Do you remember that person in college who was the great writer? The second coming of William Shakespeare?
The one who not only got your term papers cranked out lightning fast…because you left them until the day before they were due and had no other choice….but also turned them into a dazzling, can’t-put-it-down read.
They used catchy words, emotional words. They made you and your paper sound startlingly stimulating. They took your thoughts and words and polished them to new vibrancy. Your words in their hands sounded like “Whoa, Professor! Check This Out! Don’t Miss a Single Detail of This A+ Paper!”
I was not that person.
Yet somehow…I don’t know how…but somehow, I’ve become a marketing copy machine. And in the process, I’ve uncovered a treasure trove of unspeakably delightful approaches to writing great marketing copy (including the more you do it, the better you get…duh).
My inspiration for this week is about…yep…the imperatives of great copy.
Killer copy gets your emails, websites and letters released from the purgatory of the Inbox. It gets people nodding like the bobbing-head dog in the back window of the car in front of you. It tugs them into action.
Words are the real currency in our business.
Words. Which is weird because no one reads anymore, right? Well, sort of…
Here’s what they do instead…
…they scan.
They scan to pick up points of interest. They scan to see if this is something worth reading. They scan to see if there’s any value in this email.
You, therefore, have nanoseconds to seize their interest so they open and read all-to-almost everything you’re waxing eloquent about.
Before one word is scribbled down, you gotta know:
- Your objective in writing
- Who the target reader is (specifically, not “everybody”)
- And your call to action
Your copy is simple, clear and on target using the three dictates above.
They don’t care about your life’s story. First, get them to scan.
Choose one message. One. And get that message over the finish line.
Oh, and one then there’s this. Inject a little emotion.
Think about how many bland, safe, corporate-speak emails you get. They don’t draw you in. They don’t encourage you to read. And if…for some crazy reason you do read it…it’s anything but memorable.
If your words lack emotion, your email will lack readers.
Try this on as an example:
Option 1: Get your prospects to say YES!
Option 2: Does your ego get clobbered whenever your prospect says no?
Quit being a snooze, a bore, or worse yet, a windbag.
Tackle your copy with a new vibrancy, and you’ll be on the magic stairs.
And…you will be copy poor no more.
Go forth and do great things,
Martha Hanlon & Chris Williams