Hello again,
It's been over a week since I posted here, but that's one hazard of being busy and successful, so who's complaining?
And now those big projects we were apparently buried by are finally completed (just a few details to finish off over the weekend), I can finally turn my attention to all the other projects that currently languish half-finished on my laptop.
Which means I'll be removing all the 'Public Speaking' articles in the next day or two, as promised. Then I can get back to posting my regular copywriting, marketing and other advice and tips.
And earning a living as a copywriter!
And, very soon, those major projects that have taken so much of our time will be revealed to the waiting world, the smaller ones that have been pending will be completed and released and we can get our lives back and finally we can get back... to the next major project...
But this one won't take six months - guaranteed!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
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Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Friday, 7 March 2008
Thursday, 15 November 2007
What's the Big Idea?
Hello again
A question for you: Are you an 'ideas' person?
Me, too.
I find ideas passing through my mind at the most inopportune moments. You know the times I mean: when you're in the bath, when you're driving, when someone or something else demands your attention.
Keeping a notebook handy isn't always an option. A voice recorder is sometimes a better idea. Telling the person we're with can help us remember. I never did tie a knot in my hankie...
So, at these moments, we can sometimes be forgiven for not committing the idea to any kind of lasting medium, and so, sadly, forgetting what it was.
Because the problem with passing ideas is that they so often seem to be just that - passing into our brains on one side and straight out of our brains on the other.
Which is all the more reason why we should all remember to take notes on the occasions when we can. When it's easy, convenient and not impolite to do so. I know that, you know that, we all know that.
So why do we so often forget to do it?
Because it's such a good idea?
That would explain why the brilliant idea I had for today's blog entry is apparently lost forever!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
PS. Despite that mishap, today has been a very productive day, with a report written, our next major product a few steps nearer completion, another small project ready to send to the customer and a proposal in the air for yet another joint venture.
It keeps us busy...
And it's all such good fun!
A question for you: Are you an 'ideas' person?
Me, too.
I find ideas passing through my mind at the most inopportune moments. You know the times I mean: when you're in the bath, when you're driving, when someone or something else demands your attention.
Keeping a notebook handy isn't always an option. A voice recorder is sometimes a better idea. Telling the person we're with can help us remember. I never did tie a knot in my hankie...
So, at these moments, we can sometimes be forgiven for not committing the idea to any kind of lasting medium, and so, sadly, forgetting what it was.
Because the problem with passing ideas is that they so often seem to be just that - passing into our brains on one side and straight out of our brains on the other.
Which is all the more reason why we should all remember to take notes on the occasions when we can. When it's easy, convenient and not impolite to do so. I know that, you know that, we all know that.
So why do we so often forget to do it?
Because it's such a good idea?
That would explain why the brilliant idea I had for today's blog entry is apparently lost forever!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
PS. Despite that mishap, today has been a very productive day, with a report written, our next major product a few steps nearer completion, another small project ready to send to the customer and a proposal in the air for yet another joint venture.
It keeps us busy...
And it's all such good fun!
Thursday, 1 November 2007
Why Long Copy Works
(and why it needn't matter if it doesn't)
It seems to be a perennial debate: long copy versus short copy. But most copywriters know from experience (and from reading the copywriting gurus) that long copy far outsells short copy, especially for high-ticket items.
Why?
Well, first let's look at why short copy might sometimes be better.
Business people are busy people. They don't have time to spend reading page after page of sales material, however excitingly written, before they decide whether or not to spend a few pounds or dollars. It just isn't cost effective – their time is too precious.
They'd be better off buying something a little less than perfect than wasting that precious time.
So, for a low priced item, short copy is the way to go. In fact, it might not be worth investing in a copywriter’s fees for a low cost item. Of course, if the item sells by the million it would be worth every penny, but that's another matter.
In short copy, there's a headline, a story, an offer and a call to action. Call them by other names if you will, but they're the essential elements, and the advantage to the customer is that they know exactly what your offer is, almost at a glance.
For higher-priced items, it's different. When someone is contemplating spending a lot of money (for them) they need to be convinced it's worth it. They may take a fair bit of persuading, but the time spent - yours and theirs - will be worth it if they can save or make the value of that time, plus the price of the product, many times over.
They may not make that calculation consciously, but on some level or other they will be making a judgement on whether you're wasting their time. Even before, that is, they decide whether they'll be wasting their cash buying your product.
Which is why, perversely, it needn't matter. So long as your long copy is constructed properly they can get all the short copy benefits, while you offer all the reassurance and potential persuasiveness of long copy.
You may spend page after page extolling the virtues and numerous irresistible benefits of your product, but a hurried and harassed businessperson needs to be able to scan your copy in seconds and deduce exactly what you're offering, how it can solve their problem and the price they'll have to pay.
Then, if they're interested, they’ll go back and read in more detail. And study after study shows that while long copy outsells short copy, it's the short copy 'scanned' version that the buyer actually sees first and on which they'll most likely base their decision to buy or not buy.
So, when you produce your long copy it needs to have exactly the same elements as your short copy.
In fact, at first sight it should actually look like short copy with a lot of extra detail between the essential bits!
So, you'll need:
· a headline, emphasising the main benefit
· body copy, explaining the product and its benefits
· the offer, which is the price plus bonuses and guarantees
· the close or call to action, made as easy as possible.
Each of these elements must be highlighted with a sub-heading so the busy reader can pick them out at a glance.
And here’s the critical part: those sub-heads must tell a coherent story on their own, to get the message across to the quick-scanning reader.
Here’s how legendary John Caples put it recently: “[Long or short] depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Generally speaking the more explaining you need to do to get your reader to understand the product’s benefits fully, or the more money it costs, the longer the copy you’ll need.
In many cases, longer copy will work best. But remember, it’s not because it’s long that it works. It still needs to be brief and succinct in the sense that it packs maximum meaning and benefit into each sentence … Distil it down as much as possible without omitting any of the points … of interest to the target market …then render the copy in logical chunks prefaced with powerful, curiosity inducing sub-heads that stop skimmers and skippers, drawing them into the copy. Finally … edit your sub-heads into a logical summary of your entire sales argument.”
So the details (detailing benefits remember), the credibility-building testimonials and explanations of why this is such a terrific never to be repeated offer, etc, all fit in between these compelling sub headings.
End with a PS - the ultimate short copy summarising all the above - and there you have it - long copy that works like short copy. But better!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
PS. I’ll be giving you more tips of the copywriter’s trade right here in the days and weeks to come. But you can make sure you don’t miss a single one by subscribing to this site – it's free and the sign up is top right on this page – AND you’ll also get occasional, exclusive information for subscribers only, PLUS a member’s only free offer in the very near future. But you’ll have to subscribe to find out what that is!
It seems to be a perennial debate: long copy versus short copy. But most copywriters know from experience (and from reading the copywriting gurus) that long copy far outsells short copy, especially for high-ticket items.
Why?
Well, first let's look at why short copy might sometimes be better.
Business people are busy people. They don't have time to spend reading page after page of sales material, however excitingly written, before they decide whether or not to spend a few pounds or dollars. It just isn't cost effective – their time is too precious.
They'd be better off buying something a little less than perfect than wasting that precious time.
So, for a low priced item, short copy is the way to go. In fact, it might not be worth investing in a copywriter’s fees for a low cost item. Of course, if the item sells by the million it would be worth every penny, but that's another matter.
In short copy, there's a headline, a story, an offer and a call to action. Call them by other names if you will, but they're the essential elements, and the advantage to the customer is that they know exactly what your offer is, almost at a glance.
For higher-priced items, it's different. When someone is contemplating spending a lot of money (for them) they need to be convinced it's worth it. They may take a fair bit of persuading, but the time spent - yours and theirs - will be worth it if they can save or make the value of that time, plus the price of the product, many times over.
They may not make that calculation consciously, but on some level or other they will be making a judgement on whether you're wasting their time. Even before, that is, they decide whether they'll be wasting their cash buying your product.
Which is why, perversely, it needn't matter. So long as your long copy is constructed properly they can get all the short copy benefits, while you offer all the reassurance and potential persuasiveness of long copy.
You may spend page after page extolling the virtues and numerous irresistible benefits of your product, but a hurried and harassed businessperson needs to be able to scan your copy in seconds and deduce exactly what you're offering, how it can solve their problem and the price they'll have to pay.
Then, if they're interested, they’ll go back and read in more detail. And study after study shows that while long copy outsells short copy, it's the short copy 'scanned' version that the buyer actually sees first and on which they'll most likely base their decision to buy or not buy.
So, when you produce your long copy it needs to have exactly the same elements as your short copy.
In fact, at first sight it should actually look like short copy with a lot of extra detail between the essential bits!
So, you'll need:
· a headline, emphasising the main benefit
· body copy, explaining the product and its benefits
· the offer, which is the price plus bonuses and guarantees
· the close or call to action, made as easy as possible.
Each of these elements must be highlighted with a sub-heading so the busy reader can pick them out at a glance.
And here’s the critical part: those sub-heads must tell a coherent story on their own, to get the message across to the quick-scanning reader.
Here’s how legendary John Caples put it recently: “[Long or short] depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Generally speaking the more explaining you need to do to get your reader to understand the product’s benefits fully, or the more money it costs, the longer the copy you’ll need.
In many cases, longer copy will work best. But remember, it’s not because it’s long that it works. It still needs to be brief and succinct in the sense that it packs maximum meaning and benefit into each sentence … Distil it down as much as possible without omitting any of the points … of interest to the target market …then render the copy in logical chunks prefaced with powerful, curiosity inducing sub-heads that stop skimmers and skippers, drawing them into the copy. Finally … edit your sub-heads into a logical summary of your entire sales argument.”
So the details (detailing benefits remember), the credibility-building testimonials and explanations of why this is such a terrific never to be repeated offer, etc, all fit in between these compelling sub headings.
End with a PS - the ultimate short copy summarising all the above - and there you have it - long copy that works like short copy. But better!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
PS. I’ll be giving you more tips of the copywriter’s trade right here in the days and weeks to come. But you can make sure you don’t miss a single one by subscribing to this site – it's free and the sign up is top right on this page – AND you’ll also get occasional, exclusive information for subscribers only, PLUS a member’s only free offer in the very near future. But you’ll have to subscribe to find out what that is!
Friday, 26 October 2007
'Does a lot for charity...
... doesn't like to talk about it.'
Well, not too often, anyway. But here's a chance to blow my own trumpet that I just couldn't resist, since telling you might just persuade a few more of you to put your hands in your pockets.
Some time ago, before I seriously dreamed I'd be a professional writer, I used to contribute a lot of poems to a BBC website called Get Writing. After a while, in friendly competition with the other writers, I started writing some very short stories, too. 'Worders' are stories of between 60 and 250 words, so they're very short indeed.
Other writers did very similar things on other websites, too, including the successor to Get Writing named More Writing, Writer's Dock, editRED and MySpace. Between the various sites, probably thousands of stories were written, many of them very good.
And now, thanks to the enthusiasm and energy of Irish writer Jenni Doherty, many of those stories have been assembled, assessed and published by Derry publisher Guildhall Press.
Wonderful World of Worders is the end result. Containing no less than 525 very short stories, the volume is being sold in aid of registered charity Action With Effect, which helps destitute children throughout the world, some afflicted with leprosy, others 'merely' homeless.
At £6.95 direct from Guildhall Press' website http://www.ghpress.com/ it's a perfect gift - to yourself, to someone you love and especially to the children the charity works so hard to help.
If you got the Smashy and Nicey reference, well done. Award yourself first prize and get online to Guildhall Press http://www.ghpress.com/ right away!
Go on - you deserve it!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
PS Just the beautiful opening story, written by eight-year-old Saoirse Doherty, would make Wonderful World of Worders worth your £6.95, even if the other 524 weren't the brilliant and thought-provoking compendium they are. So don't wait, don't think about it, and don't forget I'm in there too!
PPS On the subject of charity - it's not too late to donate to MS Society following my modest success in the Great North Run (I finished!) on 30 September. The link for that is www.justgiving.com/royeveritt
Thanks
Well, not too often, anyway. But here's a chance to blow my own trumpet that I just couldn't resist, since telling you might just persuade a few more of you to put your hands in your pockets.
Some time ago, before I seriously dreamed I'd be a professional writer, I used to contribute a lot of poems to a BBC website called Get Writing. After a while, in friendly competition with the other writers, I started writing some very short stories, too. 'Worders' are stories of between 60 and 250 words, so they're very short indeed.
Other writers did very similar things on other websites, too, including the successor to Get Writing named More Writing, Writer's Dock, editRED and MySpace. Between the various sites, probably thousands of stories were written, many of them very good.
And now, thanks to the enthusiasm and energy of Irish writer Jenni Doherty, many of those stories have been assembled, assessed and published by Derry publisher Guildhall Press.
Wonderful World of Worders is the end result. Containing no less than 525 very short stories, the volume is being sold in aid of registered charity Action With Effect, which helps destitute children throughout the world, some afflicted with leprosy, others 'merely' homeless.
At £6.95 direct from Guildhall Press' website http://www.ghpress.com/ it's a perfect gift - to yourself, to someone you love and especially to the children the charity works so hard to help.
If you got the Smashy and Nicey reference, well done. Award yourself first prize and get online to Guildhall Press http://www.ghpress.com/ right away!
Go on - you deserve it!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
PS Just the beautiful opening story, written by eight-year-old Saoirse Doherty, would make Wonderful World of Worders worth your £6.95, even if the other 524 weren't the brilliant and thought-provoking compendium they are. So don't wait, don't think about it, and don't forget I'm in there too!
PPS On the subject of charity - it's not too late to donate to MS Society following my modest success in the Great North Run (I finished!) on 30 September. The link for that is www.justgiving.com/royeveritt
Thanks
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Blame Dating Direct...
... and Jon McCulloch for this post.
I'm unashamedly borrowing from Jon's excellent newsletter today because he reminded me of an analogy I'd almost totally forgotten.
Now, Jon not only writes a mean newsletter and blog (at http://www.jonmcculloch.com/), he is also a damn fine copywriter, although you probably can't afford him.
He'd say you can't afford not to hire him, but then he's very picky whom he works with and has a long waiting list, so the point is moot, you might say.
Anyway, Jon met his partner Sarah through an online dating site, and I met my wife Jacqui the same way.
Jon's point, to get to the point, is that when you post your profile on a site like Dating Direct, or any of the dozens of others, the last thing you'd think to lead with is your name, unless you're Brad Pitt, or Angelina Jolie, perhaps. I can't say I ever encountered either of them advertising on a dating site...
And yet, so many company websites begin in just that way - with their name in the headline. As Jon points out, a company website is really just a commercial version of a lonely hearts ad - where the sole purpose is to persuade likely mates to contact us, or leave us their contact details so we can do the 'chasing'. From there, we'd hope to build a relationship with the ones we like.
Put that way, it's obvious why so many apparently excellent company web sites and sales letters fail. No one wants to know your name - they want to know who you are (which is a different thing) and what you have to offer them.
Names don't come into it until you choose to say 'Hello'.
I've no idea if Jacqui would have fallen for the name 'Roy', or if Sarah would have been bowled over by 'Jonathan'.
But both Jon and I can feel pretty chuffed that we got those particular pieces of 'sales copy' spot on!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
I'm unashamedly borrowing from Jon's excellent newsletter today because he reminded me of an analogy I'd almost totally forgotten.
Now, Jon not only writes a mean newsletter and blog (at http://www.jonmcculloch.com/), he is also a damn fine copywriter, although you probably can't afford him.
He'd say you can't afford not to hire him, but then he's very picky whom he works with and has a long waiting list, so the point is moot, you might say.
Anyway, Jon met his partner Sarah through an online dating site, and I met my wife Jacqui the same way.
Jon's point, to get to the point, is that when you post your profile on a site like Dating Direct, or any of the dozens of others, the last thing you'd think to lead with is your name, unless you're Brad Pitt, or Angelina Jolie, perhaps. I can't say I ever encountered either of them advertising on a dating site...
And yet, so many company websites begin in just that way - with their name in the headline. As Jon points out, a company website is really just a commercial version of a lonely hearts ad - where the sole purpose is to persuade likely mates to contact us, or leave us their contact details so we can do the 'chasing'. From there, we'd hope to build a relationship with the ones we like.
Put that way, it's obvious why so many apparently excellent company web sites and sales letters fail. No one wants to know your name - they want to know who you are (which is a different thing) and what you have to offer them.
Names don't come into it until you choose to say 'Hello'.
I've no idea if Jacqui would have fallen for the name 'Roy', or if Sarah would have been bowled over by 'Jonathan'.
But both Jon and I can feel pretty chuffed that we got those particular pieces of 'sales copy' spot on!
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Accounting For Beginners
Well, yesterday's business (and busyness) spilled over into today, so this will be a very brief post.
Do you ever wake up in the night with a brilliant idea? No, not the ones that seem brilliant in the middle of the night but are clearly bonkers when you review them next morning; the ones that still seem to 'have legs' when you're wide awake.
How many of those have you had? Me too. How many have you actually acted upon?
No, me neither. But maybe the first stage towards acting on them is telling someone else you will act on them. Someone who'll hold you accountable if you don't.
That needs to be someone who's prepared to tell you off when you've broken a promise, not let you off with a warning.
An accountability partner is, I think, the next stage on the networking - mastermind-group road.
I'm counting on mine to help me make me make my latest 'not bonkers' idea into reality.*
It will take a while, but watch this space.
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
* That does make sense if you read it really slowly.
Do you ever wake up in the night with a brilliant idea? No, not the ones that seem brilliant in the middle of the night but are clearly bonkers when you review them next morning; the ones that still seem to 'have legs' when you're wide awake.
How many of those have you had? Me too. How many have you actually acted upon?
No, me neither. But maybe the first stage towards acting on them is telling someone else you will act on them. Someone who'll hold you accountable if you don't.
That needs to be someone who's prepared to tell you off when you've broken a promise, not let you off with a warning.
An accountability partner is, I think, the next stage on the networking - mastermind-group road.
I'm counting on mine to help me make me make my latest 'not bonkers' idea into reality.*
It will take a while, but watch this space.
Roy Everitt, Writing For Results
* That does make sense if you read it really slowly.
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