A FIVE STEP WRITING FORMULA THAT WORKS

 

If you’re like most people, writing is one of the last things you like to do…its right up there with going to the dentist, the doctor, or visiting your in laws.  But take heart!  There is a formula that successful writers use to communicate a message, and motivate their audience to action.  Following are five copywriting steps that will take some of the mystery out of writing your company brochure, website, or sales letter.

 

•  Know Your Audience

Doesn’t it make sense that in order to communicate effectively, you must know the person you’re talking to?  You need to understand his needs, his fears, and his pain.  What keeps him up at night?  What does he want to achieve the most in life?

 

Try this little trick when answering the questions above:  Visualize in your mind your potential customer.  Are you trying to reach primarily men or women?  How old is your target market?  What income level are they in?  Are they professional or blue collar?  What are his hobbies?  His interests?  His goals?  Is he a college graduate?  What are some of his commonly held beliefs and perceptions?  You get the idea!

 

Having this vital information is critical to crafting copy that will garner the results you’re looking for.  Successful copy does two primary things: 

              -Successful copy educates

              -Successful copy persuades

 

Let’s examine these functions of copywriting:

              -Successful copy educates:  Remember that people do not like to be sold…they like to buy.  And they buy for emotional reasons.  Then they rationalize their purchasing decision based on key information…facts, affordability, etc. The key here is to educate your prospect about your product or service

 

              -Successful copywriting persuades:    Your copy must help your customer solve a problem:  is he in debt?  Overweight?  Does he want to look younger?  Whatever you have identified as your customer’s needs, wants, or fears, your copy must present your product or service as the solution to his problems.  This brings us to rule #2:

 

 

• Make a promise.  

Tell your prospect how your product/service will help him achieve his goals…how it will eliminate his fears, satisfy his financial goals, improve his appearance, etc. 

Write an attention-grabbing headline.  This step is critical; if you don’t’ get the reader’s attention here, he’ll go on to the next message.  Your readers want to know “What’s In It For Me?”  Why should he continue to spend his valuable time reading your copy unless he knows it will benefit him in some way? 

 

• Paint a word picture in your customer’s mind.

Help your customer visualize how your product/service will help him meet his goals.  Appeal to his feelings and desires…remember that people buy for emotional reasons!  According to successful copywriter Michael Masterson, there are seven basic emotions that motivate someone to make a purchase:

 

              -fear

              -greed

              -vanity

              -lust

              -pride

              -envy

              -laziness

 

There are other emotions as well that prompt buying decisions, but those listed above are among the most common motivators. 

 

Help your customers visualize how your product/service will help him meet his goals by creating a verbal picture in his mind.  Stimulate your customer’s desire to buy your product by describing how it will make his life easier, alleviate financial stress, achieve professional goals, improve his appearance, etc.

 

This is where you describe your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).  What makes your product/service different?  The best? 

 

•  Offer proof

This segment of your copy addresses the buyer’s need to justify the emotional purchasing decision he just made.   Statistics, charts, graphs, customer testimonials, and excerpts from reliable media sources, are all excellent ways to prove to the customer that he has, indeed, made a wise decision.  An effective strategy in this portion of the copy is to tie the proof you’re offering with the promise you made earlier.  Reinforce the benefits your product/service will provide by reiterating the promise you made early in your copy. 

 

• Ask for the order

This portion of your copy must be written in such a way that it will motivate the reader to action.  Thus far, you’ve identified with your customer, promised to fulfill his want/need, created a picture in his mind of how his life will be improved by purchasing your product/service, and given him credible information proving your product/service is everything you say it is.

 

In order to prompt your customer to act, recap everything outlined in your copy up to this point.  Use the “tell them what you’re going to tell them…tell them…then tell them what you told them…” approach.   Then offer something extra to your reader:  “For a limited time, we’re offering (an extra service or product) to our first time clients, so order today!”

 

 

--Emily Foshee

   November 2008

 

Emily Foshee is a freelance copywriter with more than 20 years of corporate communications experience.  She has worked with numerous Fortune 500 corporations including Centex, Pizza Hut and Sprint.