11 Elements of Great Copy
1. YOUR AD MUST REACH OUT AND GRAB ATTENTION! Your headline is the most important part of your ad, followed by your opening paragraph. This is where you must express your biggest benefit.
2. OFFER HUGE BENEFITS. Start with a major benefit early in your ad, and then keep adding lesser benefits throughout your copy. Remember that customers are basically interested in one thing – “How will this offer benefit me?”
3. MAKE BELIEVABLE OFFERS: A reader will stop reading your ad the minute he is convinced you’re not telling the truth. If you are offering a great benefit, then you must explain how it is possible for you to make such an offer. If your benefits seem “too good to be true,” then you must somehow convince readers that are telling the truth.
4. MAKE SPECIFIC OFFERS! Customers want specific facts. They want to know exactly what your product offers them and what kind of a difference it will make in their life.
5. STUDY WHAT CUSTOMERS REALLY WANT: The novice car salesperson believes he is selling transportation. The average salesperson thinks he is selling a combination of transportation and image. The successful salesperson, however, knows he is selling freedom, and image, and sex appeal! When you really know why people are buying your product, then you will know what to write in your ads.
6. AVOID USING “I.” Great copy is “you copy” not “I copy.” If your copy doesn’t have at least twice as many “you’s” as “I’s” you aren’t offering enough benefits to your customers.
7. TESTIMONIALS. Customers expect you to “blow your own horn,” but you’re claims are not enough. Testimonials will add substance to your claims. Get several believable statements made by satisfied customers, obtain permission to use their names, and use them whenever possible.
8. MAKE YOUR ADS EASY TO READ. Good copy, is easy to read and easy to understand. Tell your prospects exactly what actions you want them to take using short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.
9. TELL CUSTOMERS WHAT YOU TOLD THEM: First you tell a reader what you want to tell them, then repeat what you told them. This method has a high success rate. Ads and letters that “summarize” an offer at the end always bring better results.
10. OFFER A QUALITY BONUS. Customers will take quick action when they are offered something extra. Nothing works better than offering a big free bonus. A bonus usually works better than a price reduction.
A special bonus isn’t necessarily expensive, but it must have “perceived value.” And don’t wait until the end of your ad or letter to mention your free bonus. Mention it early on, with enthusiasm and excitement. Then, in your closing statement mention it again!
11. OFFER A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. Refunds will not be a big problem unless your products are really poor. By offering a strong money-back guarantee, you will eliminate tension and anxiety from a customer placing an order. People must know that you stand 100 percent behind your service and can be trusted.
11 Elements of Great Copy
1. YOUR AD MUST REACH OUT AND GRAB ATTENTION! Your headline is the most important part of your ad, followed by your opening paragraph. This is where you must express your biggest benefit.
2. OFFER HUGE BENEFITS. Start with a major benefit early in your ad, and then keep adding lesser benefits throughout your copy. Remember that customers are basically interested in one thing – “How will this offer benefit me?”
3. MAKE BELIEVABLE OFFERS: A reader will stop reading your ad the minute he is convinced you’re not telling the truth. If you are offering a great benefit, then you must explain how it is possible for you to make such an offer. If your benefits seem “too good to be true,” then you must somehow convince readers that are telling the truth.
4. MAKE SPECIFIC OFFERS! Customers want specific facts. They want to know exactly what your product offers them and what kind of a difference it will make in their life.
5. STUDY WHAT CUSTOMERS REALLY WANT: The novice car salesperson believes he is selling transportation. The average salesperson thinks he is selling a combination of transportation and image. The successful salesperson, however, knows he is selling freedom, and image, and sex appeal! When you really know why people are buying your product, then you will know what to write in your ads.
6. AVOID USING “I.” Great copy is “you copy” not “I copy.” If your copy doesn’t have at least twice as many “you’s” as “I’s” you aren’t offering enough benefits to your customers.
7. TESTIMONIALS. Customers expect you to “blow your own horn,” but you’re claims are not enough. Testimonials will add substance to your claims. Get several believable statements made by satisfied customers, obtain permission to use their names, and use them whenever possible.
8. MAKE YOUR ADS EASY TO READ. Good copy, is easy to read and easy to understand. Tell your prospects exactly what actions you want them to take using short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.
9. TELL CUSTOMERS WHAT YOU TOLD THEM: First you tell a reader what you want to tell them, then repeat what you told them. This method has a high success rate. Ads and letters that “summarize” an offer at the end always bring better results.
10. OFFER A QUALITY BONUS. Customers will take quick action when they are offered something extra. Nothing works better than offering a big free bonus. A bonus usually works better than a price reduction.
A special bonus isn’t necessarily expensive, but it must have “perceived value.” And don’t wait until the end of your ad or letter to mention your free bonus. Mention it early on, with enthusiasm and excitement. Then, in your closing statement mention it again!
11. OFFER A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. Refunds will not be a big problem unless your products are really poor. By offering a strong money-back guarantee, you will eliminate tension and anxiety from a customer placing an order. People must know that you stand 100 percent behind your service and can be trusted.
