seanmccool.com » copywriting

How Copywriters Can Write a Great Opening Sentence – Sample 1

sean — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:56:12 +0000

Hello Copywriters and marketers!

Thought you might like some ideas on how write great opening sentences for your promotional or direct response copy. So, I’m going to do a series of very short posts that offer some great opening lines.

Where do we find great opening lines?

Great writers of course. But not just copywriters. We can learn from all the great writers that have come before us.

So here’s today’s sample opening line:

“It was now lunch time and they were all sitting under the double green fly of the dining tent pretending that nothing had happenned.”

Ooooooh. I wonder what did happen.See how that works? It makes you want to read more. And that’s all the first line of your copy is supposed to do.

This is a classic curiosity and mystery hook. It’s the very first sentence in the classic short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Ernest Hemingway.

How could you add a little mystery and curiosity to your next opening line?

So long for now,

Sean

Create Killer Content in Your Next Promotion

sean — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:20:48 +0000

As a direct response copywriter, I have a lot of competition. Because of the internet boom over the past two decades, anyone with a computer can market themselves as a copywriter. There are dozens of internet courses out there on how to make money in your living room. People looking for a quick career feel like they can jump into my industry and immediately take off.

As a direct response copywriter, how can I possibly stand out from the crowd? More importantly, how can you, a fellow copywriter, stand out from the crowd? Think about your niche.

The task can be daunting. However, there is one key that will set you over and above everyone else.

How? Thankfully, this key is very simple and easy to understand. What you learn here can and should be applied to any writing you do. However, it will take work on your part.

So what is it you should be doing?

All you need to do is take time to…

Research.

What writer do you admire? Who do you wish to be like? I can guarantee you the best copywriters aren’t at the top due to their page layouts. It’s not about how they organize their outline, though that’s important. It’s not even about the clients they land… It’s about why their clients were impressed with them in the first place.

It’s about their content.

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but your clients won’t keep you around if you don’t produce quality copy. You won’t land new and better clients if you don’t produce quality copy.

And the only way to get good content is to research. Research. Research. There is no shortcut. (In fact, I am so sold on the importance of research, that I employ a full time salaried researcher on my staff.)

I’m not going to lie to you. Researching for a promo or an article can sometimes be a chore. Often half to three-fourths (or more) of the time it takes to write a good promo or article is just research.

I have some tips for you to help you through the process. The first is a general rule of thumb that will help expand your mind a little bit. Then I’ll tell you about some ways to get started and where to look for good information.

Be well read.

Read as much as you can get your hands on. Subscribe to magazines in your niche. Read the newspaper, and clip articles. Subscribe to as many good blogs as you can on your subject.

For example, I am a financial direct response copywriter. I subscribe to quite a few financial magazines, such as the Wall Street Journal. I have several bookshelves full of marketing books, copywriting books, books on psychology, books on business, etc. And I have read every book on my shelf, cover-to-cover. I keep a couple dozen three-ring binders from various classes and seminars I’ve taken as well.

Don’t limit yourself to your niche, either. Read broadly. This will give you a great base of information stored in your head. This information will help form your writing, and strengthen your thoughts and ideas. Our brain is a lot faster and more efficient than Google. I can’t tell you how many times a winning idea for a promo stemmed from something unrelated I had read weeks, months or even years before.

As far as the actual researching goes, here is the basic system I use.

General – Google and Wikipedia

First, I google. I search for the topic I’m writing on. I look up what’s been written on my client and their competitors. I research other investment types. I try to get a broad understanding of the subject at hand.

I know I mentioned Wikipedia, but never use it as a direct source. The information it gives is often invaluable, but many consider it unreliable.

The way I use Wikipedia is to gain general information. If they have a statistic or interesting piece of information, look in the footnotes to see where they got it. Also, at the end of every article is a list of of references and external links. Most of the time, those will be authoritative and quotable resources.

My goal at this point is to develop a broad understanding of the subject, while collecting quality websites I can refer to later.

Narrow it down

Go back to those websites, and poke around a little bit. Where do they link? What other articles do they have on the subject? Many websites of a search bar. Search for your topic within the quality website.

Also, I often expand my research beyond Google. Granted, depending on your topic, you may not have to do this. But, if you need good, quality sources for your information, don’t limit yourself to normal search engines.

Most libraries have electronic resources for your use as well. Also, the Library of Congress has a wealth of information at your disposal. I have found these to be invaluable. Often the electronic sources lead to scholarly data and journals which are a lot more authoritative than what’s on the first page of Google.

Speaking of the Library of Congress, look at other government websites. Almost every branch of government has a section where you can look up data they’ve collected. They can be a lot to go through, but they will provide authoritative statistics and data almost no one will refute.

Collect

Bookmark anything interesting you find. Keep a file going of quotes and data. Be sure to document where you found it, so you go back to the source when needed. The goal is to collect as much information as you can.

Your content is only as good as the data behind it. This goes for any type of writing you do. It is very important for me, as a direct response copywriter, to have up-to-date, valid information backing up my claims. It is just as important for you to back up your writings with solid research.

The Least Used, Most Powerful Research Source on the Planet

Lastly, I wanted to talk about what was once the most valued source of information in America. Before Wikipedia, Google, and the Internet, this source provided the information for children’s school reports and professional writers alike. Even today, this now-neglected source often has better, more reliable, and more specific information than what is readily available on the Internet.

When was the last time you looked through your local library while working on a project?

I mentioned electronic resources at the library before, but that’s not what I’m talking about. When was the last time you looked through the shelves? When was the last time you pulled a hard cover encyclopedia out of the reference section?

Often the best sources for my promos weren’t found on any website. Let me give you two examples.

I’m currently finishing up a promotion which details the affect of the Baby Boomers on the current economy. The vast majority of my statistics and quotes came from one source: Boomer Nation, The Largest and Richest Generation Ever, and How It Changed America by Steve Gillon. A fascinating read. You should read it. Look for it in your local library. That’s where I found it.

I’m also working on a promotion dealing with American manufacturing. I wanted to give an overview of American industry, and how it’s been leading up to today’s economy. While walking around the reference section, I made quite a find: the Development of the Industrial U.S.

It’s a great encyclopedia focused on the subject of my promotion. And in the first pages was a timeline on the history of industry in the U.S., going all the way back to pre-colonial America.

Go out of your way

My point is, be willing to go out of your way to find quality information. Learn as much as you can about your topic at hand from as many sources as possible. Great copy can only come from quality sources. And you have to seek out those sources like they’re gold.

If you guys have other go-to places for research, let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new ways to strengthen my writing, so any tips you have are greatly appreciated.

-Sean

P.S. – Here’s a link to another article titled “The Anti-Writing Secret I Learned on My Way to Becoming a Six-Figure Writer” I wrote for AWAI on the topic of reading as part of writing. Afterall, as I mention above, reading is really just research.

The Power of Words

sean — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:19:04 +0000

Are you using words for good or for evil?

The Power of Words…

This morning, I read an article that got my mind going in a little different direction.

I won’t bore you with all the details here, but it did get me to pull out some of my oldest surviving writings. These writings date all the way back to my Senior year in high-school – 1988.

Let me paint the scene…

Each day, as we entered class, there would be on the chalk board (not White Board) a writing prompt. October 27th 1988 was the prompt “Words.”

Here’s one of the two pages I wrote that day… unedited and unchanged since that day…

The Power of Words

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me?

How can this be? Every year year, new and advanced weapons are made to defend and to conquer. More powerful and more deadly. I must however tell you that the most powerful weapon of all was invented to help not to harm… WORDS!

The power of words is beyond their own very being. Nothing can slice at human emotions, pride and honor so swiftly and deadly as words.

We must remember this, but remember too that o other device can bring so much joy, peace and exhortation as a simple word.

Think about it.

So, that’s it. I’ll post the second page tomorrow called “Types of Words”

Have a great day!

Creating Customer Relationships (Part 8 of 19)

sean — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 21:25:10 +0000

How Direct Response Marketing Fulfills the idea of Creating Relationships

Today’s insight is so simple and so straightforward, I’m not sure how to expand it.

I mean we all know this truth backwards and forwards… we just choose not to do it.

Perhaps it’s by neglect, perhaps by choice, perhaps because we “just don’t have the time.”

But I can tell you the most successful direct marketers I know are good at this thing.

What is the thing?

It’s the 8th thing that direct marketing legend Lester Wunderman says “All Successful Direct Marketing Companies Know.”

It’s this:

8. Create Relationships

Relationships continue to grow – encounters do not.The better the buyer-seller relationship, the greater the profit.

That’s a pretty big promise, don’t you think?

Let’s face it, we all know this is true but why don’t we do it?

As I alluded to above, I think we just get too busy on “more profitable” things.

But seriously, is there anything more profitable than a satisfied customer? Anything?

I don’t think so.

Consider this…

If a new customer costs you $500 then if he buys one time, that $500 expenses goes against your profits.

But what if that same customer now buys a second time? The cost of acquiring that customer just fell in half… and your profits jumped considerably on the second sale.

As I said, this is common sense. It ain’t easy to grow customer relationships, but it is profitable.

You see, that’s what makes direct response marketing and copywriting so powerful…

The original transaction was more than likely more like a conversation than an announcement. After all, that is what great direct response advertising and copywriting does – it engages the prospective customer in a dialogue of sorts.

Therefore, it is only natural to continue that conversation. And like any relationship, the more you engage the more it grows. But the flip side is that the more you ignore the relationship the faster it will dissolve.

I mean think about it…

How many “Best Friends” have we let slip away because we just got too busy to send a note or pick up the phone?

So the question becomes, What could you do in your business starting today to strengthen and extend your customer relationships?

Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:

Send hand written thank you cards after a purchase.
Send relevant interesting articles to them by email with no sales pitch
Start a blog and encourage feedback on issues relating to your customers and your business
Send a note to your customers about one of your customer’s businesses
and many more…

Once you start looking for these ideas and ways to connect and grow the customer relationship, you’ll see opportunities everywhere.

I challenge you to list three ways in the comments below about how you could grow your customer relationships…

Advertising Must Change Behavior, Not Just Attitudes (Part 5 of 19)

sean — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:34:56 +0000

Copywriting and Direct Response Marketing Legend Lester Wunderman Reveals Another Truth About Advertising

We’ve been talking about Lester Wunderman’s “19 Things All Successful Direct Marketers Know.” And I am amazed that despite his success more people do not put his name in the same realm as Ogilvy.

Wunderman was responsible for many firsts in our industry and his book Being Direct is worth a read by every serious copywriter, marketing director and business owner.

One of the things Wunderman said was that “Advertising Must Change Behavior, Not Just Attitudes.”

He went on to elaborate it like this:

“Favorable consumer attitudes go only part of the way to creating sales. It’s also the consumer’s accountable actions such as inquiries, product trials, purchases and repurchases that create profits.”

Truer words were never spoken.

Let me see if I can give you an example…

From time to time, I like to drink a beer or two. I don’t keep it stocked at the house and because I am not a regular drinker, I am not necessarily loyal to one brand.

However, I do watch a good bit of College football on the weekends (Go DAWGS!) and therefore see lots of beer commercials. So when I do go to the store I have “attitudes” or an image towards certain beer brands.

For instance I love the many entertaining Budweiser and Bud-light commercials. And recently, Miller light also has some entertaining commercials. So, my attitude towards these brands is that they are “fun.”

And while I am entertained, and while my “attitude” towards Budweiser is positive, I never buy Budweiser.

However, I tend to be sold by the Sam Adams commercials. One in particular stands out is when they pointed out the fact that light ages beer – that’s why it is in dark bottles. But then Sam Adams took it a step further by pointing out that they make their 6-pack carriers taller to “keep out more light.”

Made sense to me and influenced my attitude in such a way that I took action… I changed my behavior from sitting on the couch drinking coke or sweet tea during a game to having a Sam Adams.

Interestingly, I still enjoyed the Budweiser commercials while drinking my Sam Adams.

Make sense? Can you see the difference in an attitude towards a company or product compared to an accountable action?

I bet if you were to look around right now, you could find one item that you took action on buying and then think about a similar product that you have a favorable “attitude” towards but did not take action. What made the difference?

Feel free to share your example of attitude vs behavior in the comments below…

Ask Your Way to Copywriting Success-Part 2

sean — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:20:17 +0000

14 More Ways to Ask Your Way to Copywriting and Sales Success

In part one of this two part series I said that copywriting simply stated is, “Salesmanship in Print.”

So you can use the following tools in both your writing and in your verbal sales presentations. They also work small miracles in everyday negotiations.

But a word of warning, these are very powerful and should be used with care.

Don’t you agree that having this kind of power should be used for good and not evil? If so, then you just experienced the mind steering power of what we in sales call an “inverted tie-down.”

I think it’s easier for you to see these than for me to try and explain them…

You’d like to see them wouldn’t you?

Then here’s a list:

Can’t you get excited about…?
Do you see the value of…?
Can you see the benefit of…?
Wouldn’t it be terrific if…?
Aren’t you glad that…?
Doesn’t it make sense to…?
Don’t you agree that…?
Isn’t it going to be fun when…?
Isn’t it about time that…?
Doesn’t it give you the confidence to know…?
Wouldn’t it be great to save money by…?
Isn’t it good to know…?
Isn’t it worth considering…?
Don’t you see why so many people are excited about…?

And on and on the list goes…

Fact is, you can turn just about any statement into an inverted tie down. The question you might have is “Why should I?” And that’s a fair question. After all, I promised you copywriting success in the headline of this post. And the best way for you as a copywriter or marketing director to start using these inverted tie downs is to understand why they work.

It’s simple. Whenever you ask a question in which you know the answer is yes, you are getting commitment from the client on a subconscious level. The more minor yeses you can get the easier the big yes of ordering becomes.

It’s basic psychology that we as humans tend to reaffirm decisions we’ve already made. We like to be consistent even if the consistency is irrational.

WHOA NELLY! I’m getting into a whole new post now so I’ll just end this little copywriting lesson right here.

But before you go, go ahead and leave your comments below…

Ask Your Way to Copywriting Success – Part 1

sean — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:52:19 +0000

How to ask your way to copywriting success…

Claude Hopkins said that copywriting is “Salesmanship in print.”

If that’s true and I believe it is, then doesn’t it makes sense to include a few proven sales techniques in your writing?

If you write copy, have a business with any type of print or online advertising or even if you do all your selling face to face…

Then I believe this post will be very valuable to you – if you use it.

I am going to give you some very useful tools that you can use in your writing and even in your everyday life to help you persuade more people more often. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

What you are about to see is what’s called a tie-down. A tie-down is a question at the end of a statement that demands a “yes” from the person your are talking or writing to.

Here are a list of 19 proven tie downs you can use in your copywriting or conversation. The more you use them the easier they are to use, make sense?

…aren’t they?
…aren’t you?
…can’t you?
…couldn’t you?
…couldn’t it?
…doesn’t it?
…don’t you agree?
…don’t you?
…don’t we?
…shouldn’t it?
…wouldn’t it?
…haven’t they?
…fair enough?
…right or wrong? (this one you ask it in such a way to get the answer you want)
…isn’t that right?
…make sense?
…didn’t they?
…won’t you?
…wasn’t it?

That’s a pretty good list, wouldn’t you agree?

You can see how you might use these in your copy, can’t you?

I know ENOUGH!

Of course, like any good technique, you don’t want to over use it but I think you’ll find it kinda fun to use these phrases from time to time.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for copywriting tips today. But check out this same category for Part two where I’ll give you some “inverse tie-downs.”

Fun, fun, fun!

Your comments?

“You’ve been selected”

sean — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:48:48 +0000

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS ABOUT TO BE REWARDED.

That is the envelope teaser copy for the latest American Express credit card offer.

Now I don’t know how they got their list, but for me, that emotion is dead on.

They hit me right between the eyes.

Maybe it was luck, but even so, I bet it is a strong resident emotion in many people.

Here’s what I mean…

For years, I’ve struggled with my credit and made my fair share of dumb mistakes and have been, at times, flat out irresponsible. But over the last 7 years or so, I’ve tried much harder to be more… wait for it… “responsible” with my credit – and American Express noticed!!

Now this appeal would not work coming from most credit card companies but from American Express, now that’s something that they would notice.

So, I rip open the envelope – even though as a copywriter, I know I’ve just been sold.

Here is the first ine of copy… and all I really needed to read:

Dear Mr. McCool,

Managing your finances wisely is an important skill. Not everyone can do it, but you’ve demonstrated that you can. And that has earned you some important privileges.

Now to be honest, the rest of the letter is a little weak… they get into features and some 1st level benfits but they don’t ever tie those benefits back to the opening emotion…

But the opening line is soooo strong, I almost don’t care. And in fact, if I wasn’t looking to buy a house soon, I would have signed the application immediately.

So, would you like to see the letter for yourself?

It’s a rather large file about 3.5MB but just click on the link below to get it:

American Express Direct Mail Offer

Could you make the card features and benefits Stronger? If so, show us in the comments…

Can You Name This Copywriting Master?

sean — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:16:34 +0000

Today, I am borrowing some inspiration from one of the masters of copywriting and direct response.

However, it’s one of the masters I never hear anyone talk about.

Yet he is responsible for some very big breakthroughs in our industry.

So here’s the deal…

I’m going to give you some of his accomplishments and his quotes and you tell me who this little-known master is.

All right?

Let’s get going…

He is considered by some as the father of direct marketing, to whom we owe the household name status of the American Express Card, the creation of the Columbia Record Club (the first successful forced continuity program) and the high profile of L.L. Bean.

He is responsible for creating those annoying but effective subscription cards that fall out of your magazines. He founded the first “virtual store”. He introduced pre-printed newspaper inserts and convinced Time, Inc to use an 800 number to sell their magazines.

Twenty-five years before anyone ever even heard of the internet, in a now famous speech at MIT, he described the sales relationship of the future as “interactive.”

Finally, here is his list of

“19 Things All Successful Direct Marketing Companies Know”

Direct Marketing is a Strategy, Not a Tactic
The Consumer, Not the Product, Must Be the Hero
Communicate With Each Customer or Prospect as an Audience of One
Answer the Question “Why Should I”
Advertising Must Change Behavior, Not Just Attitudes
The Next Step: Profitable Advertising
Build the “Brand Experience”
Create Relationships
Know and Invest in Each Customer’s Lifetime Value
“Suspects” Are Not “Prospects”
Media Is a Contact Strategy
Be accessible to Your Customers
Encourage interactive Dialogues
Learn the Missing “When?”
Create an Advertising Curriculum That Teaches as It Sells
Acquire Customers with the Intention to Loyalize Them
Loyalty Is a Continuity Program
Your share of Loyal Customers, Not Your Share of Market, Creates Profits
You Are What You Know

Whew! That’s a lot of stuff for one blog post.

So, here’s what we are going to do if you don’t mind coming back…

Over the next month, I am going to do my best to break down each of the 19 things above into a new post. A few may get combined into one post, we’ll just have to see how it goes.

However, what I need from you right now is your feedback on who it is that came up with this list. Any ideas? Any guesses?

Also let me know which of the “19 things” you find most interesting and why.

Or, is there one you disagree with?

Leave your comments below…

Later,

McCool

A Sign of Things To Come?

sean — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:12:44 +0000

As a financial copywriter for the largest financial newsletter publisher on the planet, I am always reading about what’s going on in the markets.

Today this story caught my attention:

——————

Daimler to pull shares off New York Stock Exchange

Daimler AG to pull its shares from New York Stock Exchange, citing low trading volume

From AP newswire On Friday May 14, 2010, 8:54 am EDT

DETROIT (AP) — German car maker Daimler AG says it will pull its shares from the New York Stock Exchange because of low trading volumes and changing investor behavior.

The maker of Mercedes-Benz and Smart automobiles said Friday that the move also will reduce the complexity of its financial reporting.

The company says it informed the stock exchange of its plans and will ask the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to delist the shares.

Daimler says most trading is done electronically through Frankfurt, Germany. The company says fewer than 5 percent of the company’s shares were traded in New York.

The move means Daimler will no longer have to file reports with the SEC. But the company said it still will keep open communications with U.S. investors.

Here is a link to the story… http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Daimler-to-pull-shares-off-apf-116925595.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=5&asset=&ccode=

————————————

My questions are…

Is this the beginning of a larger trend for foreign companies?

Is it really about low trading volume or could it be more about regulation and government interference in business?

Either way, it’s something you should keep an eye on if you own any stocks that are foreign based companies.

I know as a financial copywriter it gives me a few ideas.

I’d love to hear what you think about this by leaving a comment below…

Later,

McCool