3 Unspoken Copywriting Secrets
The author and public speaker Gary Vaynerchuk talks a lot about the Clouds & Dirt of business.
The Clouds is the vision and strategy of your business or idea.
The Dirt is the specific steps that you must take to achieve your goals.
Today I'd like to look at The Clouds of copywriting. It's easy to get lost in The Dirt of copywriting. Power words. Active writing. Short sentences. These are all important topics for improving your writing.
But...
The biggest improvement to your writing and the profitability of your business. You'll find in The Clouds of copywriting.
So let's take a look at...
3 Unspoken Copywriting Secrets
There are 3 critical questions you must answer before you write a single word.
I say write, and these are the same principles for a video or podcast. So please don't dismiss this as a detail of writing. These are the principles of persuasion and relationship building.
If you can answer these 3 questions then your writing will grow your business in many ways.
Here are the 3 essential 'cloud' copywriting questions.
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What do you want the reader to do?
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How do you want the reader to feel?
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How does this strengthen your relationship with the reader?
Let's look at each of these in turn.
#1. What Do You Want The Reader To Do?
I hope you'll agree that this is an obvious question. If you're sending an email, you want the reader to click the link to read your blog. Or watch your video. Or register for your webinar or online training.
If you are writing a sales letter you want the reader to buy your product or service.
Once you know the action you want the reader to take. You need to ask yourself why the reader would do that. What's in it for the reader if they take the action you want them to.
Let's face it. We are all selfish. In a good way. And in a bad way.
We are selfish with our time. We are selfish with our hard earned money.
And...
We are not going to give up either of these things without a very good reason.
The truth is that your reader is not going to take the action you want them to unless... they can immediately see what's in it for them.
How is your blog going to change his life. How is your online training going to improve his life. How is your product or service going to give him what he wants faster and easier than anything else.
Once you're clear on that... we can move onto the second unspoken copywriting secret.
#2. What Do You Want The Reader To Feel?
Do you want your email or sales letter to give your reader the trill of reading the Financial Times? Or worse, an academic text book?
Or...
Do you want to give your reader a front row seat to a better life?
Do you want them to feel inspired by an amazing true story? A true story that is worthy of a Hollywood movie... with one critical difference!
At the end of the story, they can choose to make the same dramatic shift in their life. Without the 10 years of struggle.
That would be something. Wouldn't it?
What I've just described is easy to say. But what is really going on? What emotions do you want to stir in the reader? And why?
Fear Has A Lot Of Firepower
Fear is an emotion that drives people to do extreme things.
Look no further than the effect of economics on an election. When the economy is doing well most people vote for the centre parties. When the economy is struggling and millions of people are out of work or worried about their jobs. The extreme parties thrive. That's when people turn to the BNP and other racist parties. Fear drives them to do things they wouldn't normally do.
Fear starts wars. Look no further than the reason for the Iraq war. Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The weapons were never found.
Was there intelligence to show that Sadam had weapons of mass destruction? Or was that the fear stick to change public opinion?
These are extreme examples.
A less extreme use of fear is a deadline. This creates the fear of loss. Act now or miss out on this amazing offer. That low level fear forces the reader to make a decision now.
The truth is that fear has a lot of firepower. You can use it to move people to act. But... will it give you long term success?
I don't think it will. People want a better life. Not more fear. So I would tread very carefully with the use of fear in your writing.
Trust Is The Foundation Of The Sale
Before you can tell the reader about what you have... they must trust that you can deliver on your promise.
If the reader doesn't trust you. They won't act. They won't buy. It's as simple as that.
As you know, you build trust over time. That's why ever email you send must build trust with the reader. Every message you send needs to show the reader that you can deliver on your promises. You can do this with a story. You can do this with a case study. You can do this by walking the reader through your system.
You're not going to win the sale with every message you send. And you will set up the next sale... if your message earns the readers trust.
The more trust deposits you make in the reader's emotional bank account. The more you pave the way for your next sale.
Belief Drives Action
If you want to sell an information product then the reader must believe that they can change their life. If you want to teach people how to create wealth through property. They must believe that an 'ordinary' person with no property experience can do it. If the reader believes that, then you're half way to the sale.
If you want to sell a luxury watch. You must make the reader believe that the watch will give them more respect and prestige. The watch is proof of their financial success. And that proof will bring more opportunities. If the reader believes that, then you're half way to the sale.
If you want to sell alternative health products or treatments. Then the reader must believe they will remove their pain. If the reader believes that only a medical doctor can help him. Then he won't act. No matter how cheap your product. No matter how many success stories you have.
But... you can earn the readers trust over time. You can change the readers belief over time. If you have their contact details and can follow up with them.
If your message makes the reader believe that they can change their life. Then you are half way to the sale.
Action Changes Lives
Hard-won secrets do not change people's lives. Action does. It is only when they use the hard-won secrets that they change their lives.
So if the purpose of your message is to encourage the reader to act on the information you have already give him. Get clear on how you will do this.
Is your message a Drill Sargent that forces them to march in time right now?
Is your message calm driving instructor. Telling the reader that practice is the route to mastery.
Is your message reminding the reader that you will run behind them to make sure they don't fall. When they use your system for the first time.
Is your message a motivational speaker. Inspiring the reader to jump up right now and seize the day.
Those are just some of the emotions that you may want your message to stimulate in the reader. So, let's move on to the final unspoken copywriting secret.
#3. How Does Your Message Strengthen The Relationship With The Reader?
As I've already said, it takes time to earn the readers trust. Not every message will make the sale. Not every message will move the reader to read your blog, watch your video, or register for your online training.
And...
That's okay if you strengthen the relationship with the reader. If the reader says to himself "This isn't for me. And thank you for telling me about it." Then you've won.
Your message has made another deposit in the reader's emotional bank account. That paves the way for your next sale.
How do you know if your message is going to make a deposit in the reader's emotional bank account?
You make sure it contains a Story or Persuasive Metaphor.
Why?
Because stories explain why change happens. Stories prove that amazing results are possible with a proven system. Stories reveal the values of the people in a company.
So if you are telling stories in your emails, social media posts, and sales letters. Then you are strengthening the relationship with your reader.
Persuasive Metaphors simplify complexity. They help the reader see something intangible.
A brilliant Persuasive Metaphor that I read recently is that Retargeting is like a man with a leaflet.
Imagine you own a retail store. Someone comes into your shop. They look with excitement at your stock. Then their phone rings and they rush out of your store.
You wonder what emergency forced them to run out of your store.
Down the road, you have a guy that gives them a leaflet. The leaflet tells them that they can get a 10% discount off everything if they buy before the end of the week.
Later that day the same customer returns with a smile holding the leaflet.
You've made the sale because you found a way to bring the customer back to your store.
That's what Retargeting does for websites. It brings the customer back with greater levels of excitement.
Persuasive Metaphors explain complex processes in visual language. They strengthen the relationship with the reader because they create understanding. They give the reader an Ah-Ha.
Seeing is believing. Persuasive Metaphors make the reader see a complex process in a new light.
Now It's Your Turn
Now that you've seen the 3 unspoken copywriting secrets. I hope you use them to write with a purpose. I hope you answer these 3 questions before you sit down to write. I hope you use these questions to edit your message. I hope you use these questions to pave a path to future sales with your reader.
If you've found this useful then please leave a comment below.
If you know a business owner that struggles to get their name out there. Please share this with them.
Until next time...
Carpe diem
Roland Eva
P.S. If there's one thing that I've learned from the bankruptcy of my first business... and starting a 7-year journey to learn how to turn 'strangers' into customers on demand. It's that without a proven system to turn 'strangers' into customers. Every business will suffer through inconsistent income.
It took me 7 years to learn how to turn 'strangers' into customers on demand.
A journey that ended when I made £30,105 in 9 days.
I took that amazing result and transformed it into a simple 3-step system. A system that I call Consistent Profits Pyramid.
I've used Consistent Profits Pyramid to sell products and services. Ranging in price from £5 to £12,000.
Would you like to use Consistent Profits Pyramid in your business?
Unfortunately, I can't show you how to use Consistent Profits Pyramid now. The post would run too long.
That’s why I’ve written the book Consistent Profits Pyramid. The book shows you how to use my simple 3-step system in your business. So you can turn strangers into customers… on demand.
I’d like to give you a FREE copy.
To download your FREE copy now. Click the link below.
Here’s just a taste of what’s in the book:
#1. How to find 'red hot' leads without spending a penny. Red hot leads are people that need your help and are willing to pay for it.
#2. How to create a competitive advantage that no one can steal.
#3. How to answer the question "Why should I do business with you?" in a way that makes people say "Wow! Tell me more."
#4. How to turn 'strangers' into customers using an irresistible offer. I'll walk you through my 5-step system to create your own irresistible offer.
To download your FREE copy now. Click the link below.
About The Author
I’m a copywriter and business growth trainer, mentor and consultant.
For the last 5 years, I’ve helped business owners to sell products and services in many industries. The products and services have ranged in price from £5 to £12,000.
My most successful campaign made £672,989 in 9 days.
I took that result and transformed it into a simple repeatable system. A system that I teach to ambitious entrepreneurs that want to make money on demand without a sales team.