The difference between good copy and great copy are in the results achieved. In direct response, the number of actions the copy generates is what makes copy great. The more actions the copy drives, the greater the copy is.

My friend John Reese, a master at simplifying what we often tend to unnecessarily complicate, says it best. He says the only metric you should ever really count on is this: Yes or No.

That’s it.

Sounds simplistic, I know. But here’s the key point: your copy may get great feedback. It may entertain. It may inform, educate or even inspire. But if it doesn’t sell, it doesn’t matter.

Read the rest or post a comment »

I once took a media communications course in which I discovered an interesting example of the way the mind works.

As part of a given lesson, a videotape was shown of a televised newscast during which a journalist was about to give a live report on a forest fire that was devastating the mid-west.

The news anchor in the television newsroom said: “We now take you to Sally Smith — she’s in the station’s helicopter flying above the scene of the fire.” He then turned around to face the background screen, which gave a live bird’s-eye view of the raging fire, and asked: “Sally, tell us, how big is the fire?”

In a voice partially drowned by the whizzing sound of helicopter blades, Sally reports: “John, it’s so big, it’s covering well over 140 acres of land — that’s about 200 football fields back-to-back for you and me.”

What is this telling you?

Read the rest or post a comment »

This is another article written by one of my associate copywriters, Joe Valente, as an introduction to one of mine — which I linked on this blog entry further down. But Joe’s article is so good, I decided to reprint it here.

Essentially, it’s about appealing to different buyer personalities with your copy. Some people are driver types. Others are more analytical. Some are expressive and colorful. Others prefer the warm-fuzzy type of copy. Either way, your copy should chiefly appeal to the predominant personality of your market.

So before I go any further, you better read this article. (There are also many great lessons about copywriting used — and some hidden in the article itself. About storytelling, about the power of metaphor, and about human behavior. I suggest you read it, then read it again. Look for them. It’s that powerful.) Take it away, Joe!

Read the rest or post a comment »

I first taught this technique in 1998. While there have been tons of improvements since then, today I still see copy on so many websites, sales letters or emails using a language that only the person who wrote them understands.

People still seem to ignore their readers.

Abraham Maslow once commented, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Abraham Maslow may have been a psychologist, but he probably knew more about copywriting and particularly selling than what most people cared to admit.

Even now, most of the copy I critique disobey this important rule the most. Their sales message doesn’t communicate with their readers, particularly at THEIR level. Now, I’m not talking about a socioeconomic or educational level. I’m talking about the level at which they understand and, above all, make buying decisions.

They fail to use what I call “upwords.”

It’s an acronym that means…

Read the rest or post a comment »

A significant reason behind websites that fail is the lack of an effective response-driven message. A message that gets people to do something, even if it’s to keep reading.

A direct response message is not just about response. It’s comprised of three elements: it must be 1) captivating (it captures the reader’s attention), 2) riveting (it pulls her into reading further) and 3) engaging (it calls her to act). (In fact, these are the “three simple steps” I talk about in my DVD video.)

How can you incorporate those three vital elements?

If I were to answer that question adequately it would likely take me an entire book the size of an encyclopedia! But for now, let me give you a succinct explanation…

Read the rest or post a comment »

A strategy in copywriting that’s immensely powerful is to use words and phrases that help to paint vivid pictures in the mind. When people can visualize the process of doing what you want them to do, including the enjoyment of the benefits of your offer, you also drive their actions.

I call them UPWORDS: “Universal Picture Words and Relatable, Descriptive Sentences.” In other words, words and phrases that describe ideas the market can universally appreciate and relate to.

That is, analogies, metaphors, action words, mental imagery, examples, testimonials, case studies, comparisons, colloquialisms, stories, etc.

Why?

Read the rest or post a comment »