Copywriter Digest Newsletter

------- MENU

1. Just Thinking ...
2. Article ... "How To Write For The Web"
By Amrit Hallan
3. Article ... "The Easiest Way to Write Anything"
by Joe Vitale
4. Article ... "Benefits vs. Features?"
by Len Thurmond
5. Article ... "Customers Buy When They Feel Good
by Bob Leduc
6. The Last Word
7. Your Subscription Details

Articles can be reprinted in their entirety, providing the
author's resource details are kept intact.

Please do NOT hit 'Reply', your email will disappear into
cyberspace. My address is jr@adcopywriting.com

--------------------------------------

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--------------------------------------

1. Just Thinking ....

--------------------------------------

Hi, it's been a while:-)

I received a really great bunch of replies to my request for your
5 biggest Copywriting problems, and I'm grateful.

I'll be addressing them all eventually, but unfortunately one or
two thought I was promising a one on one email solution. If you
thought that then I apologize. Finding out what most people's
Copywriting problems are helps me to focus on the type of content
to include in this newsletter - and maybe a new book.

For instance a few asked for guidance on the differences between
writing for off-line and on-line audiences. Article 2 by Amrit
Hallan addresses that question brilliantly.

---------------

I'm doing a Full Day Copywriting Workshop in Orlando in November
as part of Joe Clayton's brilliant 4 Day Conference. He's left it
very late to start promoting it so I've advised him to offer big
cash discounts to fill the seats. And I'm pleased to say it's
working. My special page offers $100 off and there's a further
$100 off when you get to the order form.

If there's one thing I HATE to do when speaking about Copywriting
it's delivering a lecture. I much prefer a hands on approach, so
when you attend you will be involved in the actual creation of a
Website and Sales Copy. That's why it's a workshop and not a
seminar.

More info at http://tncinfo.com/dpcon

I promise you will LOVE the whole 4 days and ALL the speakers
will be mingling with the delegates during breaks and in the
evenings. So you'll have a great opportunity to have your
particular problems addressed and maybe set up a JV or two.

Seriously, this will be a fantastic event and the software
bundle you get is absolutely enormous - PROPER software I mean -
not cheapo stuff. Have a look - http://tncinfo.com/dpcon

When you sign up, let me know and I'll make sure you get a
Special CD with some of my Copywriting and Marketing books,
audios, and courses worth several hundred dollars. This is stuff
I'm selling right NOW from different Websites. You'll get the CD
at the conference.

When you decide to attend please email me and I'll send you a
link to some less expensive but good quality hotels in the area.

---------------

My latest site at http://joesdeals.com now has 7,500 (free)
members and growing fast. There's no strings - you get an email
from me every so often offering genuine discounts and even free
stuff for which I've bought the resell rights.

No newsletters, no hard sell infomercial emails - just a take it
or leave it special offer now and again. There's some good
freebies up there now actually which you can access after you
become a free member. http://joesdeals.com

---------------

Mike Litman's fantastic almost free CD and ebook is still
available from http://www.tncinfo.com/litman Definitely a must
have. BTW if you live in the Sates make sure you select the
local postage rate and not the overseas rate. It's a bit
confusing.

---------------

That's it. I'll get out of your hair.

Keep smilin':-)

Joe.
P.S. If you sign up for the Florida do, let me know and I'll make
sure you get a Special CD with some of my Copywriting books,
audios and courses worth several hundred dollars. This is Top
Quality stuff I'm selling right now from different Websites.
You'll get the CD at the event. http://tncinfo.com/dpcon

--------------------------------------------

2. Article ----- "How To Write for the Web"
By Amrit Hallan

--------------------------------------------

Among the Web's myriad peculiarities, one is, the way people read
online text. It took me a lot of time (being a writer who loves
to read the greats like Dickens and Kafka) to realize how
impatient and hurried the general web reader is.

Most web readers do not read complete sentences and paragraphs,
unless they are reading a white paper or a piece of literature.
They generally scan the headlines, or the words and expressions
that grab their attention. Web readers tend to scan text online
and read text offline. They typically do not read a page from
start to finish on the computer screen. Instead, they scan a site
looking for relevant items and then print pages that contain the
information they seek. You need to apply a style and method to
your Web documents that accommodate this type of reading.

I'm not saying there are hard and fast rules for writing for the
online audience, but if you take care of the following
guidelines, you may find yourself on the comfortable side of the
hedge.

==> TRY TO BE CONCISE <==

As I mentioned above, an average web reader doesn't read big text
streams. Unlike a printed papyrus, the web is humanly limitless
when it comes to seeking information. It's all on the back of the
reader's mind that the moment he or she begins to feel bored,
just a few clicks are required to go somewhere else.

==> CONVERSE WITH YOUR READER <==

Write in a conversational tone whenever possible. Use lots of You's,
I's and Me's. Keep a free flow and keep throwing appealing
and stimulating expressions at your reader. No, it doesn't mean
you create a nuisance or insult the sensibilities of your reader,
but try to be as formal as your subject allows.

A few months back I used to write technical tutorials for a
management portal. The chief editor had hired me as a freelance
columnist because of my casual but incisive style. The senior
management, however, objected to my style and suggested that I
should tone down my humor and make the tutorials sound serious
and bookish. While I wrote in my style, the portal got great
response and the readers loved the tutorials. When they curbed my
style, the popularity declined vertically, and soon, I got bored
and stopped writing for them. They closed the web site last week
because many subscribers asked them to refund the subscription
money.

Lesson learnt: no matter what's the field, a typical web reader
does not read pedantic stuff. I don't know why, but the web makes
them funky.

==> WRITE IN A LINEAR FASHION <==

Try not to divide a single topic among various pages. If the
message is interesting and relevant, your web readers would like
to read it on a single page no matter how long and bulky that
page is. They don't appreciate pressing the Backward and Forward
buttons.

I have seen this myself, and know how irritating it is to having
to go to various pages to read just one article or product
description. Fine, the web readers prefer shorter pages, but it
doesn't mean if a paper consists of thousand pages then we should
have to click thousand pages to read that paper. It's better that
all the content is on a single, linear, scrollable page.

==> USE LESSER LINKS <==

Some online articles are full of links. Even for a two-line
explanation, some writers use a second page and give the hyper
link in the first page. I find it very restrictive, especially if
I want to take a printout for later reading. Agreed, sometimes we
can't help it, but keep in mind that where you can avoid giving a
link, avoid it.

Another problem with links is, they distract the reader.
Sometimes the reader goes to the link, reads whatever is there,
and ends up forgetting the original page.

==> HIGHLIGHT MAIN POINTS IN THE BEGINNING <==

Yes, this is a very important point. If you give the headlines at
the beginning of the page, and if you make them interesting, the
web readers tend to read with greater earnestness.

Suppose an article or a section tells the insomniacs how they can
sleep using the technique mentioned in the article or the
section. The following highlight would probably trigger an
interest: DO YOU CRAVE TO SLEEP CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST 10
HOURS WITHOUT TAKING A PILL? READ ON TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN.

==> MAKE COMPLETE PAGES <==

As far as possible, all relevant pages should be self-reliant,
and should be present in their intrinsic entirety. Web surfers
arrive at web pages randomly, sometimes directly from a search
engine or a referred link. There is no way to tell where they've
been or where they'll go after visiting your page. Even if you
try to provide content using links to bind related pages
together, you cannot force a Web reader to follow those links. As
a result, your approach must be encyclopedic, giving the reader a
fairly comprehensive presentation of the topic on every page.
Whenever they arrive, they should know where they are without
having to go here and there.

Always include a link that takes to the main section of the web
site with just one click.

==> IMPORTANT THINGS FIRST <==

The important message that is to be communicated to your visitor,
according to the relevance, should come first on the page, and if
aesthetically possible, properly highlighted. Think of all those
things that the visitor should/would like to see first most, and
keep them as easily accessible as possible.

You should present the important information in the first two or
three paragraphs so that by the time the reader gets distracted
and leaves the site, you have conveyed your main message.

==> MAKE PRINTABLE PAGES <==

If you have lots of textual content on your web site, keep it in
a form so that your readers can take out printouts. If you look
at articles on my web site at http://www.bytesworth.com/articles,
you'll notice every article has a print version too, so that a
reader can take the printout and read the article later.

This sums-up my writing presentation for the time being. If you
feel I have left out some vital point, you are welcome to let me
know.

Copyright �2004 Amrit Hallan
---------------------------------------------------------

Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, and a website content
writer. He also writes optimized content for better Search Engine
Ranking. To know more about his services, visit his Copywriting
site at http://www.amrithallan.com and Website Content Writing
site at http://www.website-content-writing.com

---------------------------------------------------------

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--------------------------

3. Article ... "The Easiest Way to Write Anything"
by Joe Vitale

--------------------------

You've got something to say. You know it. Your associates know
it. But you don't regard yourself as "a writer."

How are you going to express your wisdom? How will you
communicate your thoughts?

Yes, you can follow the path of J.Paul Getty, Lee Iaccoca, and
Donald Trump and hire someone to write your words. That works.
(And I'm available should you want to talk about hiring me as
your ghostwriter.) :)

But there is an easier way.

I call this the "two step" because that's all there is to it.

Here's the secret in a nutshell:

Step one is state your principle. Step two is illustrate it.

Pretty simple dance routine, right? Yet you can use this method
to write ANY type of non-fiction---whether it's your life story,
a school paper, an executive brief, or a full length scholarly
book. (Actually, the scholars sorely need this method. They're
too stuffy!)

I was reminded of this method while reading a book from the
1940's. I noticed that throughout the book the author would make
a statement and then illustrate it with a story. The more I
thought about it, I felt this was the easiest way to write
anything.

Here's how it works:

1. Make a list of the ideas you want to communicate. Pretend
these are laws, rules, insights, commandments, theories, or
whatever will work for you. What you're looking for is a list of
messages. For example, I was working with a Houston body-mind
therapist and I told him about this method. I said, "One of your
messages is that people can have whatever they want, as long as
they aren't attached to how they get it." He nodded.

"Another message of yours is that the energy we put out is the
result we get." He nodded again. "Those are your key points," I
explained. "Write those down. That's easy. All you do is pull out
a sheet of paper or turn on your laptop, and just jot down the
ideas you want to get across."

2. Now all you do is illustrate every point with three stories.
This is what I liked about that book from the forties. The author
made a statement, then illustrated it with a story that made the
statement come to life. "You have all kinds of stories to share,"
I reminded my therapist friend. "For every point you make,
support it with a story. Maybe tell how someone achieved a
breakthrough following your main point. This reinforces your
point and makes it easier to understand."

That's it!

Principle-story, principle-story, principle-story.

You can take ANY subject and break it down this way.

You're making it easier on the readers, too. They don't have to
wade through a long involved tale. With this method, you cut
right to the point. You say, "Here's what I believe," and then
you use a story to explain why you believe it.

The book from the forties that I'm referring to was "How to
Develop Your Executive Ability" by Daniel Starch. I'm using it as
an example of this two-step formula, and not necessarily urging
you to run out and find a copy (it's out of print, anyway).

I just pulled the book off the shelf and opened it at random. I'm
looking at the chapter titled "Putting New Ideas to Work." It
begins with a statement: "Write them down at the time they come
to you."

It then spends four paragraphs giving lively quotes from Tolstoy,
Darwin, and Robert Louis Stevenson about the importance of
writing down your ideas when they come to you.

If you just write down your message or key point, it will sit on
the page in a lifeless, very un-hypnotic way. If you want people
to remember the message, if you want them to install the message
in their skull, then tell a story that illustrates it.

Your stories don't have to be classics of literature. A relevant
quote can bring a statement to life. Stories from other people
can bring your message to life. But most powerful and memorable
of all are the stories from your own experience.

I just flipped open Starch's book to chapter twenty-four, on
"Turning Bad Breaks Into Opportunities." Right off the bat
there's a statement: "Resolve not to be downed by failure."

And then follows a page and half of stories about people who were
in accidents and went on with their lives, including a quote from
Cervantes and John Bunyan. This supportive material awakens your
message in the reader's mind.

You might notice that I just used this very technique to write
this chapter. I told you there was a two-step formula for writing
anything. Then I illustrated the two steps with stories from my
clients, and with a story about the book that gave me the idea.

This "two-step" works!

The next time you have to write something, remember: principle-
story, principle-story, principle-story.

It's the easiest way to write anything!

--------------------------------------------------

Joe "Mr. Fire!" Vitale, regarded as one of the world's most
powerful copywriters, is a best-selling author of marketing books
and courses, including "The AMA Complete Guide to Small Business
Advertising," Nightingale-Conant's audio program, "The Power of
Outrageous Marketing!" and "Create Advertising That Sells." His
tremendously successful "Hypnotic Writing" e-book is now
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turn your words into cash
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--------------------------------

4. Article ..... "Benefits vs. Features?"
by Len Thurmond

--------------------------------

This is a subject that has literally been done to death, but it's
such an important subject that I decided to preach it one more
time, for anyone out there that hasn't gotten it yet.

The rules of copy good writing are relatively clear cut, and if
you follow them, you'll have tremendous success in your ad
campaigns.

If, however, you decide to reinvent the wheel, you're in for a
long, hard, learning lesson.

There's a reason why the "Gurus" in marketing have found the
success that they have. They've tested all of the techniques that
they could think of, boiled it down to those that work and those
that don't, and they stick to the ones that do.

Countless books and tutorials have been written on the subject of
killer copy writing, and for the most part, they all say the same
thing. But, unfortunately, the majority of the advertisers out
there still don't get it.

I see it every day in posting the ads that people pay me to send
out to you. I often fell guilty for taking their money, because I
know they're not going to get the results that they're looking
for.

And then, more times than not, they blame me (Well, actually, I
guess they blame you, for not being a responsive enough audience.
It never dawned on them that maybe it was their ad copy that
stunk!)

And then, there's the clients that repeatedly advertise with me
because they can't believe the response that they're getting.
I've had clients tell me that they have had as many as fifty
sales from a single ad. What do you suppose is the difference? Ya
think it's just luck? The ones that aren't getting that kind of
response seem to want to think so.

Why is it that we all seem to think we know a better way to do
everything?

What happened to that old saying... "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix
It!"?

You have to have a great subject line in order to get your
reading public to even open up your emails and read them. And
that's a whole other subject. But after you get them to start
reading your copy, you need to keep their interest.

It's just as easy for them to hit that delete key after they've
open the email, as it is before.

So, A great headline is only half the battle.

When writing your ads, you have to ask yourself...What would keep
my interest? What is it that I'm looking for when I read the
dozens (or if you get as much email as I do, Hundreds) of email
ads that I get each day?

The answer to that question will be different for each person,
and therefore you need to know who your service or product should
be aimed at. In other words, don't even try to sell to everyone.
If you do, you're just wasting your time and Advertising budget.
Not everyone is going to be interested in your offer.

Period

You need to find out who your target is and sell specifically to
them.

But, one thing is for sure. The one thing that is the same for
all of us, is that we all want to know what's in it for us.

What will this product or service do for me?

What distinct problem that I have will your product solve?

Although intellectually, I may be interested in the fact that
your new process for synthesizing Iron from plant life, as
opposed to from mines, makes your new super-duper iron pill more
absorbable by my body, in the long run, all I really care about
is that it will give me more energy, or cure my anemia, or make
my hair thicker, or whatever it's gonna do for me.

Instead of telling them...

Our miracle weight loss system comes with a complete menu of
meals that are delicious and easy to fix.

Tell them...

Wouldn't it be great if you could eat delicious foods, eat all
you want and still be guaranteed to lose the weight that you need
to lose? Now you have a choice of simple and delicious meals that
everyone in the family will love to eat. You no longer need to
suffer through making one really great looking meal for the rest
of the family and sitting there watching them enjoy your efforts,
while you eat rabbit food.

Instead of telling them...

Our ergonomically designed club head was specifically engineered
to stop the over rotation that causes you to slice your drive.

Tell them...

Wouldn't it be great if you could go to the golf course,
everyday, knowing that your drives are going to stay on the
fairway. That they are going to always be straighter and fly
farther than you ever dreamed possible. With our new XXX, you
will always have that confidence, because we have figured out
what was causing your slice and corrected it by engineering a
club that completely eliminates your problem.

See what I mean? Get your prospect involved. Make them see a
picture in their mind of how it will be once they have your
product.

This is the difference between "Features and Benefits".

No one cares how much research you put into your product, or how
qualified you are to tell them about it. All they really want to
know is 'what's it gonna to do for them'.

After you've got them hooked and believing that they might have
found the solution to their particular problem, you can then
reinforce their new found solution by working some of the
features into your copy, but even then, you must be very careful
not to lose them, by boring them with the features alone.

ALWAYS show them immediately, what 'benefit' each feature is
going to give them by painting them a picture of life after your
product.

It can also be very useful to paint them a picture of what their
life will continue to be like without your service or product.
Fear is a great motivator!

"If you like being overweight, if you don't mind never being able
to find decent looking clothes that fit you, or if you just enjoy
sitting by yourself because there's not enough room for anyone
else to share that bus seat, then don't buy XXX, Because XXX will
most certainly reverse these effects. But if you're tired of it,
you now have the choice to change it!"

And then give them, a couple of testimonials to reinforce their
dream, by reading what people who have solved their problem
through using your product have to say (Just always make sure
they are real testimonials from real people).

And ALWAYS, ALWAYS ASK FOR THE SALE after every benefit!

This is important stuff, Folks. That's why the great ones are
constantly trying to pound it into our heads.

Isn't it time we all listened?

Selling anything, is about your prospects, not you.

Target your sales at the people who NEED your product and tell
them what's in it for them and you'll see your sales ratios soar!

------------------------------------------------------

THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN!
Len Thurmond is the editor & founder of 'The Affiliate Review'. A
Free Weekly Publication dedicated to bringing you the truth about
online businesses and marketing tools. To receive our weekly
email newsletter, Send a blank email to
mailto:TheAffiliateReview@rapidreply.net Or Visit our website
at: http://www.TheAffiliateReview.com

-------------------------------------------------------

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------------------------------

5. Article ... "Customers Buy When They Feel Good
by Bob Leduc

------------------------------

Prospective customers will not buy unless they feel good about
you, your company and your product or service. Here are 4 simple
ways you can stimulate their good feelings ...and motivate them
to buy.

1. Personalize Your Marketing

Prospects are more likely to buy from you when they feel you are
talking directly to them about their unique needs. Look for ways
to make your sales message more specific to the needs of
prospective customers.

For example, subdivide your targeted market into several more
narrowly defined niche markets. Then customize your sales
approach so it appeals to the specific interests of prospects in
each niche market.

Tip: You can narrow the appeal of your web site without losing
its effectiveness with your broader market. Just create
customized web pages for each niche market you target. Then add a
link to each of these specialized pages on your home page.

2. Emphasize Good Feelings

Prospective customers usually base their buying decision on how
they feel about your product or service. Get them excited about
using it and they won't hesitate to buy.

One way to get them excited is to convert the benefits provided
by your product or service into a vivid word picture. Put your
prospect in the picture by dramatizing what it feels like to be
enjoying those benefits.

For example: If you sell financial products, describe what it
feels like to enjoy an affluent lifestyle without debt.

3. Confront Buyer Skepticism

A prospective customer will not buy if they have any doubt that
you will deliver exactly what you promise. Here are 3 of the many
ways you can confront and overcome skepticism in your customer's
mind.

* Use testimonials. They prove you've already delivered
satisfaction to other customers. To be effective, they should
describe a specific result your customer got by using your
product or service. For example, "In just 2 weeks I lost 9
pounds, felt years younger and still continued to enjoy my
favorite foods".

* Provide specifics. Convert general statements into specific
descriptions. Instead of "quick and easy", explain exactly how
quick and how easy. Also, reduce round numbers like "15 pounds"
into specific odd numbers like "13.7 pounds". It sounds more
authentic.

* Tone down your claims. A bold claim creates doubt in your
prospect's mind and jeopardizes the sale. Avoid using any claim
that sounds exaggerated - even if it is true. Reduce any bold
claim to a more believable statement.

4. Eliminate The Need To Make Decisions

Try to structure your selling process so prospective customers do
not have to make decisions. Every decision they have to make
interrupts the buying process. It diverts their attention away
from the action of completing the sale.

This can be especially hazardous when customers have difficulty
making a clear choice among several options. Some will avoid the
risk of making a wrong choice by making NO choice ...and you lose
a sale you already had.

That's why you should promote only one product or service each
time you advertise. You can use separate promotions for each
product or service. But limit your prospect's decision to only
"Yes, I will buy" or "No, I will not buy". Don't risk losing them
over a "Which One" decision.

Tip: Sometimes you can successfully combine 2 or more related
products or services into a special combination offer. But limit
your customer's decision to "Yes" or "No". Don't include an
option to buy the items separately.

Prospective customers must feel good about you, your company and
your product or service before they will buy. Start using these 4
simple tactics to stimulate their good feelings and motivate them
to buy.

-----------------------------------------

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new
customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of
his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple
Postcards and several other publications to help small businesses
grow and prosper. For more information: Email: BobLeduc@aol.com
Subject: "Postcards" or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific
Time/Las Vegas, NV

-----------------------------------------

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--------------------------------

6. "The Last Word"

--------------------------------

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is
trying to please everybody."

.................. Bill Cosby

--------------------------------

---------------------------------

7. "Your Subscription Details"

---------------------------------

Read the previous Digest here ...
http://adcopywriting.com/digest/113.htm

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PLEASE forward this newsletter to friend. Thank You:-)

........(c) 2004 Joe Robson. All rights reserved

---------------------------------