | | Testing has shown that the content of the subheads |
| copy. | | | | are not as important as them being there. |
| Copywriting Tip #2 | | | | |