Copywriting Articles

When I told my co-worker Howie I was leaving Phillips (now called Healthy Directions), he asked me what kind of copy I planned to write.

“I dunno” I said, “but I know what I’m NOT going to write: magalogs - they’re just too scary.”

I figured I could make a decent living writing renewal promotions and 2-page sales letters.

Well, guess what? Nine years later - “magalogs” … and their oversized cousins called “tabloids” … not to mention their midget uncles known as “digests” - still scare the beejeezus out of me every time I THINK about writing one!

So how come over 90% of my projects are magalogs, tabloids and digests?

Simple.

I learned a few simple tricks to help me conquer my fear of these Goliaths - and you can too!

In fact, I’m going to show you step-by-step how I tackle these projects - and in no time flat, you’ll be well on your way to writing killer copy for these “Big Dawgs” (hey, I live in Georgia and it’s football season - I had to do it!)

The #1 secret lies in this ancient, Chinese proverb:

How do you eat an elephant?

The answer?

One bite at a time.

Ok, so this may not be an ancient Chinese proverb, but it’s a powerful lesson in copywriting and life in general:

When you’re faced with a big project, break it down in smaller, more manageable pieces. Some experts call it “baby steps”, others say “chunking it”, call it whatever you want. The bottom line is: you won’t get overwhelmed and experience the “deer in the headlights” syndrome.

So, don’t think of the project as a 24-page, 10x12 tabloid that you need to write 50 pages of copy for.

Think about it as it really is:

   1. A letter to a friend with lots of interesting side thoughts
   2. Testimonials from other friends who also love the product
   3. A can’t miss opportunity to get some free gifts now and a guarantee you’ll be happy with your decision. And oh, yeah, an order form so you can get your stuff fast!

Isn’t that a LITTLE more easy to swallow? Sure it is! So let’s get started …

The letter - the heart and soul of every magalog!

Forget about writing a “magalog”. You’re writing a letter to a friend. So do your research and find interesting things you want to tell your friend about your product.

Make the info relevant to your friend’s urgent needs. If he’s got arthritis, tell him about this amazing new discovery that stops pain ON CONTACT!

If it’s high cholesterol, then let her know about this age-old remedy that’s now proven to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in just 7 days. You get the point? Write with a goal to solve an urgent problem.

Now, notice I said, you’re writing to a friend. It doesn’t matter if the promo is going to a gazillion folks - write to ONE person. Remember, it’s a letter - one of the most personal forms of correspondence known to mankind!

Sidebars - the secret to reigning in
your ADHD reader

No matter how awesome I think my copy is …

… No matter how many tens of thousands of dollars my clients pay me for a writing assignment …

… And no matter how many “copywriting genius” titles bestowed upon me …

… I stay humble because I know this one simple fact: Most of my prospects will read only 10% of what I write! (Heck, if I knew WHICH 10% - I’d write the best-selling and shortest copy in the world!)

Now, I know my prospect is missing out on some of the best writing in history. But as long as he orders the product - I’ll eat crow and keep raking in the royalty checks!

Simple truth: Your prospect is way too busy to try to force him to read your entire letter. And he won’t do it anyway!

Recently, one of my copy cubs (and you know who you are) delivered a draft where the benefits of the product didn’t show up until page 6. The cub explained that she was “getting the prospect warmed up.”

In her little, perfect writing world, it made sense. But in real life, the package will get trashed faster than a nano-second!

So how do you make sure your prospect gets the benefits even if he doesn’t read your entire letter?

Simple: Sidebars!

I love sidebars.

They’re fun, short and easy to write!

Sidebars allow your reader to scan and find info that’s interesting to him. They also help you dimensionalize your product.

If I’m writing for a nutritional product, I’ll have a sidebar for each of the key ingredients. I find something interesting about that ingredient and make it a “star” in the sidebar.

Make sure to use sidebars to give your guru credibility. A bio box is an example of a credibility sidebar. Plus, charts and other statistics really stand out as separate sidebars.

And you can use sidebars for a fun quiz … interesting quote … exotic picture … or just about anything you can think of!

Plus, when they’re sprinkled throughout the main letter - sidebars give your reader a much needed eye break.

Now that you know your prospect ain’t never ever gonna read every single word you write - make sure your sidebars contain the MOST interesting benefits of your product. So, as your ADHD reader is bouncing around looking through your promo, he’ll quickly spot the benefits!

Quick quiz: Which is more powerful?
A: “I’m wonderful” or
B: “You’re wonderful”
(If you answered “A”, your arrogance is showing)

This is the power of the testimonial!

Having other people rave about your product is much more powerful than patting yourself on your back!

Use testimonials - and plenty of ‘em - to help convince your prospect that thousands of other folks - just like him - LOVE your product!

What if you’re writing a launch package and you don’t have any testimonials?

First of all, DON’T make them up - that’s just wrong.

But DO find ways to be creative. For example, have your client’s staff or even your friends try out the product - and get testimonials from them!

Last year, I launched a Liver & Kidney Cleanse product and I had my family and friends perform the 16-hour cleanse. Then I made them take pictures of the gross stuff that came out of their bodies! Ok, so I lost a few friends in the process, but hey, I got a control!

Or, if a famous person makes a comment about an ingredient in your product - put it in quotes and use it. For example …

… If your product contains Vitamin C and Nobel Prize winning doctor, Linus Pauling said Vitamin C is critical for fighting joint pain - then put his quote in your promo and place it near the product. Add in a line of copy that shows your product contains Vitamin C - yes, the same Vitamin C that Dr. Pauling raved about! That way, you create an implied testimonial - without lying.

Get these right - and the rest is a piece of cake!

Once you’ve got your letter, sidebars and testimonials in place, the rest of the package will quickly fall into place …

Treat premiums like “Manna from heaven”

Give your prospect a reason to buy NOW. This is where your premiums are extremely valuable. Remember, just because you’re giving away a free gift doesn’t mean you don’t sell the heck out of it in the copy!

Make the gifts worth paying for and then surprise your prospect by telling him it’s FREE!

Give ‘em an offer they can’t refuse …

Make sure to include a guarantee that’s unbeatable. Let the prospect know he’s got NOTHING to lose. He’s got an iron clad TRIPLE DECKER promise from the guru, his publisher, and even the “Man Upstairs”! Make your prospect feel like he’d be a bleeding moron NOT to take you up on this never to be repeated, once in a lifetime, limited time offer!

ASK for the order!

That sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? Of course you’ll ask for the order - you’re in the sales business, right?

Ha!

You’d be amazed at how many promotions drop the ball by not asking for the order! Don’t be like those idiots!

Guide your prospect and clearly tell him what to do:

“Pick up the phone and call 1 800 xxx-xxxx right now. Or mail in your order card today. A friendly customer service representative is here to help you 24 hours a day!”

Then, congratulate him on making the best decision of the day!

One simple advice about the order form: Make sure it’s simple and easy to use.

Don’t screw up all your hard work by making it difficult for your prospect to order!

Add a positive acceptance paragraph to start the order process. For example, “YES! Dr. X, I want to look and feel 10 years younger starting today! Please rush me (blah, blah, blah) …”

And for goodness sake, PLASTER the 800 # all over your promo. You never know when your copy will motivate your prospect to order. But when it does - make sure the phone # is handy so they can place the order immediately!

Waddaya doing?
Stop reading and start writing!

So now you have it - all the “secrets” you need to write your first magalog, tabloid or digest! It’s not rocket science - you really can do it! Remember, K.I.S.S - Keep it simple, sweetie - and take it one step at a time!

Here’s to Creating Success Your Way!

Carline Anglade-Cole
Guest Contributor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™

Carline Anglade-Cole writes multi-year controls in the alternative health field for clients including Healthy Directions, Health Resources, True Health, Soundview Publications and Sun Chlorella USA. She also provides phone consultations and "mini-boot camps". Put her 20 years of direct mail experience in mailing list strategies, new product development and creating kick-butt controls to work for your company! Contact Carline directly by visiting her website at www.CarlineCole.com