8 Steps To Irresistible Email Copy Every Time

=> Step #1 – WHO DO YOU THINK YOU`RE TALKING TO?

Before you sit down to write your email sales letter, you`ve got to determine exactly who your audience is. This is a master key to getting results from email marketing.

Ask yourself these questions:

– What do your prospects/customers want?
– What frustrates your prospects/customers most?
– Who else is selling something similar to you?
– Why should your prospects/customers believe you?
– Why should prospects/customers respond to you instead of someone else?
– What kind of appeals will your target market respond to?

=> Step #2 – A GREAT SUBJECT IS YOUR OBJECT

Before an email can generate results, recipients need to open it. But what can you do to spark their interest and get their interest “motor” revved up?

Your SUBJECT LINE is the key.

There are four types of email formulas you can use as a guide in crafting your email. Each has a different PSYCHOLOGICAL APPEAL that works like magic on consumers. Here are some examples:

– State a powerful benefit – “Empowerism Satisfies Your Need for Leads”

– Pique curiosity – “Empowerism Has Uncovered the Secrets of Success”

– Write your subject line with a news angle – “Empowerism Launches RSVP For Those Who Want to Double Their Money Fast!”

– Offer Immediate Gratification – “With Empowerism RSVP, you can start the money wheels turning before the sun goes down tonight”

Here`s an important “homework assignment”: Write at least 25 SUBJECT LINES before you decide on which one to use. Take the best two and test them against each other in your marketing campaign. (Save the “losers” to use for other purposes or spruce up later.)

=> Step #3 – WHAT`S IN IT FOR THEM?

Sit down and write every conceivable benefit your product has. Don`t know the difference between features and benefits? Features describe the product; benefits describe the results of using the product. Features appeal to logic…logic justifies emotion…emotion drives sales (see below).

Here`s a rule of thumb for benefits: ask yourself “What can my product or service do for my customer?” Then begin to write your letter telling your reader WHAT`S IN IT FOR THEM.

Tell them how much better life will be for them after they buy from you. Tell them how much better they`ll feel. Tell them how their peers will respect them more.

=> Step #4 – AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL

When promoting anything to anybody, you must remember that buying decisions are based upon emotion and later backed up by logic. Before you write a single word, determine what emotional hot buttons you need to push to “jumpstart” your prospect.

Selling health supplements? Go for the “fear of illness” button with “A Natural Way to Save Your Eyesight.” Selling political bumper stickers? Hit the “anger” button with: “Let the President Know What You Think of His Policies.”

Other buttons include: curiosity, greed, ego, vanity, hope, and/or fear of scarcity or security.

=> Step #5 – A NAME YOU CAN TRUST

To convince people to buy your product or service, you must make them believe that your offer is credible and that you (or your product) will deliver as promised.

How do you do that? Here are three ways you can build credibility with the readers of your sales letter:

– Provide testimonials.
– Include endorsement letters from authority figures in your industry
– Make your offer and promises sincere and believable.

=> Step #6 – A GUARANTEE

Nowadays, trying to sell without some type of guarantee is a losing proposition. You`ve got to have one. And the stronger your guarantee, the better your response will be. And, believe it or not, although most people will NOT ask for a refund, they`ll trust your offer knowing that you stand behind it.

You can offer a 24-hour, 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, or even a full-year. And here`s an interesting fact: The longer the time period, the fewer returns you`ll have! It`s human nature to procrastinate, so the more time someone thinks they have to get a refund, the more they`ll put it off or forget about the refund altogether.

=> Step #7 – DON`T FORGET TO ASK

It happens all the time. Someone makes a fantastic sales presentation, and then doesn`t close the deal because he/she didn`t clearly ask for the order or made the process confusing rather than simple.

– From the Research Department: Statistics show that you need to ask for the order at least three times to close substantial sales. (Some studies put the number at 7!)

If you can, offer several ways for your prospects to order — consumers love choice. It tells them, “You`re talking directly to me and meeting my unique needs.” If you only offer one way to order, make it crystal clear how AND how easy it is. Describe it in detail and ask for the order. Then ask again.

=> Step #8 – THE EYES HAVE IT

It`s a well-known fact: Large blocks of copy are intimidating and will often send people running for the hills or at least the Delete button.

The solution? Break up paragraphs into two to four sentences. Use several subheadings throughout the email letter.

And use asterisks, dashes, and ellipses (…) to give your copy more rhythm. Bullet points are excellent eye-catchers – use them whenever appropriate.

Copywriting Basics – Answer The Questions You’d Want Answered

Anyone can write effective Internet copy. You just have to know a few copywriting basics known to journalists and writers as the 5 W’s. Throw one “H” in there and all your copywriting basics are covered.

Who? Tell the reader who your product will help. This should be your target market.

What? Tell your reader what your product or service will do to improve their lives. In other words, tell them the benifits they will receive, what’s in it for them.

When? When is the offer good for? If there is a special offer, when does it expire? When will the product or service help them, immediately or over time?

Where? Where can you order the product or service? Where will it work?

Why? Tell your reader why he or she needs your product or service. Why will it benefit them? Why should they sign up or order today? Why is the quantity or offer limited?

How? How do they register or order? How much will it cost? How much return will they see for their investment? How does it work?

Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? There is no trick – it really is as easy as that. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader and answer the questions you would likely ask or want answered about your product or service. Answer those questions clearly and thoroughly and your Web copy is complete.

These copywriting tips and copywriting techniques will work not just for Web copywriting but also for direct market copywriting, other online copywriting, and offline copywriting as well.

Below are a few other copywriting basics that will help you write your web site copy:

1. Keep it simple. No one wants to drudge through a long, drawn out confusing explanation. If you can’t say it simply, that’s fine. But by all means, simplify when you can.

2. Make sure your copy urges a call to action either in the body copy, or text of the article, or in the headline. Words like “Act Now,” “Limited Time Offer,” or “Limited Supply” will urge your readers to contact you sooner rather than later.

3. Keep it honest. Don’t make wild claims just to get business. Build a good reputation by being up front and honest with your potential customers. In addition to appreciating your honesty, they will recommend you to others as a business owner who is true to your word and claims.

4. If you make an offer, make it one that is hard to pass up. Don’t waste your readers’ time with small, worthless offers. Think about the coupons you see in magazines and newspapers. Do you take time to clip them? If so, it’s because the offer is of value to you.

5. How long should your copy be? As long as it takes to adequately answer the above questions for your product or service.

An unanswered question is considered an objection in your potential customer’s mind. So, be sure to answer all their objections.

Keep these Internet copywriting basics in mind as you prepare the articles or sales letters that will appear on your Web site. Don’t be intimidated because you don’t have any professional writing experience. Most people want to do business with an honest person who knows the product or service well that he or she is trying to sell.

You don’t have to be a professional writer to do that. The only requirement is that you truely believe in the product or service which you are trying to sell. If you do, your enthusiasm will shine through your writing. If you do not believe in your product or service, your lack of enthusiasm will shine through also.

So, in summary, answer the above questions as clearly and simply as you can, be honest, avoid hype, make an irresistable offer, and be sure to include a call to action.

If you do all these things you will master the copywriting basics and should have no trouble converting your Website visitors into customers.

How to Find and Hire a Great Freelance Writer / Copywriter

Seek and Ye Shall Find?

Sometimes finding a good writer can be harder than finding a soul mate because writing and copywriting are subjective arts and if you are not a writer, you can not see the difference between a good writer and an excellent writer.

If you are looking for a writer on the Web by searching on terms such as writer and copywriter, there are few things you should look for once you find a writer’s website:

Excited, Delighted or Uninvited?

Excellent writing entertains and excites, quickly and concisely. When you read the writer’s website you should be drawn in. Does she ask the reader questions? Does he understand what you want? Does she seem friendly? Does he have relevant experience? Does she list what kinds of services she offers?

Location, Location, Location

Often businesses hiring a writer want to look for someone nearby so they search, writer, Los Angeles if they live in Los Angeles, if the writers don’t show an address or location where they work, you’ll never find them.

You’ll be able to get a general idea of where the writer is by either the contact page or by references to work completed.

A Bad Writer Ain’t Hard to Find

If you notice grammar and spelling mistakes you are probably on the wrong page. Also if the style and design of a writer’s website looks bad, even if their writing looks good, you should be wary. Good writing is neat and pleasant looking.

Ample Parking and Samples

Excellent writing on the Web, gives the reader plenty of potential to stop, park, click and look for a while. If the writer doesn’t link to more writing and industry resources, she/he is less professional than the ones who do know that linking is best form of networking around.

You ought to find several kinds of writing samples. If you don’t find the kind of samples you like, e-mail or call the writer and ask for exactly what you want.

RSVP

Response is also important to you and the writer. Although a few second e-mail response-time is possible, a day or overnight return time is reasonable. If you want a faster response, be sure to tell the writer that you are in hurry and on a deadline. When writers don’t respond in a timely manner, they miss out on your work.

Check References

Once you locate the name of the writer, do not hesitate searching for other references of the writer on the Web. Type the name in a search engine with an appropriate word such as writer.

For example, when I searched my name Lynn Walford with the word writer, along with my website http://www.freelancewriternow.com, a photo of me standing next my former editor Michael Goldstein at a Justice Magazine party appeared.

I never saw the photo until I searched my own name! Of course writers and authors names should also appear on magazine articles and bylines in other media. I also found myself in an article on naming books by Robin Quinn at the PMA website.

Titular Savvy or Tense—What’s in a Name?

Look at the title of the writer’s website. Is it catchy? Memorable? Does it Make Sense? Of course when someone is born Anna Matto Poeeah, (pronounced just like onomatopoeia, the poetic word for when something also sounds like its name such as whispering or clang) you can’t hold it against her.

However, when writers don’t take the time to name their websites appropriately they can’t write a title for you.

The Price is Write

Some writers charge by the hour, by the piece or by the word. Whomever you choose, she/he should be able to give an estimate on how much your project will cost. Vagueness usually means no experience.

Rewrite Right?

Most excellent writers and copywriters will give a free rewrite if you don’t like what they do. Always ask if they will rewrite it for you if you don’t like it.

Test, Quiz

If you are planning a major project such as a white paper, which can be expensive, look for a writer in advance and ask him/her to write a small project for you first, then you can see if you can work with him/her and also test knowledge.

Well, Well, Well.

Writing well is a precise art with a sense of urgency and a taste of the divine. You should be able to tell good writing when you find it. It comes to life, sings and shines. When you read something like ” Avoid cliches like the plague,” found on 26 Golden Rules for Writing Well you are definitely in the wrong place.

Is Your Copy Trusted by Google?

As long as I’ve been an SEO copywriter, I never knew that Google had its own trust factor with relation to site pages and their copy. Yet, a recent column in the Google Librarian Newsletter did a wonderful job of explaining what Google is looking for in the way of copy.

These are practices I’ve preached with fervor for years. This information can help your copywriting become a trusted source for Google and potentially aid in increasing your rankings.

As I started reading the original issue of this newsletter, Matt Cutts began to explain that Google uses many factors (other than Page Rank) to evaluate and rank pages. Matt continues to describe the use of keywords and their relationships to other page factors.

For instance, let’s say one keyphrase you’re working with in your copy is “flat monitor.” I’ve preached for years that keyphrases work best when all the words remain in their exact order.

That is, when you use the entire phrase “flat monitor” as opposed to only using the single words “flat” and “monitor” individually. Matt confirms this by saying relevance and trust might be increased in Google’s eyes when the words “flat” and “monitor” are used next to each other.

Why would it matter? Because “flat” can refer to practically anything. That word by itself could easily be used on a page that has absolutely nothing to do with monitors.

While the word “monitor” can refer to a screen used with a computer, there are many different types of monitors. If the search query were specifically for “flat monitors,” pages about CRT monitors and other types would have little relevance and therefore wouldn’t be deemed trustworthy.

“Monitor” can also mean to observe, which would be irrelevant to the search query used in our example. So, using the phrase as it was typed into the search engine is the most relevant application.

What else? Have your keyphrase in the title. While Matt doesn’t say this is a vital element, he does suggest that it “gives a hint” that the page would be more relevant, and therefore trustworthy, to the subject matter at hand than a document that does not include the keyphrase in the title.

Toward the end of the article, Matt refers to Google’s preference to choose the most trusted sites to include in their database. It’s in a subsequent issue of the Google Librarian Newsletter that Matt explains, in part, other ways Google evaluates trust.

The fonts used on the page and the placement of words on the page are included in assessing trust. Also, an examination of the text of other pages of the site is included. Of course, this is not the entire equation. As originally stated, Google uses many factors to determine the relevance and trust of copy. These are just a few.

But what about copy that isn’t trustworthy? What practices do you want to avoid? In a thread on Matt’s blog (from April 26th), Matt discusses penalties. During the thread, a segment of horrible text is shown as an example of how not to write SEO copy.

Matt’s comments about the copy include mentions of these offenses: keyword stuffing, deliberate inclusion of misspelled words, gibberish text (the kind normally generated by automated copywriting programs), doorway pages and hidden text on the page.

If you are currently practicing any of these techniques, you might want to seriously (and quickly) adjust your copywriting strategy.

The bottom line is that Google wants to include pages that are highly relevant. By writing your copy in such a way to highlight the relevant factors of the content for Google, you also contribute to your visitors’ experiences.

It’s a win-win-win situation that benefits you, Google and those who come to your site.