A Copywriter Never Mumbles – and Other Principles of Effective Ad CopyWritten by Walter Burek
H.L. Mencken, author, jounalist and social critic observed that most people "write badly because they cannot think clearly." And reason they cannot think clearly, he went on, is that "they lack brains."Putting aside H.L.'s cricisim for moment, let's assume that all copywriters have "brains" and, more often than not, we are capable of clear thinking. It follows then, that we stand a very good chance of being able to write well. But clarity of thought is only step one. The following principles will help you move on from there, so that you can put down in writing exactly what you have in mind. 1. Don't mumble. Advertising is most effective when it is easy to understand. (Take a look at any advertising effectiveness study.) In other words, you sell more stuff when you write copy that is clear. Copy that speaks out commands attention; copy that mumbles doesn't. So once you've thought about what you want to say, come right out and say it. Don't mumble your message by being short on specifics or long-winded in your sentences. And don't use big words, cliches, jargon or borrowed interest. Keep in mind E.B White's sobering advice: "When you say something, make sure you have said it. Your chances of having said it are only fair." 2. Get to point. Start selling with your very first sentence. Try to make it and every sentence that follows simple and declarative. Factual. And short. Short is powerful. Lincoln used only 266 words in his Gettysburg Address. And many believe that shortest sentence in New Testament – "Jesus wept." – is also most moving. 3. Don't write like a nerd, a lawyer or a bureaucrat. In his Simple and Direct, Jaques Barzun says, "The whole world will tell you, if you care to ask, that your words should be simple and direct. Everybody likes other fellow's prose plain." Don't inflict technical jargon, pompous words or fancy phrases on your readers. Remember, you're trying to communicate with them, not impress them with your grasp of show-off fad words or vague abstractions. Why write "sub-optimal" when you mean "less than ideal?" Why write "interface" when it is more clear and direct to write "discuss, "meet," or "work with?" Why take chance of annoying your reader by writing "net net" instead of "conclusion?"
| | "How To Emotionally-Charge Your Sales Letters To Boost Sales"Written by Mike Jezek, The Sales Letter Psychologist (TM)
"How To Emotionally-Charge Your Sales Letters To Boost Sales" by Mike Jezek, The Sales Letter Psychologist™ Are you frustrated that your sales letter isn't getting results? Do you wonder how you could make a satisfactory sales letter even better? If you said, "yes" to either of these questions then I invite you to read on as you will be richly rewarded. In next few moments you are going to discover how to instantly amplify selling power of your direct mail and web copy. Enabling you to potentially break sales records and outsell your competition. The solution to your lackluster results or desire to improve current sales is found in one word. Emotion. As you may already know buying decisions are based upon emotion and later backed up by logic. Here's how legendary sales letter writer Robert Collier put it: "Appeal to reason, by all means. Give people a logical excuse for buying that they can tell to their friends and use to salve their own consciences. But if you want to sell goods, if you want action of any kind, base your real urge upon some primary emotion!" So how do you inject more emotion into your sales letters and thus turbo-charge selling power of your copy? While there are many ways to 'emotionally-charge' your sales letters, for our time together let's focus on these three shall we? 1) Stir Up Pain - Here's where you want to get inside heads of your readers. Focus on how they have this problem (that your product solves) and that because of this problem, they're hindered, frustrated, troubled and unable to attain their deepest desires because this problem lingers. You want to agitate their perceived problem and make it seem worse than it really is. You can do this by telling them stories, facts, case histories and linking their problem to bad scenarios to persuade and influence them into believing your product is solution to their problem. 2) Mesmerizing Stories - I already don't have to tell you that stories will obviously evoke emotion. Watch a tragedy, you'll feel sad. Watch a sci-fi movie and you'll probably feel excitement. Watch a horror flick and you'll more than likely feel scared. My advice to you, is to weave stories into your sales letters that stir up hope in attaining a goal, avoiding trouble or achieving a dream. You can also craft stories detailing what happened to someone who never took action to solve problem your product or service is intended to solve. This kind of story will produce fear of loss, which is more powerful than desire to gain in most people. You can also use stories that have a
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