The other day I was going through some of my old writing files. You know the drill, rummaging through old dusty cabinets that you haven’t been in in years. And then, out of nowhere, it hits you like lightning …
It’s that old time Ah ha …
… that flashes in your mind and makes you smile.
As I pondered writing a great copy, it occurred to me that what separates a good copy from a great copy is so simple that I almost fell out of my chair.
“Killer Sales Messages Made Simple”
If you’ve studied copywriting, you’ve certainly heard of AIDA. If not, AIDA is an acronym for TOattention, Iinterest, Desire, TOction.
So, following the AIDA method of writing a text, you know the importance of capturing the reader’s attention, usually through the hook and the headline, generating interest and desire throughout the body of the text, closing the sale and requesting the order.
After all, if you don’t hook your reader and pique their interest, you have no chance of closing the deal and making the sale.
And certainly, your opening paragraph helps draw your reader into the body of the text by using short, concise sentences that keep them reading.
Writing from potential customers’ perspective, in a personal “you and me” tone, giving them strong advantages and reasons why your solution is obviously the best, along with an obvious offer, is very helpful in closing the deal.
But the solid foundation on which it is written and is every truly great copy …
… literally the holy grail of all world-class copywriting, the key that holds all the highly successful advertising messages …
is none other than …
Investigate. Investigate. Investigate.
Yes, it is true that most copywriters hate doing it. After all, we are writers and writers write, right?
But guess what: all top-tier writers do their homework (aka investigate). They annoyingly research all aspects of the topic, product and market) first before a single word is written.
We turn every stone, look for every bit of detail, dig into all the facts, and take the time to get the job done right.
This aspect of the project requires a lot of time, patience and skull sweat. But we know that it is like money in the bank and that it is worth every ounce of time and skull sweat collected.
The late great copywriter and marketing whiz, Gene Schwartz, once commented on his ability to sell to almost all of his competitors simply by “working harder” than them.
His hard work consisted of thoroughly researching the product before “typing” a single word. And their hard work paid off to the tune of millions and millions of dollars in sales.
Now keep in mind; you have alternatives. Sure, you could pay others to investigate for you. It is money well spent. In fact, many top-notch writers do just that and hire a professional researcher to help them out.
So yes, it is that necessary evil that makes copy sing successful and puts money in the bank for both you and your clients.
Also, it is the best way to start any copywriting task. You will never face “writer’s block” again.
Simplified investigation
As I said earlier, you can search for the research task. Or you can do it yourself.
Personally, I have no bones to do my own research, although it is not my favorite task.
The value of doing the work yourself is that you gain good skills that are required to write a great promotion. Plus, if you’re short on cash, it’s a great way to save some money.
How to start. Start by making a comprehensive list of all the features of the product (then you will see these benefits and advantages that are important to your potential customer).
If you can, obtain the manufacturer’s product documentation. This can be very useful for finding interesting details about how it is made, materials used in the manufacturing process, and more.
If possible, get your hands on the product and give it a try. What do you like about it? How does it work? Does it really solve the problem? How does it perform in the market? How does it compare to your product?
Talk to prospects, customers, and users of the product. Ask them what they liked and what they didn’t like. What were your most favorite things about the product? What did you dislike the most about him?
Once you’ve delved into all the details about the product (or service), it’s time to meet your potential customer.
Know your potential customer
The key here is to “walk a mile in your shoes”. Find out what motivates your prospects and customers. Where do they hang out? What do they read, listen to, or watch on television? What bias do they have?
Are they conservative or liberal in their thinking? Are they religious or not?
Find out what problems they are having now. What bothers them the most and that your product or service could probably fix? What keeps them awake at night. This is essential if you want to persuade her to buy from you.
Again, the key is to become a “sales detective,” as John Carlton puts it.
Know your competitors
Once you’ve gathered all this information about the product and your perfect prospect, it’s time to see what the competition is up to.
What products are offered now? How do these products compare to yours? Get copies of the ads they are running.
Now find out how to position your company differently from your competitors. You want to favorably stand out from your competitors.
Think about what your product does for your potential customer. How are you different? Are you faster, do you offer faster deliveries, a better guarantee, better price, etc. That?
Now that you have gathered all the facts and figures you need and know how to effectively position yourself against your competitors, you are ready to start creating your marketing message.
Writing great text isn’t rocket science and it’s not difficult, but it does take a bit of effort.
Resume
As you can see, promoting yourself or the company is a good combination of researching your product or service, the market, and the competition. Once you are armed with this information, then and only then will you be ready to communicate with your target audience.
So as you can see it’s a bit basic, if you think about it. How could you be prepared to “talk” to your customers without knowing what they want?
Pro-Tip. Do you want to know something really cool? This little method that I have shared here applies to any type of marketing message you write.
And this includes …
Emails, landing pages, sales letters, print ads, radio spots, infomercials, whatever.
Anyway, I think you got it, right? Hey, I’m here if you need help or have questions. Only write me.
THANK YOU. And on the subject of “help”, I would like to give a big “thank you” to all my readers. I sincerely appreciate your interest in what I have to say and all your support over the years. I really wouldn’t be here without each of you.
Also, if there is a topic or topic you would like to see covered or would like more information on this topic please let me know. I will do my best to help you. I’m always happy to share all of my learning experiences with you.
After all, this is how we grow!
Wishing you all the best,
