12 Copywriting Tips to Make Your Advertising More Profitable

Year after year people make the same mistakes in direct-response copy and advertising. You can avoidthe most common and costly blunders by following these profit-enhancing tips...

1. WRITE IN DIRECT RESPONSE LANGUAGE:

* Use short paragraphs and short words. This articlehas 68% short words-five letters or less. Strive forat least 65%-75%. Never go under 50% unless you arewriting to Ph.D's.

* Make your sentences and paragraphs flow like a breeze.

* Ignore good grammar when you have a good reason.

* Keep the bucket brigade going: Start paragraphs withAnd, But..., So you see..., However...

* Use the freshest concepts and the most colorful languageyou can without disturbing the flow.

* Use hot words: free, profit, new, now, secret, easy, save, guarantee, today... and the hottest word of all: YOU!

* Use bullets... lots of them.

2. WRITE LOTS OF HEADLINES.

Always think up dozens of alternative headlines. Put your strongest benefits in them and test your best alternatives. When writing headlines for web sites make sure they include key search words and phrases along with the benefits.

3. DROP THE WARM-UPS...

You'll destroy your entire letter/ad by starting off, "As a homeowner, you know how maintenace costs are climbing every day...". Take your first draft and try cutting out the first two to three paragraphs... you'll usually find the real "meat" starts to appear in your copy after you have started to "warm-up" to the writing.

4. STAND OUT.

Separate yourself from the competition as clearly as you can. Discover, isolate, and dramatize all the reasons for doing business wity you...today..., instead of your competitor. Build your entire package or ad around these reasons (benefits).

5. SELL BENEFITS, NOT FEATURES.

Readers don't buy products or features of products. They buy the benefits-of-use of the product or features. Be humble enough to realize that a buyer will not give you one red cent for any product or feature until you convert the features into benefits-of-use.

6. LEARN TO GIVE.

Most advertisers and charities think of direct response strictly as a device to "get". Unfortunately, most readers also want to get. So, to succeed, you must adopt a "give" attitude... beyond what you offer in the product or service. Give them something immediately in your ad, your letter, your web page. Give them news, business tips, interesting stories, resources, freebies, special deals.

7. USE TESTIMONIALS.

They're proof that you're as good as you say you are, and that you'll do what you say will do. Like...

"I increased profits by $100,000 last year using your services..." Joe Smith, President, Smith Corporation

The more specific the testimonial the more power it has. Give full attributions whenever possible. Testimonials give you believability and credibility. You can't do successful direct-response without these two essential factors.

8. OFFER A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.

Whatever you are selling, make sure you offer a money-back guarantee. It's a critical factor in getting someone to send in their money to someone they don't know or maybe never heard of.

9. CREDIT CARDS, TOLL FREE NUMBERS.

Credit card purchases and toll-free "800" numbers can increase your response by as much as 50%. If you're on the web make sure you opt for secure on-line transmission (SSL) of credit card orders... or allow other means for your customer to provide theircredit information to you.

10. ASK FOR ACTION.

It's amazing how often otherwise good copy never gets around to asking for the order. If you don't ask for action... you won't get any.

11. BUDGET YOUR TIME.

Devote about one third of your writing time to the lead elements, headline, subheads, teasers, opening paragraphs.

12. KEEP CURRENT.

Direct-response is more scientific than other types of advertising. Like any fast-moving science, it has it's discoveries daily. This is especially true of writing for the Internet/World Wide Web. Subscribe to industry trade journalssuch as Target Marketing, DM News, Direct, and other relevant publications.

(C) Copyright 2004-05 Thom Reece All Rights Reserved

Thom Reece is the CEO of On-Line Marketing Group, a direct response marketing agency with headquarters in Hawaii. He is the creator of the Online Marketing Resource Center [ http://www.e-comprofits.com ] & the major portal for the network marketing industry- MaxxMLM.com [ http://www.MaxxMLM.com ].

Thom canbe reached by email at: thom@e-comprofits.com or by phone at: 1-808-929-7377

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Copywriting Information:

Related Articles

How You Can Become A Freelance Business Plan Writer
As with any business, becoming a freelance business plan writer can be a challenge. The first challenges involve factors such as cash flow, getting clients, and maintaining some sort of order.
Getting Paid for Your Articles
If you've been writing web articles to help promote your business, you may also wonder if you can write articles and get paid for it. What type of articles will land you some extra cash, and what control do you have over the resubmission of your content once you hand it over to the editors?Type 1.
Better Copy: The Interview is the Key
Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy our service, product or idea. Here is how to create powerful marketing copy to make your job easier: INTERVIEW YOURSELF.
Are Long Copy Salesletters Scams?
A passionate debate is currently raging in the Copywriters Forum about long versus short copy. (If you haven't joined, do so.
11 Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Copywriter!
If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure, Web site, or marketing project. Congratulations! You should get great results if you hire a pro to do it right.
Your Article Headlines will Make or Break Your Business
Most people with an online presence will have to regularly deal with the issue of coming up with an appropriate headline. The problem is that most people do not take it seriously enough.
The Second Most Important Element of Your Ad... after the Headline
Hi {FIRSTNAME Friend},Next time you're flicking through your local newspaper, take a good hard look at the ads. And notice how many of them give you a compelling reason to pick up the phone and get in touch with them now.
A Free Lesson On How To Easily Write Ads That Are Guaranteed To Make You Money
COPYWRITINGAfter determining what we are going to sell, the next task is to effectively convey our message.Copywriting is the art of writing words and messages that successfully sell a product or service.
Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy
Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers.
Direct Mail Sales Letters Flow Better With Subheads
A subscriber to my newsletter asks: "Got any good pointers on writing great sub-heads?" Yes, I do. Here they are.
7 Formulas for Articles That GET READ!
Many of us have been asked to write an article at one time or another. Maybe it's a contribution to the company newsletter.
Health and Fitness: A Huge Industry in Need of Writers
Think about how much you read about and spend on health and fitness.Do you ever exercise? Take supplements? Go on a diet? Visit the doctor sometimes? Most of us do all four.
Kick-Start Your Juices
Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour.
Three Tips For Magnetizing Your Copy
The difference between good copy and great copy is the number of actions it generates. The more actions the copy drives, the greater the copy is.
Copywriting Makeover: Search Engine-Friendly Can Also Mean Visitor-Friendly
When it comes to search engine optimization, copywriting plays a big role. You want to have excellent copy that appeals to both your visitors and the engines in order to create pages that will rank highly.
Give Me $1 And Ill Have A Powerful Marketing Weapon
One of my most powerful marketing weapons costs me less than $1. I buy it once and it lasts me a lifetime.
How to Develop a Killer News Hook
When you are going to write a press release probably the most important thing you can do is create a killer news hook. A press release without a news hook is just blatant advertising, plain and simple.
Its Time To Start That Swipe File
Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills.
Copywriting: Drafting Rules for Professionals
As a professional contractor who wears many hats, you owe it to yourself and your clients to be as organized as possible. In a previous article, I discussed the importance of delivering an organized draft that your co-creators can easily work from.
5 Deadly Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Sales
Chances are that you are making many, if not all, of these 5 copywriting mistakes. I call them "deadly" because theyre killing your sales and your profits.