101 TIPS TO WRITE COPY

1. Start a swipe file. Good copywriters are always on the lookout for examples of good
copy. When you find them, add them to your swipe file for ideas when you get
stumped. Of course its never advisable to plagiarize something another copywriter
has written, but you can take a particularly well-written letter or ad and rework it so it
works for what youre selling.
2. Spend time copying out excellent sales letters. Most of the worlds best copywriters
will tell you that they got started by literally handwriting out some of the best sales
letters of all time. Doing this will help you to learn the flow of a good sales letter and
how to take readers from being mildly interested to pulling out their credit cards.
3. Understand your customers to write more compelling copy. If you want to write
copy that captures the attention of potential customers, you need to know who it is
that you are writing for and whats important to them. Take the time to clearly define
your target market by researching them in online forums, reading the products theyre
buying and conducting surveys. Who is your ideal customer? How old are there?
Where do they live? What do they want out of life? What do they look for in products
similar to yours? A lot of copywriters assume they are part of their own target market
and dont spend nearly enough time on this important step. Be sure youve researched
your ideal customer inside and out before you ever write a word of copy!
4. Start headline writing by brainstorming several options. No one not even the
most seasoned copywriters get a headline right on the first try. So accept this and
get started brainstorming headline ideas. Try creating one around each of the major
benefits of your product. Other great ideas are to write a few in the style of How
To or Discover.. Youll find that the more you write, the easier it becomes to
create great headlines. And when youre done you can combine them to create the
perfect one.
5. Know where your prospects are in the buying process. There are 5 phases
customers go through when making a purchase. First they IDENTIFY a want. They
then SEARCH for a solution. Once potential solutions are found they EVALUATE
the different options and then DECIDE on one. Finally they make their PURCHASE.
By knowing which phase your customers are in when they arrive at your site you can
better help guide them through the remaining phases.
6. Make a big list of benefits and features before you begin writing. The more you
have to work with, the easier the task. That goes for any writing project and its
especially true when writing sales letters. With plenty of resources and reference
material at hand, writing copy is a breeze. The trick is to spend the time and effort
digging up the gems before you begin.
Tags: 101, to