A lot of people think writing copy is just about the words. The truth is, once you know what you’re writing about, and who you’re writing for, the rest is a downhill ride.
Not easy. You still have to steer and stay on track. But definitely easier.
Challenge #1 – The Hook.
One of the hardest parts of copywriting is finding the hook. That’s the part of your copy that grabs the reader’s attention. It’s what makes your offer irresistible.
For instance, suppose you’re targeting an audience of salaried workers who are seeking financial solutions. They can’t do much about their income (because they’re not considering options outside corporate life, but that’s another topic). But they want to stretch their budgets to enjoy some luxuries and add quality of life.
How about, “How to live a $100K lifestyle on a $20K salary.”
Now there’s a hook… if you can make good on the promise, of course.
Challenge #2 -The Opening Paragraph
For me, one of the most difficult parts of copywriting is the opening paragraph. You’ve got to start with the hook, but then you have to move your audience to a deeper level.
One solution I discovered recently is to use the opening chapters of high-quality fiction as swipe files — i.e., words you can use as models for ideas and rhythm. Of course, a fiction writer can make up a story beginning, ‘I hadn’t enjoyed a real vacation in five years.” But if you write first person, you have to be accurate and also consistent with your brand.
Challenge #3 – Finding the benefits.
Another copywriting challenge is to keep remembering that we’re selling solutions, not features. Even seasoned copywriters forget sometimes; the benefits can seem so obvious. It takes an outside pair of eyes and/or a reminder to keep drilling down and adding, “so that…”
It’s even more important to realize that products can be named for the solutions they provide. A dog food was called “Best Friends for Life” because that’s what it promised: nutrition to let your dog live a longer, more active life.
These things came top-of-mind for me because I just ordered a specialized copywriting course, written by a master copywriter, focusing on just the hard parts. I normally get frustrated with other people’s copywriting courses: they don’t cover enough or they promise guidance that turns out to be unrealistic.
For some reason I came across this Evergreen Copy Bundle, written awhile ago by Jason Fladlien. It’s short but not simplistic. Even though I write a lot of copy, I got a lot of inspiration and some ideas I’d never seen elsewhere. The examples cited here all came from that course.
And the *very* best part is the very reasonable price. To be honest, if I were selling these tips, I’d add some more chapters and bump the price 6 or 7 times. It’s that good.
I’m becoming more selective about recommending products, and rarely ever suggest someone buy a copywriting product. This one’s not a step-by-step for raw beginners, although if you don’t write copy you’ll get good ideas about how to develop and name your next big thing.
Check it out at http://mycopy.info/evergreencopy and see if it fits your business model at this time.