Copy Tip 31: Opening Formulas
This is where I love the nature of the internet to be able to share resources without having to re-hash the same content for you!
On one of my favourite free online business resource sites that I revealed in Copy Tip 16, Daniel Levis recently posted two articles on riveting opening body copy:
- 5 Proven Ways To Get Started; and the sequel,
- 5 More Proven Ways To Nail Those All-Important First Few Paragraphs.
The ten strategies that Daniel covers are:
- You Have a Choice — a choice between staying where you are (the status quo), or taking action and getting successful results;
- The Genie Within You — unlocking knowledge you already possess (the product will reveal how to do that);
- Do You Know This? — If you don’t know the answers to these questions that you should know, you won’t get the results you’re after … the product will provide the answers;
- Winners and Losers — and the difference between the two is owning your product!;
- Let Me Tell You The Story — a concept we’ve covered in our Copy Tips — the power of story telling to get your readers into your copy
- Opening with a Damaging Admission — again, another concept we’ve covered — grab attention and trust by admitting something your reader wouldn’t expect you to say — great for believability;
- The If/Then Opening — I love using this one — qualifying with the “if” section, and agitating a problem (“if you’re sick and tired of __________, then _____________”) — and the “then” section promises a strong benefit / the outcome your prospect is looking for (by reading your copy);
- Make A Prediction — as Daniel says, ” by taking a topical happening, making a prediction about how it will play out, and relating that outcome to your reader”
- Emotional Release opening — identify the main problem your reader needs solving and really agitate what that problem is doing to their life. You’re showing a lot of empathy for their situation, and this helps to get them hooked on your copy;
- Will You Do Me A Favour? Opening — As Daniel points out, I’ve seen this many times in Robert Collier examples — this is very much connected to the “puppy dog close”: take the puppy home for a week to “try it out”, and if you don’t like it, just bring it back. But how could you resist doing that?! There’s a strong element of reciprocity in here too — helping to get readers to comply to future requests you make of them, because you’re giving them something now of value (and they feel obliged later to return the favour).
You should read Daniel’s two articles, as he goes into some great detail and examples about each of these opening formulas.
Sharing Resources — Dangerous?
So for me to point out someone else’s expert published content, I’m using the power of leverage … referencing and using “other people’s content” to help demonstrate valuable information I want to get across to you.
You may be thinking to yourself though why I’d do this? Wouldn’t I be better off writing it up myself and not “exposing” my sources? Doesn’t that mean you’d then just go to the source and have no need to come to this site?
Couldn’t you just bypass my content?
When you look at what’s going on, I don’t think that’s how most people will approach it.
Instead, there’s another thought process that takes place: “Hey, Dean shares with me some great free resources, I’ll keep a tab on what he says to see what else he’ll share with me.”
Or something like that!
The benefit of leverage for me is not having to re-create something that’s already been well said — and for you the advantage is more the time saving in tracking down the “good stuff”.
For me, this is part of my day-to-day life. My resources and references are quite varied and I really get immersed in this kind of content.
You might not spend anywhere near that time — for good reasons — doing the same thing.
Also, pointing out one of my resources still implies — which is completely true — that there are lots of other useful resources I’d probably know of, use and learn from too in my professional life.
You’d be right if you made that assumption. My knowledge has come from dozens and dozens of sources over a VERY long time — I was earning money before I was even old enough to go to school!
I’m also happy enough to admit that I’m a constant student — studying marketing, psychology, persuasion, story telling, copywriting, professional sales and presentation, design and usability … topics I love!
So if you didn’t keep on following the tips, then you’d likely miss out on these other resources, as well as other lessons of my own to share and tips and advice I’ve put to good use on dozens and probably hundreds of client marketing, copywriting and public relations projects over many years.
That means to me that there’s really no danger here in sharing my resources with you … it helps me build my relationship with you, and you see that I can add value to your business, mixing in my own content with some valuable resources I’ve previously identified, evaluated and thought to be worthwhile.
Copy Tip 30: Bringing Copy To Life
Before I reveal several formulas for “openings” in your copy — I want to expand a bit on copy and rapport and bringing your copy alive on paper.
Now, in print, you can use formatting, images and graphics to help persuade — carefully selected graphics and images designed to build rapport.
Yesterday’s tip mentioned 4 ways to build rapport on paper …
- Language
- Match and Mirror
- Stuff in common
- Engage all of the human senses
Using headings, icons, images, hand-written notes, graphs, photographs … all of these elements help engage more senses, especially visual senses, to convey meaning about what you’re trying to say.
For example, if you’re an accountant, and relating to accountants, you can use a photo of you in your accountant branding to help build empathy and rapport.
Or — if I was talking about apples, you might have one of several images in mind … any of these could be in your mind — the company called Apple, a red apple, a green apple, or even just the word apple, not in pictures but just in lettering …
So the image someone may think of may not match what you intended — that’s where a photograph or image helps keep your reader in tune with your message … helping to bring your copy alive.
There are other advantages of images, but that’s for a later post!
Using headings, hand-written graphics, CAPITALS and other formatting emphasis also can help deliver a more effective message.
Or quite often, as I see in charity direct mail, the photographs used in the mailing really help reinforce the main message … helping put you in the picture to see, hear, feel and experience what’s being explained … and to help increase the effectiveness of the message.
Better still, once you get online, you also have video and audio to help convey emotion, to help deliver an effective message.
We’ll spend quite a bit of time covering formatting in your copy — but for now just consider that it’s not just the words themselves in your copy and can build rapport, create empathy and achieve other important results for you.
Copy Tip 29: Overcoming Rapport Obstacles
Well, having been “in transit” back home after a break — and then sorting out the office to kick off the new year — my copy tips are behind, so this week is for catching back up!
Our last copy tip last week was about Rapport … establishing rapport to build a stronger relationship, to
be more persuasive!
After all — we MUST persuade our prospects to take action! So everything we do to be more persuasive is a good thing.
And after I mentioned building rapport via stories I promised to talk about overcoming perceived hurdles of building rapport on paper.
And that’s where we’re at today!
Here’s 4 ways you can build rapport on paper …
- Language
The more you use the language and even the slang of your prospects, the more you’ll connect to them … they’ll perceive you to be more like them and that’ll make you more likeable. Be careful though — YOUR technical terms can turn off a prospect if it’s not focused on them.
Case in point: recently I listened to a speaker talking about a fairly new form of investment. I nearly switched off when he started talking in “tech-speak” — decaying returns, and other fancy mumbo-jumbo words that he understood, but most of the audience did not. So make sure it’s “language” and common phrases the audience speaks! For example, in some categories on eBay, you often see abbreviations like “NIB” — the prospect most likely knows this means “New In Box”.
- Match and Mirror
In person, it seems a lot easier to use this NLP technique to build rapport: by physically matching and mirroring your prospect’s tone, breathing, standing/seated position, they way they hold their arms, how loud/soft they are … without it being an obvious attempt to copy/mimic them.
But you CAN also do this to an extent on paper. You can write in short sentences. Or long ones. Be exiciting. Breathless. You can even write short messages sometimes (depending on your vehicle, you might have no choice!) … it’s another way, along with language, of being more like your prospect. The more you research them, the more you can use this technique to build rapport. Sure, it’s easier to do in person (or on the phone), but you can also successfully get rapport this way on paper.
- Stuff In Common
Just as you’d say it in person, on paper you can also relate more closely to your prospect when you share common experiences. For example, you — like your prospect — might be an accountant. Or a frustrated boat owner. Or someone who has holidayed in France. You might have similar interests, hobbies, geographical connections (understanding city life, rural life, isolation, suburbia etc). - Engage their senses
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) offers a model for the way people perceive experiences — through our senses. The three main categories of representation are being Visual (“I see what you mean” — mental imagery, pictures), Auditory (“I hear what you’re saying” — sounds and speech) or Kinesthetic (“I feel the same way” — feelings). There are also taste (gustatory) and smell (olfactory) senses — however these are often considered less significant as ways we mentally process and perceive our experiences.People have a perferred dominant mode of processing experiences, usually via a Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic sense.
So what this really means is that you create content in your copy that touches on all of the human senses.
As an example, my wife Mel today read a postcard message that was trying to persuade her to attend networking events … and the main copy described how relaxing the event would be because of the lovely aroma of burning essential oils. But Mel has trouble with her ability to smell, so to her that is not very persuasive! The copy would have been more effective if it also described the benefits via other senses (the luxury feel of the soft leather couches, the soft, positive and uplifting music to help spark conversation, etc etc.
Next we’re going to look at some other proven “openings” you can use in your copy to grab your prospect’s attention!
Until then … keep smiling!
Copy Tip 28: Rapport
In our last Copy Tip I covered how using empathy helped you to build trust, because your prospect could see how your copy related to themselves … how you understand them and their situation, and feel for them.
What we’re trying to achieve with our openings is to build rapport.
An affinity with our prospect. A stronger connection in our relationship.
That stronger association gives us more chance to …
persuade our prospect and be more effective!
Now, in person, or even on the telephone, that’s easier than on paper.
Here’s two personal examples from just the last two days to show you what I mean.
Whilst on holidays a couple of days ago, my wife Mel and I met up with a prospective client at a cafe. Now we’d met before: at an event last month where I did a presentation on copywriting and persuasion.
But our meeting — as happens very commonly — starts off with some friendly, topical conversation: we don’t just dive right in to the full on details of the proposed project.
Instead, we talk about the weather. Finding the cafe. How close by our prospective client lives to where we are having lunch. How our holidays have been.
Nothing of that is concocted or orchestrated … it’s a natural way of building rapport and likeability — personal, non-sales based conversation that builds up our relationship.
We can directly observe and listen to what’s going on, so we can use those observations to build a stronger connection.
(Those observations can cover physiology, language and more — we’ll cover more of this in later copy tips).
Another example — I was on the phone yesterday again to a prospective client about a potential project. In this case it wasn’t someone I knew personally: he’d been referred to me by a common marketing mentor we both share.
Did we jump right in?
No.
Again, the conversation naturally started with something topical: in this case, how the Aussies had just won the third cricket test against South Africa in Sydney (sports news less than two hours old). I’d seen some of the match on tv, and knew some of the newsworthy factors in how close the result had been … our conversation again was a friendly way of building rapport and getting to know each other.
It’s like going out on a date… from my experience (I can’t speak for everyone!), to be successful, it’s all about building rapport and likeability just the same … building up to bigger things. Sure, there are other elements “in play” here too, but that rapport-building component is almost always essential.
And it’s the same need to meet in our copy.
On paper, it seems a harder task, because your prospect is not sitting across the table from you in a cafe, or even on the phone with you. You cannot observer or hear them and respond.
So you’ve got to know what they’re like in advance, so your copy speaks to them directly.
That’s why your research is so critical, to understand your prospect.
You’ve still got to talk to “someone” in your copy — imagine it as a conversation with just one person. So you’ve got to make sure that conversation is with your prime prospect.
Why is the opening so important?
Your headline has already got someone’s attention enough to keep on reading. As famous copywriter Joe Sugarman points out in his book The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, now you’ve got to do everything you can to make sure they keep going.
And Joe points out that once a prospect has read 25 percent of your copy, they’ll most likely read it all.
So your opening MUST do everything possible to make sure your prospect keeps on reading!
Building rapport — and keeping the focus on your prospect — is a great way to make sure this happens. It’s essential in all of your copy, but especially so in your opening.
It means your copy relates better to your reader … they connect with you and your relationship becomes stronger.
That means you have higher levels of trust … and your powers of persuasion are stronger too.
Rapport Via A Story
One great way to connect with your prospects is with using a story.
Creating a story of someone like your prospect helps them imagine themselves in the picture (as expert persuader Kevin Hogan would say, that’s why we laugh and cry at movies). You’re building a strong connection.
There are other ways to use stories too … the story behind the product, or its research, or the way it is created.
Here’s an example of the power of a story –
The very famous and successful Wall Street Journal subscription letter (by Martin Conroy) opens with a story of two men — the story implies how useful knowledge and its application made the difference to the successful man in the story (and it implies how subscribing to the Wall Street Journal can do that for the prospect).
It starts off:
On a beautiful late spring afternoon twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college.
It’s worth tracking down and reading this famous letter! (Try this page). The story is very powerful.
It was powerful enough that it was first mailed in 1974 and continued to be mailed for 25 years.
It was responsible for earning the Wall Street Journal a BILLION DOLLARS in revenue from subscriptions.
I have some more copy tips about rapport and openings coming up soon … how to overcome the perceived hurdles of building rapport “on paper” and other proven opening formulas … stay tuned!
Copy Tip 27: Openings I
Today we’re moving from the headline of your copy into the opening.
As mentioned before, the job of every word in your copy is to get your prospects to keep reading.
Your opening does this by talking directly to your prospect from their point of view.
Remember, it’s all about THEM.
Not you.
You learned yesterday about using Emotional and Logical reasons to buy now in your copy.
You learned in the MOOVE marketing formula that you’ve got to KNOW your Market.
One of the best approaches to to remember the big “E” word.
Empathy
Empathy helps build TRUST, because you demonstrate and prove that you know what it’s like to be “in the customer’s shoes.”
You know their fears and frustrations. You know what motivates them. You express empathy for their situation.
You build trust this way, because you engage and connect with your prospect on a deeper level.
They find themselves agreeing with what you say … associating with you, knowing that you understand them.
When you do this, you’re more persuasive.
The connection and engagement you create is more intimate. Prospects are more willing to let you in because they perceive and FEEL you are on their side — you’re their advocate.
They’re hanging on what you have to say next.
You understand them … how they think, see, hear, smell, taste and touch.
When you do this … and focus on THEM, not you … your copy is at its most effective.
Okay Dean, I need to use empathy. HOW do I do this?
One of the best ways is to use words that connect you as the copy author to your prospects.
Using phrases such as:
“Just like you, I know how it feels to _______”
Words like “we” in reference to you and the reader (not in reference to you and your company!).
“If you’re anything like me, _______”
“Perhaps, like me, you have also discovered _______”
The fears, frustrations and motivations you talk about then must RESONATE with your reader.
They’ll be nodding in agreement as they read.
And you can use one of several writing “formulas” (we’ll get to these later) to present your copy.
Now you know more about using empathy!
There are several approaches to the opening of your copy that we’ll cover in the upcoming copy tips … stay tuned!