3 Copywriting Tips - How To Edit For Mass Appeal
by Daniel Levis
Published on this site: June 13th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
Web copy that's intended to sell or generate leads needs to quickly
reach out and grab attention and build rapport with a target audience.
You can connect with your audience more effectively if you understand
something about how people process information, and how they think.
Every one of us is constantly sorting, distorting, and generalizing
what we perceive, just to stay sane.
As a result, different people see the world differently. You probably
want to appeal to as many of them within your target market as possible.
Here are three simple tips you can use when it comes to editing
your web copy.
- An idea can be made to appeal to more people if it is expressed
in both a positive (moving toward), and a negative (moving away
from) fashion.
Look how it's done in this famous lead "TWO YEARS FROM NOW,
your business could easily be worth 2.5 to 25 times what it's
worth today Or you could fall into the list of business also-rans"
Some people are motivated by the desire for gain, and others by
the fear of loss. With a statement like this, it doesn’t
matter which, you're speaking their language either way.
Another great example of this is in the life insurance industry.
Rather than try to force a square peg into a round whole, the
insurance companies came up with the idea of "cash value".
Now the sales pitch could be reframed to appeal to both types
of people. Those that moved toward pleasure could be sold on the
idea of early retirement, and those that moved away from pain
could be sold on the more traditional idea of income protection.
- The second idea is internal versus external frame of reference.
Some people do things because they see others doing them. Some
people want to relate things to their own experience. The former
is impressed by testimonials and success stories, while the latter
is moved by deductive reasoning, analogy, and metaphor. You can
see this requires two very different kinds of selling.
Here's another way to look at internal versus external orientation.
The internally directed person values a sense of achievement while
the externally directed person values recognition. Two sides to
the same coin.
So you might say in your copy, "Picture the smiles of appreciation
your family will reward you with when they begin to enjoy the
new lifestyle this knowledge can afford you. Imagine the sense
of achievement, and how confident you'll become!"
The first sentence appeals to an external bias, while the second
one targets an internal bias.
- And the third tip is to use phrases that appeal to multiple
modes of perception in your copy. Like everyone else, you perceive
the world with a bias toward seeing (visual), hearing (auditory),
or feeling (kinesthetic). Naturally your copy will reflect this
bias. By going back through it and editing it to include all three
biases, you will connect with more readers.
I am a very visual person, so I might write something like, "
You've got a clear view of it in your mind's eye now, don't you?
Suddenly, it appears you'll make your decision." I might
go back and edit this passage to include a mix of the modalities.
Perhaps "This is really resonating (auditory) with you now
isn't it? You've grasped (kinesthetic) all of the important points
and you can see (visual) your choice."
By understanding people's patterns of perception, and how they
view the world, you can make more of them feel comfortable when
they arrive at your website. Your sales message will click with
more buyers, and you'll see more sales!
“. . . anywhere is the center of the world.” Black Elk,
Sioux Medicine Man.
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct
response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel &
world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to
co author “Million Dollar Online Advertising Strategies –
From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!”, a tribute
to the late, great Robert Collier. Let the legendary Robert Collier
show you how to write
words that sell Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters!
http://www.Advertising-Online-Strategies.com/ad-strategies.html
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