This document provides an overview of copywriting including: - Defining copywriting as writing content to connect with and motivate readers, rather than using slick sales tactics. - Stating the key role of copywriting is to prove to the audience the writer can help them achieve their desired outcome through helpful, trust-building content. - Explaining effective copywriting is about understanding the reader - what they want and don't want - rather than focusing on the writer or their products. Understanding reader motivations and concerns is key to persuading them.

1. TITLE PAGE

3. 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Definition Of Copywriting 8
What Is Copywriting 8
Elements Of Copywriting 13
Traits Of Top Copywriters 16
70% Psychology 30% Skill 23
Qualification & Preconditioning 30
Research:Homework Is Everything 30
Qualification & Credibility 32
Browsers,Shoppers & Buyers 34
Who What Where Why When How 38
Social Proof 44
Authority & Positioning 46
Preconditioning 48
Bonding With Your Audience 50
Different Types Of Readers 54
Blah Blah What Did You Say? 54

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Detail Oriented Readers 56
Sceptics 57
Skippers: Skim Readers 59
Get To The Point Readers (GTTP) 60
Motivating Human Factors 62
Why People Want Stuff 62
Motivations & Hooks 70
7 Deadly Sins 75
Giving Your Reader A Reason To Act 78
Words To Use To Describe Feelings 81
How To Write Copy That Sells 96
The Important Stuff 96
The Ultimate Copy Template 99
Overcoming Objections & Concerns 115
The Importance Of Headlines 118
The Art Of Inference 121
Damaging Admissions 126
Quoting Credible Sources 129
Bullets Are Your Friends 131
Call To Action Guidelines 136
Continuity & Congruency 139
What To Use For Content 141
Article Specific Formatting 143
Article Example 146
Graphic Design & Layout 153
Print Ads 155
Articles & Blog Posts 157
Social Media 159

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Writing For SEO 169
Optimizing For Search Engines 169
Promoting Your Content 172
Overcoming Writer’s Block 174
Causes & Cures For Writers Block 174
Write Your Headline First 178
Guided Writing With Bullets 182
Chunking 185
5 Tips For Easier Writing 186
Conclusion 187
Final Words Of Advice 187

6. 4
AUTHOR'S NOTE
First I would like to thank you for investing your time and energy into
reading this book. Most people have very busy lives, and I appreciate your
taking the time to read something is an (albeit small) investment of a piece of
your life. You have entrusted your time with me, so my intent is to give you
something that gives you an immense return from a personal understanding,
confidence, and earning potential point of view.
While this book contains actual steps to help you format copy, its main
goal is to give you a complete understanding of WHY and HOW you can
write content/copy that sells multiple times better then the average Joe's. This
has nothing to do with how clever your sales wording or formatting is - it
has everything to do with who your audience is, how well you know your
audience’s motivations, and the reasons why they will or won't buy.
You may have noticed I used the word energy and not money in the
opening paragraph. That's because if you think about it, money is really just
crystallized energy, and when you write, you have the opportunity to
effectively turn that time and energy into money.

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How much value you deliver to your audience, and how much you can
relate to them and help them, determines what they will do with what you
share with them and how much you will be rewarded for it. The difference
between good writers and outstanding writers is their belief in and
understanding of this concept.
How do I know this? Well I've been writing since I was 8 years old. It
started while traveling the world with my parents. As a child I had to write
letters home to family as part of my school homework. I had to write a 5
page letter every second day, so I had to make it relevant to what they
wanted: descriptive and colorful.
Later in life I carried my interest in writing into learning how to write
commercial ad and marketing copy. What I found was that the framework
traditional marketing taught was all focused or ME ME ME marketing and
not customer centric. It didn't feel right. It might have been grammaticality
correct and 'professionally' formatted, but the average conversion rate was
between 1 and 3 percent. I was told this was what I should expect. Looking
back on how most people are taught to write, it's not hard /easy to understand
why.
In 2003 I began a career as an internet marketer. I was told I had to spend
thousands of hours writing and posting articles and other content to get
traffic and sales. Well at a conversion rate of 1 to 2% I had to write a LOT of
articles. That felt inauthentic after a while because it became more about
producing quantity than quality. You might relate to this.
In 2007 I had built websites, but I sold them because I got burned out
with the number of hours I was having to spend on something that started as
an interest, but turned into a big pain in the you know what!
I had all but given up on the fantasy I'd been sold about 'easy passive
income online' which was and is getting harder and harder to achieve.
Problem was, I still loved the concept of writing for profit, but not the poorly

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targeted, inefficient system I saw everywhere that's accepted as "normal". So
I bought every book I could find by the world's top copywriters. I invested in
a mindset changing course which cost $17000 (many principles in that course
you will learn in this book). Best money ever spent!
The one underlying principle that stood out was and is: ”quality always
beats quantity”'. One piece of content that converts at 10% to 20% is
waaaaay better than 10 average pieces of content. This course delivered a
completely different message from what I had seen and been 'sold' elsewhere
online.
So I started again. Turns out I got good at building traffic, and through
obsession and determination I became a search engine optimization (SEO)
and traffic building expert, and met lots of successful, happy and kind people
who love what they do as much as I do.
This is how I have been successfully building traffic and sales not just
for myself but also for my clients’ websites. Building successful, highly
targeted traffic streams through content CAN work without risk of burnout.
The saying “work smarter not harder” applies to content too! Why?
Good content builds credibility. There are some people that ramble on
when they talk you, and tune out. Other people don't say much but when they
do - you listen. Most of us know one or more of both these types of people,
right?
Be the one that talks less often, but when you do, say something positive
and motivating that appeals to your audience’s FEELINGS. Do this and
watch your results multiply!
That's the purpose of this book! I am going to teach you how to make
copywriting fun, satisfying and effective. I got sick of feeling like a writing
machine - and went back to writing purposefully. You can too. Your readers
will love and follow you, and you will convert more of them to buyers!

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Writing can be immensely rewarding. You can be you and do your own
thing while achieving outstanding results. Stick to your own rules, rules
which you will find yourself creating and refining through reading this book,
So thanks again for reading - I wish you all the best. Happy copywriting!

10. 8
Definition Of Copywriting
WHAT IS COPYWRITING
If you look up the word copywriting in the dictionary, you will discover
a definition that sounds something like "Copywriting is the writing of content
especially for advertising and for publicity releases".
What a boring description for what is actually a very creative and
strategic process. It's also a process that is widely misunderstood and, in my
opinion, often misrepresented.
One of the biggest myths about copywriting is that you need to be a
super salesperson with the gift of gab to write good copy. The truth is, you
don't need to be a slick salesperson or master spin doctor to do what is
actually the most important part of copywriting: to connect with, relate to and
motivate your readers.

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I look at copywriting as a bit like having a superpower: the power to
persuade and influence a reader’s perception. Rather than trying to twist
peoples’ arms (metaphorically speaking) and exaggerate the facts, your job
as a copywriter is to use your understanding of your customers’ needs and
concerns to write content that will help them get closer to achieving what
they want.
Specifically, your job is to prove to your audience that you can help them
achieve their desired outcome. You’ll do this by earning their confidence and
trust through providing helpful content that benefits them in some way. You
need to take them through a specific process to build their desire and the
confidence to take action.
Copywriting is not about fancy words, or about writing Pulitzer Prize
winning stories, it's about connecting with your audience. Riveting copy and
content is not about you or your stuff, it's about your reader, what they want
and what obstacles they need to overcome to get what they want.
Through writing good content you can talk about what that gets your
readers excited and align yourself with your readers - even stand along side
them against what they dislike and then walk them toward taking action.
They need to like you, trust you and believe you can help them. To achieve
this you need to know them, both what they want and what they don't..
As an example, let's say you have a friend named Matt who has always
dreamed of buying a specific model of classic Corvette. Let's say you find
the car he wants and say: "Hey Matt, I've just found you a 1968 limited
edition Corvette in fire red, your color!".
Matt is likely to be fairly interested in what you just said, right? He
might go to check out the car, but will he want to buy it? That depends on
what other criteria Matt feels are important, criteria that you may or may not
be aware of. What you don't know is that Matt has a strong dislike for the
same Corvette model produced in the factory with orange upholstery. He

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loves all the other production models, just not the one with orange trim. So
whether or not he likes the one you have seen will depend totally on what
color the upholstery is.
Like Matt and the Corvette example, most things that people want also
come with a catch. The catch could be something to do with the product, it
could be something to do with the price or even the delivery options. There
can be many reasons why a reader might not act on something, and these
reasons could be hidden.
The point here is that knowing who you are talking to, what they really
want, what they want to avoid, and what's really important to them is the
only way to know how to motivate someone to do something without
hesitation. This is the foundation of copywriting.
It's also important to give them something of value. By this I mean you
should demonstrate the potential use of a product or service, or give them
something that is useful to them NOW. If you can give them something they
know they can use they will feel a sense of goodwill towards you. It's a great
way to build credibility by showing them that even before they buy, your
intent is to help them and you have the ability to do so.,
You can only build on something you know and understand. If you know
how to relate to your readers’ needs, everything else gets a whole lot easier.
By following a template - a sort of paint by numbers document to fill out -
you can deliver important information to your readers in succinct way.
By the time you have read this book, you'll be able to create your own
template(s) that relate to your own product(s) and service(s). To this template
you will add content that comprehensively covers all the important factors
you need to need to include for your specific audience.

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I would prefer to change the definition of Copywriting to "building
excitement and interest in your audience and then giving them logical
reasons what they can justify that excitement and move towards an action".
It doesn't matter what type of medium you are writing for, the same
principles apply.
Many of my writing students have been asked how they write articles
that sound like a blog but sell like a sales letter. The answer is that they know
how to make a connection with their readers,what they want, what they want
to avoid, and how they want to FEEL before they start. They then write in a
way that engages the reader so they are talking “TO” them and not "AT"
them like most sales copy.
Gary Halbert was the master of writing sales letters that were like stories.
They kept your eyes glued to the text, but at the same time led you, in a
clever way, to take an action.
By the time you've read this book and practiced the principles I'm going
to teach you, this skill set will start to become something that is second
nature to you. You will be able to write copy that doesn't look like copy.
It's important to remember that the best copywriters are taking readers on
a journey to a destination. On this journey they obtain a greater
understanding of what they want and increased motivation and confidence in
making a decision to buy a product or service.
If you are a person who genuinely believes what you are selling can
deliver a high level of satisfaction to your audience, then you are using your
copywriting superpowers for good rather than trying to sell at all costs
without looking after your prospects along the way.
Think of copy content as a slide. A reader arrives at the top of the page, a
metaphorical slide, once on that slide, they ride it to the bottom though a

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series of important steps. These are steps you put in place to build desire,
trust and, most importantly, the confidence to contact you, make a purchase,
or sign up for something you want them to do.
By answering questions throughout the process, you are also helping the
audience get closer to achieving their desired outcome. Give them quality
information and demonstrate how to get closer to their desired outcome.
Again, it's much easier to do this when you have done your homework and
know what your audience members are genuinely interested in then
providing them with something they can do or use NOW.
By taking the time to learn how you can actually help them and
demonstrating value before they buy anything, you are earning their respect
and trust while helping to remove obstacles to their goal.
Earn your superhero status by doing your homework and helping your
reader with content they can use to get closer to their goal. [Repetitive-
suggest deleting]
Now let's get your copywriting superhero training underway!

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ELEMENTS OF COPYWRITING
Everyone who has a product or service to sell may (and should) know
HOW and WHY that product or service satisfies their customers or clients.
They need to be able to describe in detail what they like about your products
and services..
If you love donuts and ate a donut, how would you describe how you feel
about its taste and texture?
Similarly, how would you describe how your customers will feel when
they buy your products or services?
What problems do they solve?
How do they solve them?
How many different ways do they help them?
What is unique and special about your products or services?
How will buying them improve their life?

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Dig deep into this question? What does that product or service really
need to deliver to satisfy them?
The next question is: what is currently stopping them from investing in
those products or services? Do they need to learn more about the benefits of
them or to gain trust in some aspect of the buying process? What do you need
to do, say, or demonstrate to them to learn more and earn their trust?
This may sound a little detailed, and it is. It's worth putting the energy in
to finding out how you can start making small promises to your audience
though your content, then delivering on those promises in the form of
inspiration, information or affirmation.
Before you begin writing then, have a clear idea of what you want to
convey to your audience based on solid research of their needs.
Once you have a clear idea, now is your opportunity to show your
audience who you are as a person and company. If this sounds like a big
responsibility, it is! They are looking at you as someone they can follow,
trust, respect and learn from, so of course they want to feel familiar with you
first. They’ll gain this familiarity through your content. If they like you first
and feel good through reading your content,, they will be willing to give
more attention to the next part of the conversation or sales process they are
about to embark on.
Now’s the time to start putting together the pieces of your sales letter or
content jigsaw puzzle.
In doing so be yourself and give generously with facts, useful content, and
answers to their most important questions..

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TRAITS OF TOP COPYWRITERS
For me, copywriting has always been about connection. This starts with
doing research to develop a comprehensive understanding of my customers’
and clients’ needs and what they most want as a desired outcome. And it’s
equally about helping them make sound, informed decisions and avoid pain..
Finally it’s about guiding them to a destination where they can get what they
want.
All copywriters need to be acutely aware of all the fears and concerns
readers have around their desires. Understanding how a reader wants to
FEEL through buying what you are selling is key to connecting with them. Is
it for monetary, time, ego, pride, or social reasons? Are they buying because
they want to some kind of emotional payoff?
We know they want something, but with every want comes a fear or
concern. A buyer doesn't know your company, you haven't earned their trust
yet or demonstrated value. The reader may also be scared of making the
wrong decision, like buying the wrong thing/size/color etc. so it’s important
to help them address their fears when deciding whether or not to make a
purchase.

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Copywriting begins with understanding what satisfaction 'looks like' to
your specific audience, then continues with mindfully crafted communication
for overcoming obstacles and demonstrating benefits.
Customer Centric
If you study the intent and styles of successful copywriters, you will
discover that they are highly customer centric, heavily focused on a
customer’s desires and all the different ways the customer wants to achieve
those desires. And they are equally focused on how the customer can avoid
pain.
Successful copywriters also know that customers want instant
gratification. Part of the reason for this is because they want to know as soon
as possible when arriving on a page that what you’re offering can actually
deliver what it promises.
Good copywriters know that content should be about providing a
solution to a problem or need. They also use language patterns with which
readers are already familiar and feel comfortable with. They are careful to
write as if they are part of their reader’s “tribe” (more on tribes later).
Aware Of They Own Biases
Copywriters should be aware of their own bias towards a product or
service. Just because you love something about a product or service doesn't
mean everyone one else does. Copywriters talk to the reader’s view of a
product, and filter out their own biases.
People who own a company and who are selling their own goods and
services are almost always favorably biased towards the technical design and
benefits of these goods and services. They look at them from their own
perspective. After all it's their project, their baby so to speak! So it's even

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more important for a copywriter, when writing for his/her own business, to
do research on what his/her customers are saying about them: the good, the
bad, and the not obviously one or the other..
They pay close attention to what readers are saying about
similar/competing products and services and what they love about what these
products or services do for them.
Language & Tribe Research
Audiences are a little bit like Tribes, or to use a more modern
terminology, like clubs or sports teams. Tribes hang out together sharing
activities and talking about the things in which they have a common interest.
They often have nicknames or specific terms to describe tools or other
aspects of their interests. They usually have things in common that they love
and/or hate. It's common for them to actively talk amongst themselves about
both what they like and dislike. Good copywriters will develop an
understanding of the language and the hierarchy of what is most import to the
tribes they are marketing to. We will be covering more of this in later
chapters.
Value Centric
Good copywriters believe in delivering something of value early to
satisfy the desire for instant gratification and to establish immediate
credibility. The little good deeds you do early on to show your reader that
you understand what they need, and that you can deliver it. If you can offer
them small but significant pieces of useful resources before they buy
anything from you, you are proving that you're serious about your intent to
help them, that you can actually help them, and that you know what you’re
talking about. Give them a taste of feeling good and they will be much more
likely to want more from you.
Not Scared Of Elephants

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Good copywriters are not afraid to address the big scary elephants in the
room. Good copywriters are happy to be the superhero and have the courage
to take care of the elephants for their readers. They are acutely aware of all
the fears and concerns their readers have around their desires, and what are
they afraid of losing or getting wrong when making a purchase. Good
copywriters are not afraid to address these concerns rather than gloss over
them or, worse still, completely ignore them and pretend they don't exist.
Readers want someone to recognize their concerns and write about the things
they are too scared or embarrassed to ask. .
Humble & Accepting Of Imperfection
Nobody is perfect, and people are much more likely to relate to and trust
someone who's willing to admit their mistakes. Hey lets face it, if someone's
already been through something you are wanting to avoid, you are likely to
want to know how you can avoid the same mistakes. Good copywriters are
happy to make damaging admissions about past mistakes and share the
valuable lessons they’ve learned that will help their readers. The main
benefit, of course, is that it shows the writer is honest enough to admit what
he/she has survived and learned from - no matter how embarrassing it was!
Clear And Concise
Copywriters are careful and precise about how in their content they go
about addressing their readers every desire, need and concern. They value
their audience’s time and recognize that they have just one opportunity to
align with who they are writing to and earn their respect.
Instant Gratification
Most people are skim readers, at least when they start reading a page.
They are trying to find the part of the page or content they are most interested
in so they can establish whether it is worth a further read. Writers have only a

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few seconds to prove to a reader that the content is relevant to them and
worth their time continuing to read..
Good copywriters make it easy for readers to quickly find what they are
looking for when they arrive on a page. They use teasers as confirmation the
reader is on the right track and to entice a reader to move to the next segment
of the page.
Consistent and Congruent
Just as important as being clear, being consistent keeps a reader focused.
Good copywriters understand that conditioning readers and building
familiarity also builds trust. If you're talking about a specific thing in a
specific way or asking a reader to take an action, that message needs to be
consistent across all steps.
For example asking someone to "sign up" on one part of the page and
then "to register" on another, even if you are asking them to do exactly her
same thing this may confuse them. Keep the same continuity of language and
instructions and don't change the wording. Good copywriters don't make a
reader have to think or get out a dictionary to understand what is required of
them to take the next step.
Checklists And USP's
How many times have you walked into a store or looked for something
online, liked what you've seen then left that store or web site so you can do
some price or feature comparison shopping. Everyone wants to feel like
they’ve gotten the best deal. It's human nature to want to do some
comparison homework before making a purchase. Good copywriters will
give readers who leave to do comparison shopping, something to take with
them. Usually this is a mental (or actual) list that the buyer can go
"shopping" with. It is a list of features and benefits which should include
their company’s unique selling proposition. It should also include something

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that is hard for the competition to beat, so the buyer wants to come back.
This is a very powerful way to position a brand, product or service when
done correctly.
Thorough
Good copywriters know that they need to make sure they have covered
all bases - like good customer service, they have answered all of the
questions they think the buyer needs to know so the buyer is happy not only
to buy something now, but also that in retrospect they feel they have made a
great decision..
Qualification - Talking To The Right People
Good copywriters will tell you it's much better to qualify your buyers
first and sell to THEM rather than try to oversell to people who the product
wasn't right for in the first place.
In my days of writing sales letters we offered a 100% no questions asked
money back guarantee. We did this because we knew how important it is to
MAKE SURE people understood what they were getting, why they should
invest, why it was worth it and also why they deserved it. This limited the
number of refunds to about 2%. We also backed up the purchase with extra
bonuses they did not expect to get so they were even more delighted with
their purchase.
Good copywriters are not afraid to come right out and say “Hey - is this
you? If not that's ok - you might find what you are looking for here” (and
send them elsewhere). This is not only honest - it also solidifies your
credibility to people who are in fact your appropriate buyers.

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My Personal Rules Of Engagement
Personally, I can't write copy unless I believe in what I'm writing about.
I need to feel like I'm genuinely helping someone learn something
through my content. I know for a fact that what I'm trying to sell may not suit
everybody's needs and that's okay. But if I have provided readers with some
type of value, then whether they buy or not I feel I have done some good.
And if they become a customer, our relationship is already built on positive
goodwill.

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70% PSYCHOLOGY 30% SKILL
Motivation Is Emotional
Behind every lead up to a decision to buy, there is an emotional process
buyers go through.
People don't buy stuff based solely on logic, they buy because the stuff
they want gives them positive emotional satisfaction - an emotional payoff.
In other words, the logical justification behind the sale happens after a
combination of emotional and logical events.
This means that every step of the process must build on a reader’s
emotional reasons for buying, then be backed up by logic.
Essentially there are two things that motivate people: the carrot or the
stick - the promise of gain or the fear of loss. The stick - fear - is always the
bigger motivator, and needs to be handled carefully.
Think about this for a moment:

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Which book title would you prefer if you suffered from acne?
"How To Get Acne Free Skin Using Natural Masks"
or
"Home Remedies To Eliminate Acne & Get Clear Soft Beautiful Skin In
14 Days"
I can show you data to prove that the second title sells 5 times better then
the first. Why?
This is because it addresses a fear, fulfils a need with a positive outcome
and specifies an expected time frame (14 days). If you can add an emotional
payoff in your title, it's much more personal.
Remember that people want to:
Feel popular and included
Feel abundant (or wealthy)
Feel attractive
Feel healthy
Feel secure
Achieve peace and happiness
Have more time
Have fun
Because they want to meet the human needs of
Certainty and Security
Uncertainty or Variety
Feeling Significant or Important
Feeling Connected or Loved by Someone
Growth and Contribution
Contribution to the Whole (all of humanity)
(We will be covering these in more detail soon).

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These payoffs are what your readers REALLY want. What you are
selling is just a conduit for fulfilling their needs in some way. So your
content needs to address your audiences’ specific needs and wants as they
relate to your products and services.
Readers go through both conscious and subconscious processes in order
to feel confident enough make a buying decision. Research shows that when
reading online copy or sales letters, this process has not changed much over
many decades and various sales formats. The only real difference in this day
and age is that the online shopping shopper cannot eyeball a salesperson to
read his or her body language as extra cues to their honesty or lack thereof.
They can't FEEL it, so the logical, safety conscious wiring part of their brain
will have a greater influence over their buying decision.
In the old days before the Internet existed as a point of sale, you would
walk into a store and speak to a salesperson. You would look for someone
who looked like they could help you, someone who understands what you're
looking for. The first thing the salesman would do is qualify you to see if he
or she can help you find you're looking for. At the same time, you would be
qualifying them to establish whether they are honest and can help you. Then
you want to see whether the store carries what you want.
Let's imagine this scenario:
You are looking to buy a new television and you visit the local
electronics store to see what they have on offer. You find a salesperson on
the sales floor.
That is the first step in a qualification process for both you and the
salesperson. The first thing you want to know as a customer when you walk
into the store is whether or not that store can provide what you want. Next a
whole bunch of other factors come in to play which we will cover in a
moment.

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Once you establish that you are in the right place, your next step is
usually to find someone who has the expertise to discuss the features and
benefits of the television that you are considering purchasing.
You find a salesperson, he/she greets you with a smile and asks how
he/she can help. At this point you tell them you want a TV and may even
begin to mention some of the features you think you might like in a TV. If
the salesperson is good, before they take you to a TV they will ask you a
series of qualifying questions to establish exactly what features and benefits
you want, and specifically WHY you want them. He/she will assess what it is
that you want to experience from that television, e.g. movies, high-definition,
Internet capability, great surround sound etc.
You may or may not already know what features and options you want,
and so the salesperson has the job of establishing these important details. If
they are good, they will try to help you relate these features and options to
how you want to feel about your potential purchase. For example, a good
salesperson, while talking about high definition, will take you to an HD TV
playing the HD movies you have told them you like. A good salesperson will
identify your "turn on buttons" - what it is that gets you excited. They will
also try to ascertain your fears, concerns, and what you really don't like about
your current TV or any new ones you’ve already seen.
Next the salesperson starts telling you what TVs he/she has on display in
the showroom for you to have a look at. Hopefully they will go on to relate to
you all of the features and benefits of the TVs in question. You may at this
point start to get excited about a particular TV and start thinking: “Hmmm
maybe yes, this one will suit me". This is the emotional part of this process
and this is also when your inner sceptic turns up. This is the logical part of
your brain. The next thing you start thinking is "Hang on a second, how do I
know this person is not just trying to sell me this particular TV so he/she can
free up showroom floor for new stock, or that he/she isn't bluffing and
pretending they know this”. This is the point at which you really start

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qualifying the salesperson with thoughts like "How long has this salesperson
been working here?, Did the boss tell him/her to clear out this TV?, What is
this persons’ motivation in wanting to sell me this TV? Should I trust their
advice?". It's a very natural thing to feel this way. It relates back to our
human need for survival and security.
Scepticism is a perfectly healthy part of our brain’s wiring. It can save us
from making decisions that would be wrong for us. So what do you do to
qualify this salesperson?
Well you may ask how long they’ve worked in the store, and you might
ask him/her a few questions to determine what you want to know, You might
ask what they like watching on TV or a myriad of other things. The point is
you are looking for cues to establish his/her credibility. You're looking for
indicators to qualify that this is someone who can really help you and really
knows what they are talking about - specifically related to you and your
situation. You want to know how qualified they are to be giving you this
advice. This is a reasonable thing to ask from a salesperson if you're going to
invest a large amount of money for a product or service..
The next thing that generally happens is once you’ve established that the
salesperson is credible enough to advise you, you move on to price and
discussing what the store is willing to offer. At this point you may ask
yourself what price other stores might offer for the same TV. You may
wonder ”"Can I get a better price elsewhere?”which is of course another
natural question to ask.
If the salesperson has done his/her job right, they will have explained to
you the benefits that their company offers over and above the competition. It
might be that they offer an extra extended guarantee period, some bonus
items, or even better, a one on one lesson from the salesperson or technician
on how to set up their TV with personalized settings.

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Price should not be the only consideration – other factors are important.
As we all know, Getting the best deal doesn't necessarily mean the cheapest
price
A good salesperson will be prepared to address these considerations with
a potential buyer. They’ll give the buyer a shopping list to go away with,
whether metaphorical or actual. Preferably, he/she wants the buyer to have a
picture of their offer in mind - something that is not written down. This way
when the prospective buyer goes comparative shopping, your list of "must
have extras" pops into their mind, triggered by whatever they encounter at
another store.
Offering something like service or training that is unique to that
website/store/person makes it hard for a competitor, The value that you’ll
receive over and above the price will be difficult to match. This is a very
powerful psychological trick to use in your sales copy.
Now lets move on to the close. Your salesperson has gotten you excited,
taken you through all of your questions, concerns and objections, and you are
keen to buy.
Now he or she asks you how you want to go about taking your TV home.
They ask if you want it to day so you can get started and they[insert the thing
that made you excited about the TV]. They ask if you would like to know
about interest free terms or paying cash.
This is of course the close. This is the time to remind you about all of the
important points - then ask for the sale.
A good salesperson will remind you why you want the TV and also
giving you reasons to justify the purchase. The salesperson might mention
that this deal is only available for another 3 days at this price. They might
also say the bonuses are limited to a certain number and/or available for a

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limited time, and ask you when you would like to come in for your free setup
session.
The above example might be how you go about making a purchase
in a real brick and mortar store, but the same thinking and emotional
processes occur online just in a different format: though the written word.
Next time you prepare to write content, imagine your online research
being like the TV salesperson asking you questions about what the customer
wants. Do your homework. This research is key to writing content that really
deals with all of your readers’ questions.
Later in this book you are going to use what you find though your
research to create a template for your actual sales letters or blog post content.
While creating this template, think about all of the things your reader may be
going through as in the fictional TV buying process: how you can help your
reader move past any obstacles to achiev their desired outcome.

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Qualification & Preconditioning
RESEARCH: HOMEWORK IS EVERYTHING
By now you will understand that researching your audience is crucial to
everything you do. Good research helps you to come up with a list of a series
of steps your readers need to go through in order to feel confident enough to
take any action you are asking them to take.
By addressing everything they want to feel as a result of buying your
products and services, and also taking them through a process that removes
hesitation and obstacles, you are increasing their motivation to buy.
Creating content is really a formulaic process with predictable steps
based on everything you know about your audience.
The number of objections you need to cover will be determined by what
you discover in your research about your specific audience. By writing down
everything your target audience is talking about online - both positive and

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negative - you’ll be able to craft paragraphs that address these points one by
one.
Speaking to your audience in a language they recognize and in a style
they can relate to helps them to feel like they're talking to a member of their
tribe rather than some salesperson.
What you are trying to give them is a preview of the end game: the
emotional feeling, the payoff that buying the product or service you sell will
give them.
There are many motivating human factors you will read about in this
book that you can use to determine what might drive people to do what they
do, and buy what they buy.
Start by looking at places where your audience’s their tribe hangs out.
Popular places where people voice their opinions can be found on Amazon,
eBay, forums and communities. The juiciest ones are often found by doing
Google searches for your competitors’ products.
Find out what customers are talking about. What do they love, what do
they hate, what goal are they really trying to get to by purchasing xyz product
or service? Write down all of the things that are talked about most., then
make a list of all of the things that are most important to your potential
customers. What do they love, what exactly is it about the xyz thingeemabob
they like? What answers are they most satisfied with or impressed by? Write
it all down so you can refer to it later These notes are what you are going to
be working your content around. The more thorough you can be the better,
because you'll have more to work with.

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QUALIFICATION & CREDIBILITY
You wouldn't take a plate of steak to a vegetarian pot luck dinner and
you wouldn't try to sell a gas heater to someone who lived in Fiji ,right?
So why do so many online marketers spend money trying to reach people
who are not remotely interested in buying what they have to offer.
The generally accepted idea of many online mediu sites, especially social
media sites, is to broadcast their ads to as many people as possible in the
hope that a percentage of them will be interested.
Although we are sold the concept that we are given options for 'targeting'
people, the concept of 'targeting' is not necessarily clear. In
fact,MarketingSherpa.com research shows that conversion rates online
average only 1% to 5%.
Part of the reason for this is that website designers are not usually
conversion experts, so many websites could convert customers into buyers
better then they do today. The main issue, however, is that people are not
doing enough research on who their audience actually is, and what they

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really want. Only through a research process can you find out where they are,
and how to most effectively start engaging with them.
The real problem is WHO they attract to their websites in the first place,
and how much of their marketing dollar is being spent trying to sell to people
who were never interested to begin with.
Remember, if people come to your website and don't buy, it's generally
for two reasons:
◆ They don't want your product or service or
◆ They don't trust you enough or know enough to buy from you -
YET!
As content writers, at the start of a websites sales funnel we first need to
find the right people, then target them through our titles in order to sort and
qualify who is a buyer and who isn't.
This means putting your energy into finding and helping people you can
actually help, the people you can serve best. They want what you have to
sell, but want someone to help them select the best solution for their needs
and to show them that you are the right person to buy it from.
I’ll say it again: think quality not quantity. Don’t be scared of the
number of visitors to your site.

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BROWSERS, SHOPPERS & BUYERS
There are several different types of potential buyers online and obviously
many different reasons people use the Internet. Sometimes it’s purely for
social reasons, other times to research products and services to fulfill a want
or desire, or solve a problem. If you are not writing for an online audience,
that's OK because, many of these points will also apply to non-digital media.
However I’m assuming that most of my readers are writing online contentt
and this will apply especially to you.
People buy products or services to make them feel something. It's not the
thing they want, but the feeling or outcome that thing will give them.
Some of the reasons they may give you, however. include :
◆ brand familiarity
◆ comfort
◆ style
◆ looks cool
◆ to be trendy
◆ like the color or style

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◆ to solve a problem
◆ to make life easier in some way
If they are looking for a service online they might say they are
buying it to:
◆ have more time
◆ impress the boss
◆ work more efficiently
◆ feel more in control
◆ make more profit
◆ save money
The point is that behind every search there is also a desire to FEEL
something or get some other payoff from buying it. If you were to try to list
some of those reasons, you could come up with a whole heap of answers as
to why they want your stuff if you start with why, where, how and when
questions.
Never forget that behind every internet search is an intent which you
need to understand in order to be able to satisfy that intent with your content!
There are generally three different types of audiences: browsers,
shoppers, and buyers, and they all have different intents- or more specifically
are all at different stages of the buying process.
Browsers are online for social reasons with no immediate intent to buy.;
For example they may be visiting their Facebook page or reading the news.
This group of online users may see something they like while browsing, but
they didn't begin their online session with the intent to buy something.
The next group is people who have shown a small to moderate interest in
a brand or type of product or service. They may not yet have a specific idea
of what they want,- rather they have a general interest in something. For

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example they may like Nike shoes but are not sure what style and color they
are interested.. These people are just looking around to narrow down what
they may want. I call these people shoppers.
The next and what I like to nickname the hottest group of surfers are
what I call buyers. These folks are the ones that know what type of "thing" or
"service" or even brand they want and what specific features and benefits that
product or service needs to provide to fit their requirements. These people
are in a different frame of mind from browsers and shoppers. They are
looking to buy and are looking for indicators of value and trustworthiness.
They are looking for who is most likely to give them the best post-sale
satisfaction. They aren't necessarily looking for the best price, but rather the
best value, which means they're looking at who are the best or right people or
which is the best company to deliver the item or service they want. They are
very sensitive to how you handle their wants, fears, concerns and desires.
They will be scrutinizing everything.
There are really only two reasons "buyers" who arrive on site won't
buy:
◆ they don't want what you have or
◆ they don't understand or believe that you can deliver what they want
through your products or services (or don't trust you can deliver at
this time)
Why it's important to define and categorize different online users.
Remember that people are generally using the Internet for one or more of
these three reasons:
◆ to solve a problem
◆ to find something they want
◆ to be entertained and connect with other members of their tribe in
some way

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Just like clubs, groups of friends, social groups etc, so too online users
generally hang out in tribes. Every tribe has its own personality, etiquette,
language, common interests, and pet likes and pet hates.
Your job as an online marketer is to pick which of the hundreds of online
groups specifically relate to your product or service and who the most likely
people are that you can best satisfy. Then you need to meet them WHERE
THEY ARE AT in their buying process.
Ask yourself:- “Out of my target audience, who are the people to whom I
can deliver the MOST value though my content, products or services?”.

40. 38
WHO WHAT WHERE WHY WHEN HOW
Before writing your content you need to do your homework so you know
your audience’s wants and concerns, where they hang out, who they are and
how they talk to each other – the language they use. If you know what they
want, how they want it and, more importantly, how they are searching and
asking for it - you can create content that connects with them. You can
demonstrate that you know them, understand them, and speak the same
language. Walk them past their fears and concerns and help them find the
right solution..
If you don't feel you can deliver awesome value and genuinely help
them, they are NOT your customers.
Find the people that want what you have, then DEMONSTRATE that
you are the best source of that product or service.
Start doing your research by asking the right questions. This helps you
form a clear picture of your audience and what they need from you in order
to make a purchase. It's much easier to create content when you are following
a guideline that keeps your content closely aligned with your audience’s

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needs and behaviors. It's also important to know if you are talking to a
browser, shopper or buyer, and remember to meet each group where they are
at.
Who
Who is your audience? Who do they like associating with and why (who
are the people in their tribe)? Do they fall into an age or income
demographic? Who and what don't they like and why? Write down a
description of your audience and what you think is important to them based
on what you have learned in your research. List these down so you can refer
to them and have them close at hand.
What
What does your audience talk about, both positive and negative? What
are they most passionate about? What is MOST and least important to them?
What solutions are they looking for or what desires are they trying to fulfill?
The process of writing this down will help you focus on the priority of
importance of different motivations your audience has for buying. What are
the features they most like and dislike about competitors and/or the products
you are writing about? The most important next step is to write down how
what they like makes them FEEL. What payoffs are they talking about
getting from products and services?. Make sure you understand this before
moving on, as it is very important to include these in your copy.
Why
Why does your audience wanti products and services like those you sell?
Why are they looking where they are looking to find what they want? What
is the payoff from being there? Ask why questions to further refine the
emotional payoff they are looking for.

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Where
Where does your audience hang out? [OR: Where do your audience
members hang out?] What websites, forums, communities or clubs do they
frequent? Where do they spend their time? Knowing this helps you refine
and qualify the best place on which to put your content. If you know where
your audience [members] hangs [OR:hang] out, and what they like about the
format e.g. images, or bulleted forum posts, then you can better prepare your
own content. If you know what your audience likes reading and where they
like reading it, you can pre-frame what your content needs to contain.
When
When does your audience read content they like? If they are commenting
in forums or online, pay attention to when they responded to something.. If
you see a pattern while doing your research, write it down so you can plan
the best days and times to post.
How
How do your audience members go about finding the information they
are looking for? How do they ask for it and what language do they use: what
words, phrases and terminology? How they are asking for what they want is
what you need to know, because it helps you stay in context when answering
their questions.
Keywords
Choosing keywords like 'best xyz widget' is one way people search for
things, but did you know that 80% of searches are performed in the form of a
question such as: 'What is the best xyz widget'.
Think from your audiences’ point of view. They don't necessarily know
what they need or want to solve a problem or make them feel a certain way

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as a result of buying something, they only know that they want to feel
something or solve something. So take off your biased seller centric glasses
when doing research and when writing titles, and think from your audience’s
point of view.
Use reviews and the types of solutions your audience members say they
enjoyed or the payoff they got to format your keywords for titles. You can
use tools online to find out how many people are searching for specific
phrases - just don't assume your buyers are using product or service based
terms.
Use the questions and language your research tells you your audience
members are asking and using to craft similar style copywriting.. Statistics
show that long tail (longer that 3 word) key phrases that include a question or
ask for a solution are a lot more likely to be used by someone who is a buyer,
rather than a browser.
Remember there are generally three types of searcher online: broswers,
shoppers. and buyers. Wherever possible you want to write content for
shoppers and buyers.. Use titles that shoppers and buyers are using and your
reader retention, click though and conversion rates will go up. [OR:
skyrocket!]
Technical tips for using Google search operators to find content to
research
Google is many copywriters first port of call for researching to find their
audience. Did you know you can perform custom searches to find specific
topics using Google's advanced search operators?
Here are some searches you can perform using search operators to find
reviews on products you are writing about:

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Use quotes around "text you want to search"or use word one + word two
+ word three
1. To search a website for specific text use: site:example intext:"example
text"
This one allows you to find a keyword on a specific website e.g.
Amazon. An example you could add to the search bar would be
site:amazon.com:canon intext: "6D camera reviews"
2. To search a specific category (folder) on a website use:
site:example/folder intent:example text
Let’s narrow down the previous search by searching in a specific
category www.amazon.com/Camera-Photo-Film-Canon-Sony/ "6d camera
reviews"
3. To search for the keyword in any web pages you can use:
intext:"canon + 6D + reviews". This tells Google to search any page for the
word combination of canon, 6D and reviews.
_
4. To search for a keyword in a website URL specifically, you can use:
inurl:"add + your + text + here". This is useful for when you want to look for
review pages for example inurl:"canon + 6D + reviews"
5. To search for a keyword in sites excluding your own (or another) use:
"keyword" -site:thesiteyouwanttoexclude.com
6. To search for a specific type of file you can use: site:example.com
filetype:pdf
7. To search for a specific type of domain (universities for example
which use .edu) use: site:.edu "keyword"

45. Copywriting Essentials
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8. Another way to search for a specific type of website is:
inurl:forum+review intext:"canon+6d+camera". This type of search tells
Google you only want it to return results that have the word "forum" in the
URL, and 'review'. I could leave out the review part if I was happy to look at
comments in a forum or I could swap out the word 'forum' for 'review' if I
wanted to search for reviews only and not forums.
9. To search titles of pages (the websites meta title description) you can
use: intitle:canon+6d.
10. To search for specific text in pages on a specific website you can
create your own combination like: site:amazon.com intext:
"canon+6d+camera"
These operators help you quickly identify and sort from the millions of
pages, the select few you want to read.
I use search operators to find specific types of content and reviews. I
even use them to find problems people are dealing with by using the
operators inurl:forum intext:problem canon+6d or inurl:review intext
problem+canon+6d (in this last example I want Google to search for canon
and 6d and problems in the whole page, but the page URL needs to contain
review).
Notice I use quotes around text if I want Google to be specific about only
including any combination of those words. If I also use a + between them,
then keywords with any other words in between the text will be included in
my results too.
These operators are a researchers’ best friend, and with a little practice,
you can use them to find all manner of information online.
Look for reviews, forums, community and anything else that is pertinent
to your topic.

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SOCIAL PROOF
Testimonials, reviews, customer feedback, case studies and
recommendations are all examples of social proof. A definition of “social
proof” is "Visual or verbal proof that you can deliver the results someone
wants backed up and proven by customers and peers".
Social proof is another important ingredient in your copywriting
sandwich! Why? Because it’s important to show that other people have taken
the plunge, bought what you are selling and that they have been happy with
the result.
What's even more important is demonstrating to your readers how they
can get the same satisfaction. Give them an example, a demo of how other
peoples’ satisfaction can apply to them, and what they want.
Social proof gives them a taste of what others have enjoyed, while
demonstration lets them FEEL it for themselves. This is a VERY powerful
motivator for people. It’s a bit like giving a kid an ice-cream. Giving them
one bite is just a tease, so they will want more!

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You can also use images of people who are like your audience enjoying
the benefits of your products or services. Images are a powerful visual tool to
convey a lot of things at once. They are a visual confirmation that it is
possible to achieve what they desire.
Use different forms of social proof on your page if possible. Don't feel
like you have to choose only one. Break it up to give your reader a three
dimensional view of your credibility.

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AUTHORITY & POSITIONING
Positioning yourself as an authority is the single most important thing
you can do increase your perceived value to the market place.
The importance of authority, positioning and personal branding for
professionals, business owners, coaches and consultants cannot be
emphasized enough.
Let's be clear: being an expert is not the same as being an authority.
Being an expert is something you claim yourself and show through
testimonials or other "social proof". Your reputation as an authority, however
is something you earn though demonstration and by allowing others to state
your expertise out in the marketplace for all to see. Seeing your presence
across many platforms is regarded as proof of your authority.
This is why you should plan your own brand. Decide what you want to
be known for, and go about educating and proving to your associates and
prospects what you do. Don't be a generic label, have your own mission and
be vocal about it.

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Don't tell everyone you're an expert, show them and prove it.
Don't tell everyone you're great. Instead, show them the evidence and let
them reach their own conclusions.
Don't be just part of the conversation, create the conversation yourself.
Don't just follow the basics, earn your authority.
Do condition your audience to believe in you by helping them in small
yet significant ways, and do it consistently.
Do seek out and find as many ways as you can to demonstrate to your
audience that you are an authority on what you want to be known for.
Do keep your message consistent. As is true of many famous catch
phrases, make yourself known for something unique to your brand.
Do be generous, help others and not just your prospective customers but
also your associates, so they will want to share your stories and your
messages..
Do offer lots of helpful resources that could end up being viral in nature.
Downloadables, statistics and other data, how to's, infographics and step by
step articles are good examples.
Do keep your branding: logo, font, colors and taglines consistent.
Do be yourself. Don't be afraid to express your unique personality.
Establishing yourself as an authority is about being memorable, helpful
and consistent. This applies across all content and copywriting mediums.

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PRECONDITIONING
The dictionary defines preconditioning as::
"A condition that must exist or be established before something can
occur or be considered; a prerequisite. To condition train or accustom in
advance".
I define preconditioning for content as the art of framing your prospects’
expectations and desires before they arrive at your intended destination. This
means giving your readers a path to follow.
Preconditioning does several things...
1. Creates a path that builds familiarity and confidence in you and your
products or services.
2. Takes the prospect through a qualification process that helps to
reinforce their desires as well as confirming, and walking them past, what
they want to avoid.

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3. Gives you an opportunity to demonstrate value early on. Giving your
prospects something useful early on shows your positive intent and illustrates
your ability to help them.
4. Shows you understand what they want - and can deliver it.
Preconditioning builds the foundation for a great relationship with your
audience, a bond that you can grow.

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BONDING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
When you meet someone for the first time at a party or social occasion ,
it's not generally considered cool to immediately start talking on and on
about yourself and what you do and sell. The “Me Me Me” narcissistic
approach isn't the best way to win friends and influence people in the real
world, yet this approach is all too often used in online, and in many cases off-
line, advertising.
If you are meeting someone for the first time you generally start asking
questions to get to know them. You want to find out what you have in
common and maybe what their interests are, right? Good listeners are hard to
find, and those who are are good listeners are generally much more welcome
than people who talk AT you. People feel included and important when
someone takes an interest in them. It makes them feel validated and
understood.
When getting to know someone we all understand it's generally
acceptable to ask basic introductory questions, right? When you've gotten to
know someone better, you might learn about some of the things that are
important to them, and even some of the things that they really like or want

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to avoid. I'm sure you'd agree that someone who has just met you for the first
time isn't going to want to tell you their innermost feelings and thoughts.
First you need to earn their trust by development a relationship with them..
Meeting people online though your content is pretty much the same.
Being a good listener and gently aligning yourself with your readers’
interests is an art. It's the art of copywriting!
Now imagine for a moment you're standing in a queue wearing a pair of
sexy pants (yup these babies might be your favorite because they make your
butt look good). Someone standing behind you says, "Excuse me, I hope you
don't mind me asking but I love your pants....where did you get them? They
look great on you".
This person is a complete stranger, but they have broken the ice and
created an instant connection with you by talking about something you both
have in common and giving you a genuine compliment. This is still a
complete stranger but,he or she is also now someone with whom you share a
mutual interest. Most likely you'd be happy to tell them the name of the store
where you bought the pants. You are both part of a "tribe" that enjoys
wearing sexy pants. Your reasons for wanting them may be different, but you
are still connected with that person for a moment on a shared interest level.
Now imagine having a deep and meaningful conversation with a very
close friend. That friend asks you for your advice about a big decision they
need to make. Your friend trusts that you know them well enough to give an
informed answer. You have given that friend advice before that worked out
well, so they feel confident asking you again.
The above scenarios illustrate our natural tenancies as humans to want to
connect and/or feel understood before we are willing to make a decision or a
commitment to do something, even if we know that doing this will make us
feel good. Connecting with someone can manifest in many ways. All you

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need is one commonality to start the ball rolling. If you are familiar with
what a tribes wants and needs, it’s also much easier to relate to them.
So what does this have to do with copywriting? Think of the first
paragraph of your copy as your introduction and opportunity to connect. It's
much easier to break the ice if you have something in common to talk about,
especially if it's funny or something that ignites a positive desire. Sometimes
it's having a moan about something you know they are frustrated about.
It's important to understand how the members of tribes talk to each other.
Think again about the pants example. If that person had walked up behind
you and said the same thing to you in a foreign language you didn't
understand, you would look at them sideways for a moment and wonder what
they are talking about. This is why it's important to speak to your audience in
the same language as people who buy the types of products and services you
sell.
Golfers have their own lingo or nicknames for equipment. Gym and
fitness fanatics use language that includes words like squats and burpees
[NOTE: I worked out heavily for many years and never heard the word
“burpee” Suggestion: change to curls and/or bench presses] The people that
want to buy your products and services are also likely to have their own lingo
or nicknames.
So when starting up a conversation with readers through your content,
you are essentially connecting via something you know is important to them.
[It’s just like sitting down to talk to someone you have never met before at a
party and discovering that you have a lot in common [I disagree. In the first
case you are discovering something about the person – in this case you
already know what is important to them]. Talk to your audience about the
things they're excited about or averse to and align with them.
It's also easy to assume that you know your audiences’ fears and
concerns already. While you may know a lot about them already, before your

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start writing it's still really vital to do comprehensive research to ascertain all
the different ways people are expressing their wants and their concerns.
Remember: people buy things because they want to FEELa certain way
as a result. What is their desired outcome? Do they want to feel sexier? Do
they want to save time? Do they want to save money? Do they want to keep
up with the trends? You need to know what the trends and patterns are that
drive the desire for what you are selling.
Pay attention to your audiences’ language patterns and how they describe
what they want, because these language patterns are all juicy tidbits you can
use in your content.
If you're just talking to your audience from a seller's perspective, using
sellers’ language and talking about all of the features of your products and
services, you won't be connecting the desired feeling they want to achieve
with your products and services.
The moral of the story is: talk about how they're going to feel, not just
about your product from a technical or logical point of view. Give your
audience payoffs that they can relate to from the very beginning of your
content so they want to read on and find out more.
All content needs to be client centric, focused on them and their desired
outcome. The way to ensure your writing stays client focused as to make sure
you stay in touch with the way your audience thinks and feels.

56. 54
Different Types Of Readers
BLAH BLAH WHAT DID YOU SAY?
People are so inundated with emails, documents, books and digital media
that they become numb to the messages we are trying to convey within our
text.
This is why they usually skim over text on a page looking for something
relevant to capture their attention. They are looking for a point of reference
to confirm they are in the right place to take them to something they want.
Your headline is the introduction - and sales intro that leads them into the
rest of the article.
Sub-headlines give readers further confirmation that they are likely to
find what they want on the page. This are a bit like when you first walk into a
store and isle headings indicate where different types of goods can be found.

57. Copywriting Essentials
55
In addition, ,the job of each sub-header is to entice the reader into reading the
text that follows.
Initially you attract the attention of skim readers through your title, then
hold their attention and entice them into reading further though your sub-
headers and bullet points.
Paragraph sub-headers should summarize a story’s sequence, so the
reader can jump from sub-header to sub-header and get the basic gist of the
story.
You are earning a readers interest and their trust through your titles and
sub-headers. So these should accurately summarize what you are offering to
help them do, get or learn by reading your content. When a reader has
qualified your article as relevant and useful to them, you have earned the
opportunity to deliver the rest of your content.

58. 56
DETAIL ORIENTED READERS
Detail oriented people are the type of folks who will be expecting - well -
detail!
These people expect you to answer every little question and cover
everything before they will trust you. They are very particular and may read
every word on your page.
Things you most want to get right for these folks are:
◆ Spelling and grammar
◆ A link to a FAQ's page or list of common questions
◆ An explanation about who you are and why you are credible
◆ A link to testimonials
◆ Fine print
◆ Correct formatting

59. 57
SCEPTICS
These people are super cynical and will want to test everything you say.
These guys need to see more than just testimonials, they want proof -
evidence that you can do what you say you can.
Sceptics need the following from your content:
◆ Demonstrations and/or examples they can test out for themselves
◆ Names and photos, preferably business names if yours is a business-
to-business website
◆ Third party endorsements
◆ Stats and figures from reputable sources
◆ Anything and everything you can provide for a sceptic so they check
it off their imaginary list
You don't want to make everyone else read the fine print and risk losing
this attention, so if you are writing a website blog page or sales letter, you
can add links to pop-up windows or even external sites (that open in new
windows) with further explanations on those pages.

60. Mia Gordon
58
Often just a link to more testimonials, or to credible sources like Forbes
magazine for example, are enough to satisfy a sceptic. Just the fact you are
showing links to the information they may want to see backs up your story.
Remember sceptics want access to all the information, even if they don't
use it. Having a FAQ and Testimonials or Case Studies button in your
navigation [Suggestion: On your Home Page] also helps, as do endorsement
logos of other companies in the footer.

61. 59
SKIPPERS: SKIM READERS
Skippers are the ultimate skim reader. They are like get to the point
readers, but may read more if you have given them sufficient reason to do so.
They will use your titles, headlines, pictures and bullets to get the feel of
what the page is about, then head straight for the offer. They don't feel they
need to read all the "fluff".
These readers are generally impatient: they think they know what they
want and they just want to get it!
I like skim readers, : they are easy to please except when they come back
to you later claiming they didn't get this or that.
If you’re writing a sales letter with an option to purchase something
immediately, then you need to cater to skippers by making sure you add a
reference to the most important conditions in a bold position. Place a crystal
clear summary about what they get close to the main offer.This is also
helpful for non-skippers, because you are demonstrating transparency,and
confirmation of what they can expect.

62. 60
GET TO THE POINT READERS (GTTP)
Some readers have extra short attention spans.
These people can be turned off by long copy. They want to get to the
stuff they want as soon as possible, so you need to give them a series of
points to skip to.
These readers are the ultimate definition of skim readers, so you'd better
give them an easy way to find what they want - FAST! Think of a person in a
hurry - how would you get to the point if you only had a minute to say what
you needed to say.
Sub-headers are crucial for holding impatient readers on the page, as
are concise paragraphs.
Things your content needs to keep GTTP readers happy:
◆ Punchy, short snippets of information
◆ Very clear titles & subtitles

63. Copywriting Essentials
61
◆ Pictures and bullets to break up text
◆ A clear call to action and reason for it at the bottom of the page
◆ Telling your basic story through headers and bullets

64. 62
Motivating Human Factors
WHY PEOPLE WANT STUFF
People want products or services for lots of different reasons. You can
take refine this by paying close attention to the psychology of the audience
you are trying to appeal to. When you also understand the psychology behind
their desires you can tap into their deepest motivating factors.
Most of the time humans are motivated by ego or security based needs.
We humans are also creatures of habit. We are programmed to survive and
prosper by conditioning and following patterns which help us to function in
every-day life.
Imagine if every time you wanted to light a dark room, you had to learn
how to turn on a light switch. Life would be pretty stressful. Our brains are
wired to remember certain tasks by rote so we can focus on other, more
important tasks.

65. Copywriting Essentials
63
In the stone age female brains needed to have the capacity to multitask so
they could prepare food and make clothes while watching all their children
so a saber-toothed tiger didn't eat one of them.
Mens’ brains might have been programmed to know how to throw a
spear accurately so they could hunt effectively and bring back food to the
tribe.
My point is: our DNA is wired for programming! Our programming
keeps us feeling safe or brings us closer to what we believe will improve our
lives in many ways.
In the days of cavemen, important tasks included hunting and foraging
for food. In todays’ age, important tasks include how you perform at work in
order to get paid.
When buying something, our auto-programming is working quietly in
our subconscious and has a massive influence over our buying decision.
It’s important as a copywriter to understand what conditioning or
programming is driving a readers’ buying decisions.
There are fundamentally 6 human needs that we try to keep in balance -
mostly unconsciously - through programming. The problem is that our
programming as a mechanism to meet these needs often controls our
decisions in life.
So what are these human needs and how to they effect our actions
when buying something?
6 Fundamental Human Needs:
1. Certainty and Security

66. Mia Gordon
64
2. Uncertainty or Variety
3. Feeling Significant or Important
4. Feeling Connected or Loved by Someone
5. Growth and Contribution
6. Contribution to the Whole (all of humanity)
1. The first need, to feel secure and safe, is a very powerful one. It is all
about security and safety. The caveman genes in all of us give us the instinct
to watch for predators. Obviously the modern day predator could be someone
trying to fleece us out of our hard earned money.
In our copywriting we need to address this need. We need to prove to our
readers that we have good intentions, and that we are capable of helping
them get what they want.
2. The second need is around wanting certainty, the need to know we can
expect a likely outcome. Then there is the exact opposite of this coin which is
the need to enjoy something that is different and exciting. In copywriting
both of these needs can be addressed. For example to satisfy the need for a
defined outcome you can add case studies of other customers, or demonstrate
this by systematically showing how your xyz can produce the sort of
outcome the reader might expect. Then to also satisfy the need for variety or
something new and innovative, you can talk about new developments and
innovations, or something that had never been done (maybe in a certain way)
before.
3. Feeling significant and important is another powerful driver. People
want to feel like they are valued and important. So when you are writing
content, think about how you can validate your reader. I'm not talking about
being patronizing and schmoozing people. I am however, saying that you can
find a way to help your reader feel good about their decision making process
by building in affirmations from other credible people that they are on the
right track. An example of this could be adding a third party endorsement
that suggests that clever, smart, efficient or happy people, for example, buy

67. Copywriting Essentials
65
xyz. If other people who have made the decision to do x are being praised or
validated, they will naturally want to be included in that group of "cool"
people. People who are seen to donate to good causes are also an example of
validation not only from a contribution point of view, but also because they
are more likely to receive praise and gratitude from others.
4. Feeling connected and accepted is another important need for people.
It's a commonly accepted fact that having a sense of belonging is important
for human growth and development. Being accepted amongst your peers
makes one feel safe and happy. People will do all kinds of things to belong.
Clubs, hobby groups and gangs are examples of peer groups that offer their
participants a sense of belonging. This also applies to trends in fashion,
sports, career paths and even in celebrity following.
When writing your copy, you can create an opportunity for the reader to
connect with their group, (what I like to call their "tribe") through your
content and, ideally, your products and/or services.
5. Growth. People want to grow and contribute to something bigger than
themselves. Some people who have come from humble beginnings have
achieved great things that others aspire to. Most of us have the underlying
wish do this, if only we could muster the courage or confidence required of
us.
If you can give your readers the opportunity to do something that allows
them to grow and extend themselves, they will feel positive and hopeful
about themselves and you too.
6. Contribution and philanthropy. This need generally applies to people
who aren't in survival mode more so than to people who are just surviving.
This is why many successful entrepreneurs who feel they live an abundant
life want to contribute to a bigger cause than just their own survival. Like a
donation box at your local supermarket, you can give your readers an
opportunity to do something good for someone else. This is why causes are

68. Mia Gordon
66
so motivating for people. You may not have the opportunity to do this often
in a direct way, but you can think of ways that you offer useful content that
others want to share as a way to help others.
The human desire to be a better person, to help others and connect with
fellow humans. We all want to be seen and feel like we are "good", and when
given a chance - many will take the opportunity to do something good.
These are some positive motivating factors to ponder. If you can touch
on and appeal to one or more of your readers’ basic needs through your
content, you will build a strong foundation to expand on. You can also appeal
to some very strong ego based emotions which we will cover in the next
section "7 deadly sins".
By now you should have ideas floating around about how this could
apply to your content. If not don't worry, you can use a template to
brainstorm some ideas.
Most of the time - as cringeworthy as it is to admit - , humans are very
often motivated by ego. People want products or services for lots of different
reasons, but you can just about guarantee that at least some of their reasoning
will come down to ego gratification in some form.
Writing sales copy as we know is a creative but also a planned process.
You need to cover many bases to make sure your copy takes people through
the process you want them to go.
There’s no doubt it can sometimes be tricky trying to come up with ideas
to tie your content into a readers’ needs, and desires.
When looking for ways to resonate with your readers’ desires and
concerns though your content you can refer to human needs, and you can
also borrow from some of the oldest motivators in the book - literally!

69. Copywriting Essentials
67
Are you familiar with the seven “deadly sins” listed in the Bible? They
are: pride, envy, lust, anger, greed and sloth.
◆ Pride is an excessive sense of ego and an inflated belief in one's own
abilities. Pride is also known as vanity.
◆ Envy is the desire to have others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
◆ Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume excessively, past the
point of what is actually required.
◆ Lust is an extreme craving for bodily pleasures.
◆ Anger or wrath is an extreme dislike or hate of something or
someone.
◆ Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain at the expense of the
spiritual.
◆ Sloth is the avoidance of effort, work - otherwise known as laziness.
Over the centuries these "sins" have had their fair share of bad publicity.
There is a general assumption that anyone exhibiting one or more of these
traits are devoid of morality. This is not necessarily true and if we get honest
with ourselves for one moment: we have to accept that all humans operate
with an element of each of these traits. We wouldn't be human if we didn't!
All of these factors are good motivators and can be included in your
copy. For example - if one of the benefits of something you were selling was
looking great, then you could use the 7 deadly sins to come up with some
triggers to highlight that benefit.
Use this list to come up with a whole bunch of ideas.
◆ How could your product or service make your reader the envy of
their peers?
◆ How could your product or service make someone look good to their
peers?
◆ How can you appeal to their greed?

70. Mia Gordon
68
◆ How can you appeal to their laziness (sloth)?
You get the idea. So go for it - let your ideas flow and have fun!
It's true that little things can make a huge difference in copywriting.
Research done by Robert Claudini from Arizona State University
showed that giving people a reason why when asking them to do something
increases their likelihood of doing it by double in many cases.
Researchers examined the donation process of the American Cancer
Society, and how a last minute change in the way they asked for donations
delivered drastically different results. Their results demonstrate the need to
analyze why people say "no," rather than just why they say "yes."
Donation collectors were sent door to door with two slightly different
versions of donation requests. The first request was worded as follows:
"Would you be willing to help by giving a donation?"
The second request was worded as follows:
"Would you be willing to help by giving a donation? Every penny will
help."
This is a very small difference, right?
Although the difference in wording may seem subtle, the difference in
results was stunning.
Results showed that those who were asked the second variation were
almost twice as likely to donate. 28% vs. 50% was the actual ratio.

71. Copywriting Essentials
69
Cialdini's researchers concluded that people are much more likely to take
an action when parameters to follow have been set., and that people are more
likely to take action when minimal parameters are set.
This example highlights two things about the people donating. First, the
second appeal gives them a number to work with - pennies - and Second, it
shows that people who are given a reason are more likely to be able to justify
or feel good about doing something for a good cause.
The interesting thing to note is that the two groups donated the same
amount, yes that's right, the second group were just as happy to donate at the
same level.
There is an even more interesting story to add here. This theory has been
tested across many profit based business models, and also situations where
no money but a personal assistance request was made. It also applied to
queue jumpers asking to skip ahead of someone in a line. If they gave a
reason, almost any benign reason and used the word "because", a higher
percentage of people said “OK” to the person wanting to butt in.
Of course you can use this in your copy. By adding words like “because”
and combining it with phrases like "it will help you to _______", you can
improve the conversion rates of your calls to action.

72. 70
MOTIVATIONS & HOOKS
Humans are creatures of habit. We are programmed to survive and
prosper by conditioning and following patterns which help us to function in
everyday life.
Imagine if every time you wanted to light a dark room, you had to learn
how to turn on a light switch over and over again. Life would be pretty
stressful. Our brains are wired to remember certain tasks by rote so we can
focus on other, more important tasks.
In the stone age female brains would need to have the capacity to
multitask so they could prepare food and make clothes while watching their
children so a mountain lion didn't eat one of them.
Mens’ brains might have been programmed to have the skill to throw a
spear accurately so they could hunt effectively and bring back food to the
tribe.
The point is - our DNA is programmed for survival - habits that keep us
safe and secure!

73. Copywriting Essentials
71
In the days of cavemen important tasks would be hunting and foraging
for food, in todays’ age that would be the tasks you perform at work in order
to get paid.
When buying something, our auto-programming is working quietly in
our subconscious and has a massive influence over our buying decisions. It’s
important as a copywriter to understand what conditioning or programming
is driving a reader’s buying decisions.
Our programming either keeps us feeling safe, or brings us closer to what
we believe will improve our lives in many ways.
We want to:
Feel popular and included
Feel abundant (or wealthy)
Feel attractive
Feel healthy
Feel secure
Feel peaceful and happy
Have more time
Have fun
Behind the desire to feel these things lies a set of human needs.
There are 6 basic human needs that we try, and sometimes struggle, to
keep in balance. Most of these needs are unconsciously working away in the
background and manifest themselves through our programming. Our
programming is simply a mechanism to meet these needs and our "program
for survival" controls every decision we make in life, including what we
choose to buy.

74. Mia Gordon
72
So what are these humans needs and how to they effect our actions when
buying something? If you think about the feeling we want to experience, they
all come down to one of these 6 fundamental human needs:
The 6 Fundamental Human Needs:
1. Certainty and Security
2. Uncertainty or Variety
3. Feeling Significant or Important
4. Feeling Connected or Loved by Someone
5. Growth and Contribution
6. Contribution to the Whole (all of humanity)
1. The first need to feel secure and safe is a very powerful one. It is all
about security and safety. The survival genes in all of us have the instinct to
watch for predators. Obviously the modern day predator could be someone
trying to fleece us out of our hard earned money.
When copywriting we need to address this need. We need to prove to our
readers that we have good intentions and that we are capable of helping them
get what they want.
2. The second need is wanting certainty. It’s the need to know we can
expect a likely outcome. Yet we also want the exact opposite of this coin: the
need to enjoy something that is different and exciting. In copywriting terms,
both of these needs can be addressed. For example so satisfy the need for an
expected outcome you could add case studies from other customers, and
demonstrating how systematically doing X can produce Y (the kind of
outcome the reader wants). And to also satisfy the need for variety or
something new and innovative, you could talk about new developments and
inventions, or something that had never been done in a specific way before.
3. Feeling significant and important is another powerful driver. People
want to feel like they are valued and important. So when you are writing

75. Copywriting Essentials
73
content, think about how you can validate your reader. I'm not talking about
being patronizing and schmoozing people, I am however, saying that if you
can find a way to help the reader feel good about their decision making
process and build in testimonials from credible sources that they are on the
right track. An example of this could be achieved by adding a 3rd party
endorsement that suggests that clever, smart, efficient or happy people, for
example, buy xyz. If other people who have made the decision to do x are
being praised or validated, they will naturally want to be included in that
group of "cool" people. People being seen to donate to good causes are also
an example of validation, not only from a contribution point of view, but
also because they are more likely to receive praise and gratitude from others.
4. Feeling connected and accepted is another important need for people.
It's a commonly accepted fact that having a sense of belonging is important
for human growth and development. Being accepted amongst your peers
makes one feel safe and happy. People will do all kinds of things to belong.
Clubs, hobby groups and gangs are examples of peer groups that offer their
participants a sense of belonging. This also applies to trends - fashion, sports,
career paths and even celebrity following.
When writing you copy, you can create an opportunity for the reader to
connect with their group, or what I like to call their "tribe" through your
content and ideally your products and/or services.
5. Growth. People want to grow and contribute to something bigger than
themselves. Some people who have come from humble beginnings have
achieved great things that other aspire to. Most of us have this underlying
wish, if we could muster the courage or confidence to become better in some
way.
If you can give your readers the opportunity to do something that allows
them to grow and extend themselves, they will feel positive and hopeful
about themselves and you too.

76. Mia Gordon
74
6. Contribution and philanthropy. This need generally applies to people
who have moved past survival mode. This is why many successful
entrepreneurs who feel they live an abundant existence want to contribute to
a bigger cause than just their own survival. Like a donation box at your local
supermarket, you can give your readers an opportunity to do something good
for someone else. This is why causes are so motivating for people. You may
not have the opportunity to do this often is a direct way, but you can think of
ways that you offer useful content that others want to share as a way to help
others.
The human desire to be a better person, to help others and connect with
fellow humans. We all want to be seen and feel like we are "good", and when
given a chance - many will take the opportunity to do something good.
You can also encourage readers, build their confidence because some
people will hold back due to fear of failure. Don't be afraid to give them lots
of cues that remind them they CAN achieve something.
These are some positive motivating factors to ponder. If you can touch
on and appeal to one or more of your readers basic needs through your
content, you will build a strong foundation to expand on.
By now you should have some ideas floating around about how this
could apply to your content. If not don't worry, you can use a template to
brainstorm some ideas.
You can also appeal to some very strong ego based emotions which we
will cover in the next section "7 deadly sins".

77. 75
7 DEADLY SINS
Most of the time - as cringeworthy as it is to admit - humans are very
often motivated by ego. People want stuff or services for lots of different
reasons, but you can just about guarantee that at least some of their reasoning
will come down to ego in some form.
Writing sales copy as we know is a creative but also planned process.
You need to cover many bases to make sure your copy takes people though
all the processes you want them to go through.
It can be tricky sometimes trying to come up with ideas to tie your
content into a readers needs, and desires.
When looking for ways to resonate with an audiences’ desires and
concerns though content, you can refer to the 6 human needs and you can
also borrow from some of the oldest motivators in the book - literally!
I’m referring to the Seven Deadly Sins mentioned in the Bible:. They are
pride, envy, lust, anger, greed and sloth.

78. Mia Gordon
76
◆ Pride is an excessive sense of ego and inflated belief in one's
own abilities. Pride is also known as vanity.
◆ Envy is the desire to have others' traits, status, abilities, or
situation.
◆ Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume excessively to the
point of more than what is required.
◆ Lust is an extreme craving for bodily pleasures.
◆ Anger or wrath is manifested as an extreme dislike for or hatred
of something or someone.
◆ Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain at the expense of
the spiritual.
◆ Sloth is the avoidance of effort, of work - otherwise known as
laziness.
Over the centuries these "sins" have had their fair share of bad publicity.
There is a general assumption that anyone exhibiting one or more of these
traits is devoid of morality. This is not necessarily true. If we get honest with
ourselves for one moment, we have to accept that all humans operate with an
element of each of these traits. We wouldn't be human if we didn't. They are
just part of our survival mechanisms manifested in a different form.
All of these factors are good motivators, and can be included in your
copy. For example: if one of the benefits of something you were selling was
looking great, then you could use the 7 deadly sins to come up with some
triggers to highlight that benefit.
Use the 7 deadly sins to come up with a whole bunch of ideas.
◆ How could your product or service make your reader the envy of
their peers?
◆ How could your product or service make someone look good to their
peers?
◆ How can you appeal to their greed?

79. Copywriting Essentials
77
◆ How can you appeal to their laziness (sloth).
You get the idea. So go for it - let your ideas flow and have fun!

80. 78
GIVING YOUR READER A REASON TO ACT
It's true that little things can make a huge difference in copywriting.
Research done by Robert Cialdini from Arizona State University showed
that giving people a reason why when asking them to do something increases
their likelihood of doing it by multiples in many cases.
Researchers examined the donation process of the American Cancer
Society, and how a last minute change to the way they asked for donations
delivered drastically different results.
The results demonstrate the need to analyze why people say "no," rather
than just why they say "yes."
Donation collectors were sent door to door with two slightly different
versions of donation requests:
The first request was worded as follows: "Would you be willing to help
by giving a donation?"

81. Copywriting Essentials
79
The second request was worded as follows: "Would you be willing to
help by giving a donation? Every penny will help."
This is a very small difference, right?
Although the wording may seem subtle, the difference in results was
stunning.
Results showed that those who were asked the second variation were
almost twice as likely to donate: 28% vs. 50% was the actual ratio.
Cialdini's researchers concluded that people are much more likely to take
an action when minimal parameters to follow have been set.
This example highlights two things about the people donating. First it
shows that, giving people a number to work with, in this case pennies,
incentivizes them to donate,. Second, it shows that people who are given a
reason are more likely to justify or feel good about doing something for a
cause.
An interesting thing to note is that the two groups donated the same
amount of money!, Yes that's right, the second group of people were just as
happy to donate at the same level as the first.
And there is an even more interesting story to add here. This theory has
been tested across many profit-based business models, as well as in situations
where no money but a personal assistance request was made. This also
applied to queue jumpers asking to skip ahead of someone in a line. If they
gave a reason, almost any benign reason and used the word "because", a high
percentage of people said ok to someone butting in politely
Of course you can use this in your copy. By adding words like because
and combining these with phrases like "it will help you to _______", you can
improve the conversion rates of your calls to action.

82. Mia Gordon
80
Use “because” where appropriate - without overdoing it.

83. 81
WORDS TO USE TO DESCRIBE FEELINGS
H
e
r
e
a
r
e
s
o
m
e
m
o
r
e

84. Mia Gordon
82
i
d
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l
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85. Copywriting Essentials
83
r
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a
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86. Mia Gordon
84
u
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87. Copywriting Essentials
85
u
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n
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88. Mia Gordon
86
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89. Copywriting Essentials
87
s
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"
Have a play around with some of these in your copy.
Pleasant Feelings
OPEN HAPPY ALIVE
understanding great playful
confident gay courageous

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reliable joyous energetic
easy lucky liberated
amazed fortunate optimistic
free delighted provocative
sympathetic overjoyed impulsive
interested gleeful free
satisfied thankful frisky
receptive important animated
accepting festive spirited
kind ecstatic thrilled
satisfied wonderful
glad
cheerful
sunny
merry
elated
jubilant

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LOVING INTERESTED POSITIVE
loving concerned eager
considerate affected keen
affectionate fascinated earnest
sensitive intrigued intent
tender absorbed anxious
devoted inquisitive inspired
attracted nosy determined
passionate snoopy excited
admiration engrossed enthusiastic
warm curious bold
touched brave
sympathy daring
close challenged
loved optimistic
comforted re-enforced
drawn toward confident
hopeful

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Difficult/Unpleasant Feelings
ANGRY DEPRESSED CONFUSED
irritated lousy upset
enraged disappointed doubtful
hostile discouraged uncertain
insulting ashamed indecisive
sore powerless perplexed
annoyed diminished embarrassed
upset guilty hesitant
hateful dissatisfied shy
unpleasant miserable stupefied
offensive detestable disillusioned
bitter repugnant unbelieving
aggressive despicable skeptical
resentful disgusting distrustful
inflamed abominable misgiving
provoked terrible lost
incensed in despair unsure

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infuriated sulky uneasy
cross feeling bad pessimistic
worked up a sense of loss tense
boiling
fuming
indignant
INDIFFERENT AFRAID HURT
insensitive fearful crushed
dull terrified tormented
nonchalant suspicious deprived
neutral anxious pained
reserved alarmed tortured
weary panicky dejected
bored nervous rejected
preoccupied scared injured
cold worried offended
disinterested frightened afflicted

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lifeless timid aching
shaky victimized
restless heartbroken
doubtful agonized
threatened appalled
cowardly humiliated
quaking wronged
menaced alienated
wary

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How To Write Copy That Sells
THE IMPORTANT STUFF
As you have gathered by now, the essence of copywriting for any content
is about your audiences’ needs, wants and concerns. This is why it's
important, in fact crucial, to have done your homework BEFORE you pick
up your pen or sit down at your keyboard.
I cannot stress this enough - it's your HOMEWORK that will give you
the superpowers to write amazing copy. You can then follow a template to fill
in with all of the juicy content that gives your audience the satisfaction they
were looking for.
Robert Collier wrote a quote about how writing a good ad begins with
"entering the conversation already taking place in your prospect's mind".
This is very true when writing any copy that directs a reader to a desired
action.

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Also, copywriting follows a pattern. It may be a loose, pliable pattern
that can be shaped and molded around the format you are using, but it's a
pattern nonetheless.
Long copy sales letters used to basically follow the following layout:
◆ Grab their attention with a hook
◆ Build their interest
◆ Offer something to explain who you are and why you know what
you're talking about
◆ Give them a features list which is also a "shopping list" so even if
they leave your page, they will be more likely to come back to you
(because you're awesome!)
◆ Back up everything with social proof. Make it show something to
prove you are serious and can actually help them
◆ Remind them what they are going to get and add bonuses or limited
extras
◆ If you are writing a blog or other non-commercial or social media,
summarize instead of explaining an offer. Use the art of inference
◆ Add a P.S. [and even a P.P.S. – I say this because it’s how Joe Vitale
writes his sales letters – sometimes they even have a P.P.P.S.]
Sales letters have always been a lot more obvious or "in your face" than
other content. Don't think you have to write like this. I find that people are
quite numb to hyped sales copy that all looks the same.
Content that gently tackles the readers inner most concerns and
demonstrates value is much more powerful than over hyped copy.
For most people, realizing they don't have to be a sleazy salesperson or
write hype in any shape or form comes as a pleasant surprise. I don't care
how clever or pretty a page is, unless it connects with your reader - it's isn't
going to perform. So if you have been feeling uncomfortable about the

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concept of writing a "super-sales-letter", I'm happy to say you're off the
hook!
Instead, you can simply follow your own template in which you’ve
integrated the ideas and information from this book and any of your own as
well..

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THE ULTIMATE COPY TEMPLATE
It's not crucial to be a prize winning copywriter to create sales letters that
work.
The fact is - writing good copy comes down to science and strategy and a
little bit of creative art if you want to add touches of your personality into the
mix. The best copywriters I know all use templates to make the process of
writing sales letters more efficient, and to ensure they don't miss anything.
What you see below is a 13 step sure as eggs template to follow. This
template is designed for long copy, but you can still follow the same format
for wiring other types of content - you’ll just need to condense it.
Overcoming Hurdles That Create Buying Resistance
Every reader will have some form of buying resistance. This is
completely natural, and is in fact an opportunity to connect with your
readers. The objective of your sales letter is to overcome your readers’
buying resistance and at the same time persuade them to take a desired
action.

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Like an obstacle course,you have to lead your readers through a series of
obstacles with an equal number of rewards along the way that remind them
of the BIG reward or payoff at the end.
It doesn't matter what type of selling you are doing, be it verbal or
written, you will encounter obstacles which are often in the form of questions
such as:
"What if I can't do it, I'm not an expert you know"
"You don't understand my problem"
"How do I know you're qualified?"
"I don't believe you"
"I don't need it right now"
"It won't work for me"
"What happens if I don't like it?"
"I can't afford it"
Essentially, people arriving at your sales page who don't buy fit into
three categories:
▪ The "I don't want it" (and never did in the first place)
▪ Or the "I don't trust you or have enough confidence in what I see to
buy yet"
▪ Or the "You haven't given me enough value to make a decision yet"
(in this case they might go shopping elsewhere)
Results driven sales letters need to ensure that a reader has seen, heard or
felt enough to be willing to proceed to the next step and take the action you
want them to take. If they haven't, they either don't want it or you haven't
done a good enough job of covering all the concerns they needed addressed
in order to make the decision to take action.

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The 14-step [or 12-step] salesletter template is a system and format
to help you overcome each of these objections in a precise, methodical
way.
1. Grab their attention
2. Identify and relate to their problem(s)
3. Provide a solution
4. Build credibility
5. Demonstrate and explain the benefits of your product or service
6. Show social proof & third party endorsements
7. Provide justification and build confidence
8. Dealwith their concerns [How does this differ from 2.? Delete?]
9. Explain what you are offering
10. Give them a Shopping List
11. Include a guarantee or promise of service
12. Add a call to action and a reason, such as scarcity or a time
limit, to show them why they should take action NOW
13. Apply scarcity or other motivation to take action NOW [Suggest
your delete this by combining it into a single step
14. Finish with a P.S. summarizing what they will get and why they
need to act now [This step would then become #12 if you also delete #8]]
These steps apply the carrot and stick mentality:attracting them to what
they want and removing their pain in the process.
Motivation Is Emotional
Remember that people don't buy stuff based solely on logic, they buy
because the stuff they want gives them a feeling or payoff. In other words,
the logical justification behind the sale happens after they are emotionally
engaged. So every step in the sales process must build on emotional reasons
for buying, then backed up by logic.

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Essentially there are two things that motivate people. Again, these are
carrot and the stick - the promise of gain and the fear of loss. The stick,- fear
-is always the bigger motivator. However it has to be handled carefully.
Remember that people want to:
Feel popular and included
Feel abundant (or wealthy)
Feel attractive
Feel healthy
Feel secure
Feel peaceful and happy
Have more time
Have fun
Because they want to meet the human needs of:
Certainty and Security
Uncertainty or Variety
Feeling Significant or Important
Feeling Connected or Loved by Someone
Growth and Contribution
Contribution to the Whole (all of humanity)
These "payoffs" are what your readers "really" want. What you are
selling is just a conduit for fulfilling these needs in some way. Your content
needs to address your audiences’ specific needs and wants, as they relate you
your products and services.
The 14 Step Copy Writing System
Now that we’ve covered what makes people "tick" when buying a
product or service, lets get into the nitty-gritty of content creation.

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1. Grab Their Attention
Titles and sub-headlines are your first opportunity to capture attention. In
fact if the reader likes your title, they may decide to skim read through the
rest of your page.
Remember to use descriptive words and include a benefit (carrot) plus a
way for them to avoid pain (stick).
"How to do __________ without having to do __________"
2. Identify And Relate Through The Problem
Now that you have captured your readers attention, you have to relate to
them and their issues. You need to identify any issues they may be having by
asking whether they feel the same way [the same way as…?], or writing
about what other people who are dealing wtith these same issues (and that
sound just like your readers) are saying. The idea is that your readers feelthat
they can identify with the issues and think "Yeah that’s my problem and how
I feel too.”, or “That person sounds [[or “These people sound’] like they are
dealing with the same issues as me". Now your job as a copywriter is to
exaggerate the issues, make them bigger , so your readers really feel them..
In copywriting speak this technique is called, "problem - agitate." What
this means is that you poke and prod the sore spot until the person is
reminded that the issue is indeed a major pain in the butt for them. Pain and
discomfort are strong motivators, so you have to push a reader into their pain
zone to help them realize the fact they need help.
When writing a sales letter you can be a lot bolder when pushing their
buttons. When writing a blog or other content, you can do this in a nicer way
and talk about the painful thing, or their not having something they want, in a
positive (you can get it if you do this) kind of way. You can still make them

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feel hunger pains for wanting it, combined with the pain of potential loss of
not having it - what ever their IT is.
You can talk about potential consequences and also about what other
people feel having solved their problem, to demonstrate comfort vs. pain.
When you feel a cold coming on, that dreaded “Oh no I hope it doesn't
turn into the flu” sneaks into your mind. It's not pleasant when you are about
to go on a date or have a big work week ahead of you, to be worrying about
whether your sniffle is going to turn into a full blown sore throat, nasty
cough, or the aches and pains that come with a bad case of the flu. Knocking
a cold to its knees on day one with a few drops of a potent, proven, natural
serum not only kills cold staph bacteria, but also builds your immune system,
so you can go on your date knowing you won't be sharing a full blown case
of....."
Can you see the messages in the example? I am building concern and I’m
growing it, but not so much as to make them feel too awful. This is because
I've thrown in a path to a solution. At this point I still wouldn't talk about the
cure. Instead, I would leave them hanging a little longer to build their desire
to know what it is I just hinted at. This will make them want to read more.
It’s a bit like teasing a baby with an ice-cream - the baby will want it more.
Think about how you can apply this strategy to your readers’ concerns.
3. Provide A Solution
Now that you've captured your readers’ interest by highlighting their
issue and reminding them how it’s causing them pain, you can move on to
taking about the solution. This is where you start to educate them about the
solution. Give them clues that make sense, explaining why specific types of
herbs kill viruses and what they do for ones’ immune system. Start talking
about some of the thinking and research behind the solution e.g. "During late
2009 Kate Nimble was working on a formula for the relief of sore throats,
when she discovered when nastybugoccoccos bacteria came into contact with

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the blend of [name of ingredients in the awesome formula you are selling],
the bacteria could not survive. What was interesting to her was that on their
own, these ingredients did not have the same devastating effect on bacteria
but when combined in the specific formulation she discovered, the
nastybusococcus could not survive. So she tested different formulas, and only
this one proved to be the best for dealing with an array of other nasty bugs,
too.
I admit this is a slightly silly example Health issues are a sensitive topic I
have been involved with and I would be very careful about making claims,
but you get the idea. In this example I am still building interest and also
credibility. If you are writing a blog rather than a sales letter, at this point
people will be thinking of this as a story, not a sales letter. And this is exactly
what you want. It's much better not to sound like a salesperson and more like
someone who is an authority who is engaging with the reader and their
issues, then leading them to a solution.
You can add points into the mix that infer or prove your credibility.
4. Build Credibility
Now it's time to explain who you are and why your reader should believe
you. Why?
Well, your reader doesn't know you yet, so why should they believe
anything you say - yet? If you have inserted something in your previous
paragraphs to show them a solid basis for your statements, you've opened the
door already.
At this point you can work on building on that foundation by talking
specifically about yourself and introducing any of the following:
1. Your significant awards and/or recognitions
2. How long you've been practicing your field of expertise

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3. Conferences at which you’ve been a guest speaker
4. Successful case studies
5. A damaging admission that shows you’ve made, and learned from,
your mistakes
6. Prestigious names you have worked with or done business with.
This shows that you've done the hard yards and make the mistakes to
deserve the credibility you are asking for from them. It also shows your
readers, that you have the knowledge and expertise to be able to show them
what they need to do to achieve the results they’re looking for.
Let’s talk about the “damaging admission’ for a moment. This is
something that is extremely powerful. If you have made any major mistakes
that are embarrassing or even cringeworthy, but from which you learned
valuable lessons,, I [strongly?] suggest you use them in your content.
Yes seriously! People trust someone more who is willing to say “Hey I'm
not perfect and I don't pretend to be.” They also love to hear about your
major mistakes, so they can avoid the same mistakes and learn from your
lessons. Most copywriters are afraid to admit weakness, but if you are
prepared to step out on a limb and do this, your credibility will multiply
instantly.
Of course, this only applies if you haven't done anything that could
appear as having been intentionally harmful to others. But if you made a
genuine mistake - and we all have - share it!
A good example of turning around so-called mistakes or failures into
positives is the way Thomas Edison replied when he was asked "How did it
feel to fail 1,000 times?" His famous answer was "I didn't fail 1,000 times.
The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."
Be like a Thomas Edison and make it all about your reader not having to
go through the 1000 steps you did before they get it right!

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5. Demonstrate and Explain The Benefits
Here is where you put your teachers, hat on and show your audience how
they can use what you are offering them to get what they want. Remember:
people want to feel a certain way, they want to know what the thing or
service they are buying can do for them. And they want to know this far more
than what color it is or what fancy technology it has. This means you can talk
about the features of a product or service briefly (don't make that too wordy),
then spend more time talking about how it can help them get to their desired
end.
The __________ has __________ and ___________ so you can do
[insert all the things they want to have and feel as a result of buying the
__________.
Grab a piece of paper now and draw a line down the middle. Write down
all the features of your product or service on the left hand side. Now think
about all the benefits of each point, and tie them into the points (or hot
buttons) you know your reader wants. Don't just say this widget has fancy
new blue crystals, say the fancy blue crystals in this cell phone increase its
range by over 450% so you can be fishing or skiing on the fringes of standard
coverage areas.
Think about obvious benefits and then extend them to how these benefits
will make your reader feel, or how they will make their life better.
Use the IF, THEN, WITHOUT format which is essentially "If you do
this, then you can have that, without [insert pain that is usually associates
with doing or getting what they want]".
You can use bullet points if you wish to make the text easier to read.
Bullets also help to highlight the number of positive points of your product or
service.

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6. Offer social proof & third party endorsements.
At this point the readers” logical side usually starts to make an
appearance. Testimonials and third party endorsements from associates can
be added to back up what you say. Obviously they help to provide further
evidence of your credibility. Use case studies or anything else that shows you
are who you say you are and can deliver what you promise.
7. Provide justification and build confidence
However much someone wants something, at some point,-usually when
they start thinking about having to pay for it -they look for logical reasons to
justify the purchase. Have you ever watched a L’Oreal ad and noticed that
right at the end of the ad, the model always says "Because you're worth it"?
This is because the company knows that women often feel like makeup is a
luxury they might not feel they deserve. It’s is a powerful way to say “Yes
you're worth it and you should feel good about buying our makeup.” It's a
very clever ad!
You can help your readers justify their purchase. You can add monetary
reasons why it's worth it, personal satisfaction based reasons, and even peer
related rewards such as "your staff/wife/friends will really appreciate it".
You should also make sure they believe they can achieve what you are
proposing. If your service is something that involves training, skill or
discipline it's really important that you make sure your reader feels like they
can achieve it. They may be thinking that they are not famous enough,
trained enough, pretty enough, haven't managed to achieve it before (failed)
or there may be a myriad of reasons they might lack confidence in
themselves.
To accomplish this you could make reference to other people who
thought the same but because of [insert point of difference] they achieved it.

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You could talk about how your program caters to people in many different
situations and include their demographics in the example.
The point is, you have to help them feel they can do or be what they need
to so they can get what they want.
Give them a reason to talk themselves into thinking the decision to buy is
not only a good one from a desire point or view, (makes them feel good), but
also that it’s possible to achieve and makes sense financially and socially too.
In other words, make it easy for them to check all the mental boxes they need
to check in order to make a purchase.
8. Deal with concerns.
When purchasing something, almost everyone has questions and
concerns they need answered. The last thing you want is for someone to
leave your page because you didn't answer their questions.
Take a piece of paper and write down all of the questions and concerns
you uncovered from your research. Now's the time to talk to your readers
about them. By talking about the concerns of others, or including some
frequently asked questions that the readers may have themselves, you are
doing several things:
◆ You are confirming that you understand their concerns.
◆ You have taken care of the things that they are afraid of
happening to them.
◆ Other people have had these same, valid concerns you have but
making this investment has worked out very well for them – as it will for
you..
◆ You are confirming your commitment to addressing and solving
your readers’ concerns.

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This is your opportunity to connect with your readers again, and really
assure them that you know what they need. As a result they will feel like you
are serious about helping them.
9.Explain what you’re offering
Your offer is one of the most important parts of your sales letter. It needs
to wow the audience with an attractive combination of price, terms, and
bonuses.
Now you can talk about everything your reader will get when they buy
your product or service. Give them a rundown of everything in bullet points,
then explain each point in further detail. Offer lots of extras to raise the
perceived value of your offer.
Be clear and concise, "you get this, this and that". You can get to the
point in this section because you've done the ground work to prepare for this
– the section in which you present your offer.
10. Shopping list
Remember that in the TV salesperson example I talked about the
shopping list. This is when you add a list of must haves for anyone who
wants the best _________. You can give your readers a list of things they
need to look for in a product or service to ensure they are getting the best
value, quality, or whatever you want to promote.
Add your own list of "must haves" for anyone who may decide to go
elsewhere and compare other offers from competitors. You can introduce
your unique selling propositions (USP's), and highlight the relevance of these
points.
11. Insert a guarantee or promise of service

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To make your offer risk free or low risk, you can offer a guarantee, or a
free trial. If you are not able to offer a money back guarantee, you can start
talking about your customer service and how you respond to customer
enquiries [OR inquiries]. It's very important to emphasize your guarantee or
customer service policy so readers know what to expect if something goes
wrong.
Give the strongest guarantee you can afford to offer. If you are not
confident in your ability to find the right buyers and deliver something of
immense value to them, then you are either targeting the wrong people, or
you need to do more homework on what you need to offer to satisfy them.
12. Provide scarcity or other motivation to take action NOW
Even if your offer is super tempting, if someone has no reason to act
now, they won't be compelled to make a decision to buy now. This could be
because their problem is not painful enough to deal with immediately, it
could be they are waiting for extra funds, the may want to shop around or
they could just be thinking they will come back later and buy.
Often people need some extra incentive as motivation to buy now. For
example if they think they might miss out on something, or have to pay more
for it later, they will feel a sense of urgency to buy.
You can create urgency buy offering a limited number of products,
services or memberships. You can add a time limit, or just take the whole
offer off the table on a specific date.
Whatever you decide to put in place as your point of urgency, make sure
you stick to it. If you don't you will train your audience to feel that there
really is no urgency, and that you are not credible. Again: whatever you offer
you must mean it and stick to it. This includes limited offers of time or
numbers of spots.

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13. Add a call to action and a reason why they should act now
Your readers have read a lot so far, they know what your offer is about
and what to expect. Now you need to ask them to do something. Ask them to
take an action in a clear concise and direct way.
"Start now and get your __________ now". Lead them to the next step.
Some people feel bossy telling people what to do so directly, but just like
walking a customer to the front of a store to make a purchase, it's a polite and
helpful thing to do. It’s just common courtesy to show them where to go
next.
If you are writing a blog post, you can tell them where to find more
information, or where to buy something. Alternatively, you can add a call to
action in your bio if adding your content to another organizations’ blog.
Your bio should include a small statement about your expertise and what
you help people do. You can add a hook that includes what a reader wants as
the explanation of what you help people to get.
Also, you can add a promise of more of what they want, rather than
necessarily a "buy this now" type call to action. "Learn more about how to
_________" is an example. Or Mia Gordon teaches people how to
_________ without having to do _________.
Add something that intrigues them and draws them in to want to learn
more, or ask them to take action directly if you’re writing a sales letter.
14. Finish with a P.S. summarizing what they get and why they need to
act now
You may be surprised to learn that the postscript – P.S.. - at the end of
your letter or in a blog post the summary, can be the most important part of
your content.

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Your reader has had a lot to assimilate:. At this point they might have
forgotton what they will be getting and some of the reasons why it's buying it
is a good investment. This is why it's important to summarize what they’ll
get and a reminder of why it's an awesome idea to buy it. It helps your reader
confirm their desire, and move them past any last minute hesitation.
Remind them of why they need to act now, and exactly what to do.. Be
clear, concise, precise and direct about what you want them to do.
So that's it - you're done! Well – nearly. Let your letter sit for a day and
then go back over it. A next day proof reading session will help you refine
your content down to a polished finished product.
Here are some extra tips when writing copy:
Don't be too much of a perfectionist. It’s fine as long as your punctuation
and spelling is good; it doesn’t have to please an English professor, but rather
speak to the people who it's most relevant to. They will be much more
interested in how well you understand what they want and need than in your
writing prowess. You will also find any typos you missed the day before. No
matter how many times you think you have checked them, you will often
find more.
Use your research to write features and benefits. Keep them handy at all
times, and connect them to the desired outcome of your reader.
Keep a log of any good ideas you have when writing. That way you can
develop a swipe file [I have never heard the phrase “swipe file” before] of
winning catchphrases.
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and avoid sentences that
require lots of commas. The idea is to write in a style that is clear and easy-
to-understand for a reader who is in a hurry.

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Don't worry about the length of your copy, Google loves long copy
provided it’s helpful and instructive. If your copy is skimmable and full of
information that is very relevant to your readers,,they won't mind the length.
They will find what they want in your letter as long as your layout is clear
and well spaced with clear titles. [You begin talking about what Google likes,
then switch to how readers/your audience will feel about long copy. Should
be one or the other, yes?]
Don't be afraid of white space. Leave plenty of space around your text as
this emphasizes your message..
Next I'm going to cover some more tips and advice on how to layout
your content for different purposes.

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OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS & CONCERNS
A lot of writers are fearful of bringing too much attention to a readers’
fears and concerns. They think it will turn people off. This is only true if a
writer doesn't quickly move toward a solution for these fears and concerns. In
fact, studies show that sales letters that address a readers’ concerns head on
(in an understanding way) are seen to be more trustworthy and more of an
authority that those who try to gloss over problems.
Concerns and objections are an opportunity to deal with any hesitation
the reader may have that’s holding him/her back from revealing them Not
revealing their concerns and objections limits your opportunity to help them
get past them.
Talking about a readers’ fears does several things:
◆ Helps them identify any hidden issues they may have at the
forefront of their mind (bringing them from subconscious to conscious
thought).

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◆ Shows the reader that you understand their concerns, which
validates them.
◆ Gives you an opportunity to walk the reader through and past
the problem.
◆ Gives you the opportunity to point out any positive points of
difference between your company and its competition.
You can introduce the subject of objections in different ways. One is to
talk about others who have asked these questions previously in the form of
FAQ's. Another is to simply include a list of potential issues.
You can talk about the solutions to these common questions but before
you do, make sure you validate the reader by stating or inferring that these
are good, reasonable questions to have.
The reason for this is that some readers may feel silly asking questions
about their problems, or they many be a highly sceptical persons who need to
know that you have thought of their problem already.
It's human nature to want confirmation and reassurance that you are
asking the right questions. So go ahead and give your readers a heads up, and
tell them. Say something like "Hey, you may be wondering ________. It's a
question we get asked a lot because people want to ensure they [insert safe
outcome]. We've put a lot of effort into [add resolution]".
This statement not only validates their reasons for asking the question,
but also answers it with a credible explanation of what you have done about
it and why.
You can talk to your audience as if they are sitting down with you asking
"what if” and “what about" questions. What if this happens or what about
guarantees etc.

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Help them feel good about asking the question and about the positive
outcome they can enjoy.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF HEADLINES
Headlines are the billboard advertisement for the rest of your content.
Your headline needs to grab a readers’ attention and include a hook that
connects your content to a desire.
The job of a headline is not to sell a product or service. Rather, [OR:
Instead] it is to create the opportunity to precondition your prospect with the
rest of your content. You want them to read your content and get on that
slippery slide to the bottom of the page - to the action you want them to take.
Your headline should preferably offer something and then address their
biggest fear or concern at the same time. For example...
"How to get this without having to do that!" (That being the thing they
want to avoid in the process).
A headline needs to be clear and concise, punchy and descriptive and
with a specific intent. There are five basic types of headlines, each with a
different intent.

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1. Urgent – gives the reader a reason to act now
2. Unique – saying something in a new or unique way
3. Ultra-specific – teasers to draw the reader in to a specific task
set (Best time to ______,4 foods that can_______, Ten steps to a_______,5
things to avoid when_______.
4. Useful – this type of title appeals to the reader's needs
5. Controversial - appeals to audiences where there is a lot of
discussion and controversy
Within the 5 categories there are ten sub-types of headlines
Benefit: Benefits sell, features don't. Again: if you have researched your
market well you will know what benefits your audience want to enjoy.
Command: Giving your audience a directive about what to do. You can
also encourage action by offering a benefit to go with it.
Direct: Tell your prospect exactly what to expect and what you are going
to do for them.
Guarantee: State a hot benefit and guarantee it. Of course you need to
make sure it is a decent and not a pitiful guarantee and one that you can back
up.
How to: There are well over 7,000 book titles beginning with 'How To'
and for good reason: because they sell. When testing headlines, try adding a
'how to' in them..
Indirect: Use curiosity to raise a question in the reader's mind. This needs
to be used with caution, and you need to give the reader a decent payoff to
satisfy their curiosity so they are highly satisfied with their "discovery".
News: If your product or service is topical or newsworthy, use it in your
headline.

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Question: Introduce an industry or market specific question. Again you
have to be careful when using this one to position yourself as an expert, and
back it up if possible with 3rd party references. The best types of questions to
ask are questions which engage your prospect in some way with something
that is specific to them.
Reason Why: give your prospect solid reasons why they should read your
content.
Testimonial: Use excerpts from testimonials to write winning headlines
with a benefit included. These are great for showing that there are people like
them who have benefited, or have been able to achieve something your
readers might not be sure they can.
Headlines are the sales pitch for the rest of the page. You don't have to
sell the thing you are promoting through the headline, you only have to get
the reader to read the rest of your content.

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THE ART OF INFERENCE
THE ART OF INFERENCE
THE ART OF INFERENCE [Mia I suspect you only want this
headline one time rather than 3 times]]
The best copywriters in the world use inference as mind control. Yup -
they mess with your head by inferring something rather than actually saying
it.

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Let’s say I am selling a type of office chair to an office manager and say
something like:
"We found that the majority of office workers that used to have lower
lumbar problems and now use this type of chair, have found it’s the best chair
for maintaining good posture, and most importantly, eliminating their lower
lumbar problems.".
If I had said "This office chair helps with lower lumbar support and lots
of our clients like it", it would not have the same punch.
Did you spot the difference? The first statement inferred that:
◆ Lots of people buy the chairs
◆ This is a superior model to others
◆ The staff no longer have sore backs, thanks to the chair
◆ There is a group endorsement of the product (more powerful
than one person)
◆ If the reader has a sore back they will relate to these people
(who are like them)
◆ This chair has awesome lower lumbar support
Now if I had tried to get "all salesy" and tell the story as a sales pitch, for
example:
"Now these are our best selling chairs because they are comfortable, have
great quality and oh – we sell lots of them." the person listening might think
[Mia you need to complete this sentence; such as”: Oh boy, here I go
again with just another pushy salesperson.”
With copywriting you have the opportunity to say so much without
sounding like every other sales person. You can interrupt their line of thought
with what is called a “pattern interrupt”. An example of a pattern interrupt is

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when you say something completely unexpected. This breaks down
scepticism and their pattern of automatic shutdown that occurs when they
think they know you are trying to sell to them the way they are used to being
sold to.
Include statements that interrupt people at a point where scepticism
might be creeping in. Say something they are not expecting - for example, if
they are waiting for you to say something about being the best _______ in
your industry, I could say "Hey not everyone likes our product!"
It's much better to talk about benefits by inference and by showing
readers through other means how a product or service may help them.
You can begin with something that is a story, an example or a situation,
or talk about how XYZ helped __________ to __________ and what we
learned from that is __________ (as a third party case study).
This directs the readers’ focus away from anticipating the sales pitch, and
makes them curious about what they are hearing.
You can infer all kinds of things by including the benefits other people
enjoyed from using your products and services, while talking about
something else.
Frank Kern (one of the highest paid copywriters in the world) is a master
of the art of inference. Watch his videos and know that despite his casual
persona, and genuine desire to give, nothing you see in his videos is
accidental. Every word is aimed at putting the viewer at ease. He throws in
all sorts of little comments., one if his favorites being "no shenanigans".
Frank is a genuine guy, he means it when he promises to deliver. But he also
knows that a lot of things are going through a viewer’s mind. Top
copywriters know that dropping subtle but important statements into text that
comforts readers is extremely powerful.

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Don't be afraid to make fun of yourself - throw in things that put your
audience at ease. Lets say you know that many of your readers are scared of
giving something a go because they are lacking confidence.
You could throw in a comment about how you used to be such a dork
when it comes to __________, that you were the worst [insert what they
want to be good at] in your class. You are aligning yourself with them, and
reassuring them that you might be an expert now, but once upon a time you
were like them or not as good as them.
“What I hear you saying is…” - is not a cool thing for a smooth
salesperson to say! But if I followed that up with "I get that our products
won't suit everyone, that’s why we like to take you through xyz process to
make sure we are the perfect fit for each other. We don't want to take on
clients who we don't think we do amazing things for them, and we don't want
you to invest unless you can get the best return".
See how something negative is actually positive?, What you are inferring
is scarcity. [I’m not clear on this point]
There are many, many ideas you can dream up to drop in to your content.
Remember that the purpose of inference is to put your readers at ease. Relate
to them and help them feel confident in their ability to achieve what they
want.
Words that infer authority, success and effectiveness:
Proven
Tested
Trialled [OOPS! This is not a word found in Merriam-Webster’s online
dictionary]
Researched
Statistically
Devised
Administered

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Applied
Winning
Outcome
Affirmed
Confirmed
Cited
Stated
Outlined
Cautious
Careful
Qualified
Certified
Graduated
Confirmed
Suggested
and here are many more you can come up with.

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DAMAGING ADMISSIONS ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS
AND/OR SERVICES [To distinguish this from the personal story
about the copywriters’ “damaging admissions” section above]
Savvy marketers have long understood the power of the 'damaging
admission'. The damaging admission is where the seller points out the flaws
of the product or service they are offering. The truth is that no products,
services or offers are perfect and so it’s natural for prospects to wonder
'What's the potential downfall or hidden catch?'
Here’s where you can use the power of admitting weakness to show your
strengths.
In the mid eighties, Cleveland State University researchers made an
astonishingdiscovery:
The research team created two fictitious job candidates, Dave and John.
For each candidate they created identical resumes and two almost identical
letters of reference. The ONLY difference between the two: John's letter

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contained an admission in the following sentence:
'Sometimes, John can be a little difficult to get along with.'
The researchers showed the resumes to personnel directors.
Can you guess which applicant the directors most wanted to interview?
Believe it or not, the answer is JOHN.
The conclusion made by the researchers was that John's resume was
more likely to be real because it was more believable.
This example illustrates why you should let prospects know up front
what the weaknesses or limitations are of what you are offering. By doing
this you can accomplish several things:
First, by being upfront about the limitations of your product, service or
concept, your prospect will be less inclined to direct their focus on trying to
uncover faults and weaknesses themselves. If someone is busy thinking about
what the "catches" are, their attention to the positive benefits may be diluted.
If you get the damaging admissions out of the way first, you can shift them
quickly to the next "thing" you want them to focus on.
Second, it lends credibility to everything else you have to say about your
product or service. If you've been honest enough to admit the weaknesses and
flaws of what you're offering, it would make logical sense for the reader to
assume that all the positive things you have to say are true too.
Third, it can capture a reader’s attention. Who can resist a statement that
begins with "I shouldn't be telling you this, but...."?
Cosmetics company Lush has long understood the power of the
'damaging admission'. Right alongside their product descriptions they include

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positive and negative customer comments. Some are raving reviews - which
a reader would expect. But a review that says "smells a bit too earthy" helps
to refute the idea that the positive testimonials are not genuine, don't you
agree?
Many people are afraid of making 'damaging admissions' because they
think that by showing a weakness they'll lose a sale. In actuality, the opposite
is usually true. The fact is (and research shows) you're far more likely to win
your customers' trust and respect if you admit flaws openly.
Opportunities to find damaging admissions might be found in common
questions you are asked by customers. You can also look at reviews and
forums to see what common concerns customers are talking about.
You can also create damaging admissions with a fixable solution from
actual situations you have dealt with before. For example, you can add an
story/case study of something that was an issue that the company resolved
with a positive outcome. Postage and packaging problems are a great
example e.g. "My bottle of shampoo was cracked in transit which annoyed
me, but the company replaced it quickly and gave me an extra bonus bottle as
well which was great".
This is a good example of how you can show a reader what your
company does in situations you know people are worried about happening.
Don't be afraid of admitting faults. Instead, use these as a way to show
what you did about them or what you learned. Your readers will appreciate
your transparency.

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QUOTING CREDIBLE SOURCES
A third party statement is persuasive and credible either because it is
directly self-evident or because it appears to be proved from other statements
that are.. Especially useful are statements that are third party quoted from an
historically credible source.
Name dropping and quoting well known third parties that have already
built good reputations shows that:
1. You have done your homework
2. Infers some alignment or relationship with that source
3. Shows the caliber of information you aim to share with your
audience
Third party endorsements are important, especially for appeasing detail
oriented readers and sceptics.
People who may have felt the need to leave your website to go check up
on whether what you have been stating is factual, may not feel the need to do
so if you have included enough credible data from other sources.

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Give readers everything they need from your content and control what
they use for reference, and you will hold them to your page.

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BULLETS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Readers have short attention spans. They want to retrieve information
fast. An excellent way to help your reader get to the information they want
fast is to lay out information in bulleted lists.
Definition: A "bullet point" is an item introduced by a dot ("bullet") or a
similar icon or numbered list style of bullets.
Bulleted lists are a good way to help skim readers quickly find the points
that are of interest to them. They may also use the bullets to qualify the rest
of the content, and to decide whether it contains the information they want
and therefore whether they want to keep reading.
You can use bullets to capture their interests by including topics that you
know through your research, your audience is most interested in. You can
also use them to highlight any common issues or questions you know your
readers have about the product or service you are writing about.

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Use bullets like a table of contents, and assume your readers will be skim
reading them. They are essentially a teaser for the accompanying explanation
you are going to include for each bullet in the paragraphs that follow.
Here are 10 tips for creating easy to read, clear bullet points that
highlight features, benefits, questions, concerns, steps, or tips.
Emphasize the beginning of the bullet point with a concise summary of
the point you want to illustrate.
For example, if your bullets are questions, make sure all of the bullet
points are questions without statements mixed in amongst[more commonly at
least in America:: among] them.. If you have more than one set of bullets on
your page, you can have different genres or groups of bullets.. For example
one set of bullets might be FAQ's and another solution based, such as “Top 5
tips to help you be better organized”.
Keep your bullet points symmetrical where possible. It's easier to read
bullets that follow a consistent pattern of formatting, so your readers don't
have to work hard to find what they are looking for. Keep consistent
punctuation. This means that if one bullet ends with a period (full stop), end
all or them with a period.
Avoid ending bullet points with semicolons (;). This looks messy and is
confusing.
Remember that bullets should be short and sweet. Don't try to make your
bullet points paragraph length. Three lines should be the absolute maximum.
.Don't make your readers have to work hard. Remember it's a bullet point,
not an essay.

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Number bullet points when there are more than five, to help your readers
stay on track, and not get lost.
Don't use connecting words and phrases such as "secondly". These slow
down readers and dilute the point you want to make.
Keep bullets thematically related. That is: ensure your bullet points are
related to each other, especially if you have a lot of them. If there are more
than 15, you may want to consider breaking them into more than one set
unless they are highly related and it makes sense to keep them together. Keep
your punctuation and grammar the same too.
Be watry of using bullets points with sensitive or emotionally
challenging material. If you do use them, you want to take a reader quickly to
something that gives them relief. For example if listing a whole lot of
negatives, you don't want to make them feel depressed to the point turning
them off. For emotionally charged content, you may be better off addressing
each point one at a time with a subtitle and paragraph below it. It can quickly
make your reader feel better at every step, and they are much more likely to
want to read the next paragraph.
Keep a clean layout. Avoid mixing fonts, sizes, or margin settings.
Bullet points not only help your readers assimilate information, they also
help you to create compact but engaging, easy to absorb chunks of text.
With bullet points it is possible to get important points across using a
simple structure and punctuation.
Think of bullets as mini headlines. They should convey a clear benefit
and promise to the reader. They encourage readers to skim through the
content of your bullets, giving you the opportunity to entice them into
reading further.

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8 ways to write bullet points that work
In this day and age, readers want text that is easy to digest, no longer
than necessary, useful, actionable and to the point.Whoever makes sense
first, wins in the content marketing game.
One of the best ways to make sense of an idea, especially online, is rather
than dumbing it down, break it up into digestible chunks.
Bullets points are like mini billboards, so use them effectively. Don't
write boring bullets - give them meaning. For example if you had recurring
tonsillitis and were looking for a natural cure, which bullet point would you
be more interested in:
◆ Contains UMF honey from Kaikoura New Zealand OR
◆ Contains soothing UMF honey with antibacterial & clinically
proven healing properties
Add in a benefit if you can. How about this business example:
◆ How to speak confidently in public
◆ How to speak with inner confidence, eliminate stage fright &
still be yourself whether you're a shy introvert or an outgoing extrovert!
See how the second one also solves a problem and lets the reader know
that if they are a shy person, that it's not a big deal. Build curiosity and play
on mystery. Don't be afraid to add some mystique that a reader will want to
explore further.
Create bullets from compound sentences to help you drive home a point
while at the same time leveraging the usability of your content.

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Use authority bullets where you quote third party research. These build
curiosity and credibility at the same time. An example might be "Forbes
magazine’s 2015 research reveals that 7 out of 10 businesses...."
Cliffhanger bullets tease and hint at what's about to come in the near
future. These are great for building anticipation of upcoming promotions,
launches, or special events, live or in content form.
Your bullets are like a giveaway sample at the store. Craft each bullet as
if it were to serve as your headline. You can use a bullet point to give away a
small sample that tempts and teases the reader into wanting more.
Make sure your bullets offer something of use. Make them helpful and
solution oriented. You want to leave your readers feeling like they have
gained something useful or helpful from engaging with your content. Most of
all, you want to give them hope and excitement - so they want to take another
step, whether that be to get them to read more or a call to action if you want
them to do something directly as a result of reading your bullet points.
Don't expect to achieve perfection with each and every bullet you write.
Practice and keep practicing so these principles become second nature, and in
time you'll become a bullet point expert.

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CALL TO ACTION GUIDELINES
Call to action buttons on websites are often neglected. Designers are
often focused on making call to action graphics on a website attractive so
they fit into the overall design. They don't understand exactly what makes a
good call to action button, other than how to looks.
A call to action is the connection, or bridge between your content and
where you want your readers to go next. You have gone to much effort to
craft compelling content, and so it makes sense to put just as much thought
and care into crafting a compelling call to action.
The Purpose of "Call to Action" Buttons
Call to action buttons can serve a variety of functions. The main function
of a call to action is to get a visitor to do something. That something could be
adding a product to their shopping cart, downloading something, requesting
information, signing up for a newsletter or registering for a membership.
Types of "Calls to Action"

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There are a few different types of call to action buttons. While each type
aims to get visitors to perform a certain action, that action can vary
considerably. Below are the most common types of call to action buttons,
1. Add to Cart Buttons
2. Download Buttons
3. Free Trial Buttons
4. Learn More Buttons
5. Sign Up Buttons
6. Biography Call To Action Buttons*
*A biography call to action button is one in which you add a third party
reference to yourself as an owner, expert or teacher and state a call to action
describing what the readers can get or use by visiting your website.
When creating a call to action:
◆ Don't give your visitors any excuse to hesitate
◆ While urgency is important, tell the truth and make sure you are
delivering what you promise
◆ Give them enough information in your call to action to act
◆ Ask them to act NOW
◆ Be descriptive and give and explain a benefit, preferably with a
"without having to..."
◆ Be concise and to the point
When writing call to action statements it is best to include links within
sentences. Over the years I have found that a statement within a sentence will
get clicked on more than a click here link.

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Offer your readers something that is the logical next step up from what
you just taught them or explained to them. Make sure it contains a directive
with an explanation of what they are going to get.
For example, a link that says 'To save even more time on your daily
tasks, claim your 14 day free trial here now.” is more effective than Click
here to get a free trial.
Remember that if you include a reason and use the 'do this to get that'
formula, your response and click through rates will be higher. Your readers
will feel like they are taking the next step rather then being let to a sales
pitch.

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CONTINUITY & CONGRUENCY
When you spend so much time building a rapport with your readers, it's
extremely important to keep continuity between what you are promising and
what the readers get when they arrive at the destination you are sending them
to.
In other words, whatever you promise your readers in your content, you
need to deliver when they get to the place you are sending them. You need to
satisfy their expectations.
In the midst of a lot of different information, people are easily confused
by messages that may be similar, but not exactly them same. This applies to
the text you use too. For example:
Let’s say you tell someone in your content that they can get a FREE
MEMBERSHIP, but on the page they land on after following your link
button says GET FREE REGISTRATION. They see different text.

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This may not seem like a big deal, but the slightly different language
used means the reader has to stop and think for a moment whether they are
getting the same thing as what they were promised.
People look for safety and consistency when they are being asked to do
something. Anything that is slightly "off", or makes them work can be
enough to stop the flow and momentum of the action you want them to take.
When you create content, try and use terms, colors and anything else that
people will recognize from the website or company branding. This can
include catchphrases, terminology, images, product names, taglines and
especially calls to action.
It's important to use the same instructions and consistent wording of your
offers. When you do this you are building familiarity with your company's
branding. Readers will also find it easier to remember what you want them to
do when they are ready to do it! You are preconditioning or training your
readers what to expect from you, so make sure they feel like you are reliable
and consistent!

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WHAT TO USE FOR CONTENT
This is a pretty easy one to cover. You should already have a swipe file
with all of your customers’ questions and opinions about products and
services.
When writing a book, I always use questions to create chapters because I
know these are what my audience wants to know.
If I add topics I know they are interested in, it helps me to thoroughly
work my way through what they want to know and also all of their potential
issues.
This is what I do when preparing to write books, but you can do the same
with blogs or other types of content. Choose a topic, then write down a series
of questions and answers revolving around them.
Brainstorm content ideas by using:
How questions What questions

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Why questions When questions
Who questions How questions
Next you can list these in bullet form, then elaborate with a more
comprehensive description of each point below.
For example:
Bullet 1. (Question, step or statement)
Bullet 2.
Bullet 3.
Bullet 4.
Bullet 5.
Next you can create paragraphs that go into more detail about each of
these points.
Bullet 1.
Description of bullet point 1. Add solutions or steps etc.
And so on....
You can of course add pictures, graphs or illustrations to break up your
text.
Write stuff that makes people think or say "WOW! I didn't know that".
People love feeling awe-inspired and surprised (in a good way). Tell
inspiring stories within your content that are examples of happy and
successful outcomes.

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ARTICLE SPECIFIC FORMATTING
I'm sure you already agree, writing great articles that address niche
market problems is one of the most powerful and effective ways to build
inbound links to a website.
Because articles are the most common type of content to write, I want to
include a format specifically for articles, plus cover how to write a
compelling bio.
Articles can be about resources, how-tos, solving a problem, teaching
something, or addressing an issue, and they’re easy to write when you use
this simple pattern: [template?]
1. Write a headline that points out a problem and contains your primary
key phrase, for example: "How to break a bad habit in 5 days”
2. Add a quick Summary (and include a relevant secondary key phrase).
This should be only one paragraph, 3-5 short succinct sentences summarizing
what your article is about.
3. Use your first paragraph after the summary to point out how the
problem or concern might impact them.

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Try to include your primary key phrase or a variant of it for relevance.
Elaborate on the problem and poke [highlight] it to make it more apparent.
Explain the ways this problem can impact them.
4. Offer solutions outlined in bullet format.
Next suggest a few examples of how the reader can solve the problem or
improve their situation.
5. Summarize : close on a positive note.
End your article with a paragraph or two that summarizes your most
important points. Wrap up with a positive spin that gives them hope and
something to move towards.
6. Include your contact info - your bio information. You have built your
readers’ interest and desire. They should be impressed by your helpfulness
and great ideas and so will likely want to contact you for more information,
services, or products. Many websites if not your own) will allow you to
include four to six lines that provide your contact information and even a
plug for your latest product or service.
The right way to create a bio.
Write you bio as a third party description of who you are and what you
offer.
1) Include your name (you want to brand yourself!)
2) Include your site name (your domain name or URL)
3) Include a relevant keyword as anchor text e.g. Mia Gordon, author and
founder of http://www.mywebsite.com has helped hundreds of itchy scalp
sufferers overcome dandruff and other scalp conditions. On
www.mywebsite.com/page you can download information about scalp
remedies, plus tips and information about how to relieve annoying scalp itch
fast! Keyword proximity is important so use keyword rich sentences
4) A bio should be 2-3 sentences long
5) Add a USP if you can.

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This format is a shortened version of the content template and works well
for blogs that need to be shorter.

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ARTICLE EXAMPLE
The following is an example is an article I wrote that has had over half a
million views. Visitors to the website from the article converted to sales at a
rate of 15% to 20%. Newsletter signups were high too.
See if you can spot the psychology behind each section of the article.
Note that the article isn't perfect - my English teacher would have left lots of
red marks all over it with suggestions for improvement I'm sure. But it didn't
need to be perfect - it just needed to relate to my audience, and it did!
Itchy Scalp Treatments: Using A Natural Home Remedy For Itchy Scalp
Conditions
Yes it can be extremely annoying and embarrassing having a scalp
condition like dandruff, eczema, scalp infections or a nasty itchy red rash on
your scalp.
If you are suffering from:

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◆ flaky itchy scalp or do you have dry scalp with redness and
rashes that drive you crazy ?
◆ scalp picking - do you constantly find yourself picking at &
scratching your head?
◆ oily scalp and limp hair leaving you feeling less than your best
◆ embarrassing dandruff falling on your clothes
◆ or even a fungal infection of your scalp that can lead to lesions
or scalp sores.
◆ hair falling out & patches on your scalp
Your instinct might be to pick up a product from the local store shelf or
your doctor. Most scalp treatments that promise relief from dry scalp
conditions sound very attractive until you start reading the fine print.
Sodium Laureth or Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) What's that? Why do you have
to call a Poison Control Center if you accidentally swallow shampoo? And
what are those warning labels on the back all about?
What does it do to your scalp if it's that toxic?
Stop!
What you must know is that several chemicals, especially SLS, strip the
natural oils from the skin and even corrode it, along with your eye
membranes. Have you also noticed that your hair has been thinning? Well
hair follicle damage is another little known but very common symptom of
these chemicals.
Actually, most commercial shampoos & scalp treatments are designed to
meet people's "sensory" expectations offering instant gratification and the
illusion that they are doing their job. So therein lies the problem. For
example adding silicone to conditioner induces an artificial shine but in truth
can create problems long term including sensitivities.

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Most people expect a shampoo to:
◆ Foam up nicely
◆ Smell good
◆ Take all the so-called "nasty" oiliness out of their hair
◆ Make their hair feel squeaky-clean
And that's a reasonable ask - think about it, if your shampoo didn't foam
up, smell good, or leave your hair feeling squeaky-clean, would you trust it?
Well, here's the thing: 90% of commercial shampoos achieve the foaming
effect using the equivalent of engine degreasers to strip off not only dirt and
grime but also valuable natural oils that your scalp needs.
Yes -your scalp needs natural oils. Without them, your body has no
natural defence those oils are there for a reason! Your scalp needs to maintain
a natural PH balance that if disturbed - can develop into a dry, itchy irritated
scalp.
The good news is that there are many natural remedies you can use with
moisturising oils and natural powerful alternatives to heal & reverse any
scalp problem by restoring balance safely. You can easily repair follicle and
damage - even boost hair growth and use your own home remedy for scalp
cell regeneration.
There are also the artificial aromas that are added its alarming the huge
percentage of people who are mildly to severely averse or allergic to artificial
scents and we don't even know it.
So what non toxic itchy scalp treatments and natural remedies can help?
Well there are many non toxic shampoos which are nourishing and
conditioning while still giving you the "foam effect", they smell nice with the

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addition of the natural oils they contain. So you do have a choice and it does
NOT have to cost you more, in fact most of them are less you just have to
know what to look for.
So lets have a look at natural oils for treating your scalp:
Here are some of my favorite natural oils you can use for hair & scalp
treatments.
Zinc Pyrithione: Wonderful stuff for scalp conditions. First synthesized
in the 1930's, this is the most widely used active ingredient from a natural
source. It's used to treat dandruff, seborrheic dermatitus, psoriasis, eczema
and numerous other skin and scalp disorders. It has strong anti-fungal and
anti-bacterial properties.
Jojoba: Is excellent as a scalp moisturiser and helps to rebalance sebum.
Tea Tree: Oily hair Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and
underactive sebaceous glands, enlivens the scalp and brings the cells &
follicles to attention
Basil: Oily hair promotes growth
Chamomile: Fine to normal hair gives golden highlights
Clary sage:All types of hair dandruff treatment
Lavender: Normal hair Scalp treatment for itchiness, dandruff, and even
lice!
Lemon: Oily hair Gives golden highlights; treatment for dry scalp,
dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands

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Myrrh: Dry hair Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive
sebaceous glands
Patchouli: Oily hair Dandruff treatment
Peppermint: Dry hair Promotes hair growth
Rose: Fine hair Soothes scalp
Rosemary: Oily hair Dandruff treatment; promotes hair growth
Tea tree: Oily hair Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and
underactive sebaceous glands
Ylang-ylang: Oily hair Dandruff treatment
Neem: a wonder oil from India. Neem is amazing for all of the wonderful
"stuff" it does. It's also derived from a type of tree bark. Neem is an effective
fungicide and insecticide (great for head lice when used with geranium,
rosemary, lavender and eucalyptus oils). In clinical studies Neem extracts
and oil were found to be as effective as coal tar and cortisone in treating
psoriasis with none of the usual side effects accompanying the use of Neem
as there was with Coal tar and cortisone.
Neem extracts and oil removes redness and itching when applied directly
to your scalpand it's a great skin conditioner.
The best part of knowing that there are alternatives is the fact you can
mix these into super powerful blends like a super moisture boosting home
remedy for dry scalp, or soothing itchy scalp treatments yourself. Dry itchy
scalp can be dealt with fast and permanently without spending a ton on
traditional scalp med products.
Here's just one easy remedy you can make today:

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Home remedy for dry itchy scalp Take c oatmeal and soak in water for
20 mins. Mix well and then strain the liquid adding it to a cup. Add 5 drops
lavender oil (or lavender stalks steeped in cup hot water. Add 5 drops
rosemary (or rosemary stalks steeped in cup hot water. Allow to cool until
tepid.
Mix the liquids together and dab on your scalp, leave in for 10 mins to
soothe the itch. This a good temporary soother for itching. Chamomile tea is
also soothing!
There are hundreds of ideas that are excellent scalp treatments from
dandruff to scalp infections like scalp sores & psoriasis. These remedies
combined with the knowledge of what causes itchy scalp and other scalp
conditions will enable you to be free from itching, dryness and allow you to
grow fabulously thick, shiny beautiful hair also..so have fun experimenting
and "luxuriating" by giving your hair a treat using the many natural gifts
from nature that are right under our noses!
There are also many natural shampoos that so not use these ingredients
and do wonders for your hair such as Akin shampoo, and Thursday
Plantation which is fantastic as an effective anti-dandruff shampoo.
SOOTHING & HEALING ANTIFLAMMATORY REMEDY: Apply a
mixture of 1 teaspoon of Neem oil (antifungal & antiitching) 1 teaspoon
Teatree or Manuka (also antifungal) which much stronger than teatree, one
teaspoon of Rosemary oil and one teaspoon of Lavender oil together in 3
tablespoons of carrier oils such as Olive or Almond oil (Wheatgerm and
Macadamia carrier oils closely match your natural sebum) and apply to your
scalp daily.
GARDEN REMEDY: Go to your garden and get 3 sprigs of Rosemary,
and chop up and add to 3 tea bags of Chamomile tea. Boil gently, let cool,
strain and rinse your hair with this liquid for a calming antiflammatory effect.

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There are many more remedies you can use to treat your scalp as well as
many shampoos that are excellent value, contain no nasties to aggravate your
scalp and hair follicles. It's really simple to treat yourself to your own
pampering session and help heal your sore scalp. And then be kind to it by
using only products that nourish your hair and scalp.... So have fun with oils
and trying the remedies I mentioned above. You can have beautiful hair &
healthy scalp when you know what is good for it – and what's not without
spending a fortune and curing it yourself - naturally!
To find more natural scalp and skin remedies, as well as ready made
formulations you can buy and apply for scalp relief and shiny healthy flake
free hair visit: www.website.com
Can you see the problems and questions I have addressed?. I've appealed
to their desire for a soothed calm scalp, but also dealt with some things they
may not have been aware of before. The reason for doing this was to anchor
them to the page, so they felt they had to read on to find out how to avoid
those yucky chemicals.
I gave them lots of useful explanations and remedies to use to show them
I was genuine [OR: sincere] about helping them. They could read the
remedies and check up on me and whether they were real recipes, too. Even
though I was giving away my recipes, a huge proportion of people visited the
website to buy the ready made remedies and became regular customers.
Don't be scared to be generous! Help them and show them how awesome
you are. If you are great now, they will be curious and enthusiastic about
learning what else you can deliver.

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GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT
CONTENT & DESIGN
How good your images look – or more specifically how professional
they appear to be - can make or break your copy.
English speaking readers usually read from top left to bottom right. So
the top left hand corner of your page is "prime real estate".
This can be a good place to add a subscription box, but if you want your
reader to read your content first, then avoid making this prime spot a
distraction.
Images should also be used carefully.
Here are 10 rules-of-thumb to follow for adding images:
Rule number 1 - don't use poor quality images EVER!

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Rule number 2 - use two typeface families maximum. OK, maybe three.
Rule number 3 - pick colors purposefully. In other words, pick colors that
match your website or other content.
Rule number 4 - less is more, if you can use fewer images and still make
the same point, then do it.
Rule number 5 - negative space is your friend. Don't be afraid of space
around your content. It makes it more readable, and highlights strong points
you want to make.
Rule number 6 - don't be too cryptic.
Rule number 7 - symmetry is not your friend when it comes to content
layout.
Rule number 8 - make it appeal to more than one type of reader and not
just something that you personally like.
Rule number 9 - use consistent or complimentary fonts
Keep your text font consistent or complimentary to the text on the rest of
your page. Keep the shape and size of your images balanced.
Rule number 10 - use the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a "rule of
thumb" or guideline which applies to the composition of visual images such
as designs, films, paintings, and photographs. The guideline proposes that an
image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally
spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that
important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or at
their intersections.
Make sure to keep your content clean. Too many images will distract the
reader from the important points your text is making.

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PRINT ADS
Print media is a tricky medium to master. To be effective it needs to be a
condensed combination of key points that hook your readers’ attention &
make them want to take action.
You only have a very small space to work with, so make it count.
Make your images count. Unless they have a message or purpose or a
logo, think carefully about how much they contribute to your content. If they
are confusing so people become focused on trying to work out what the
image means, you will have lost the impact of the rest of the content.
Offer an eye-catching benefit, how they can get or achieve [insert thing
they want] so they can [insert final desire and what they want to feel] without
having to do [insert thing they hate most and want to avoid].
Give them succinct reasons why they would want X.
Add a strong call to action right at the bottom of the page.

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These are pretty much the main ingredients in a good print ad.

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ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS
When people read a blog post they generally expect one or more of
the following things:
◆ To be entertained
◆ To be given something to help them make a decision
◆ To help them solve a problem
◆ To be educated and informed
◆ To be trained how to do something
◆ To feel something as a result of reading the post
◆ To solidify something they already know, but want further
confirmation about
Your job, therefore, as a writer is to uncover your readers’ intent and
what is most likely to give them satisfaction in your content.
You can break blog posts down into a series of subjects where you cover
all of the points that your audience want to know.

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If you have done your homework properly, you should already have a list
of points they want covered. As I explained before many times, you can take
them through a series of steps starting with identification and qualification,
then moving on to bonding and alignment, etc etc.
At the end of the page you can summarize what they learned, why they
can safely make a decision based on this information, and what to do next.
That's the format to follow for writing blog posts and articles.

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SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is fun! (in my opinion anyway). You can be a little bit
cheeky and get away with more humor, or tongue in cheek statements if
you're careful.
A lot of people post random stuff on Social Media without a purpose. It's
important to post with intent. Even if you are not directly trying to sell
something through a post (and you shouldn't be posting any more than 30%
commercial type posts a day), you can still tie in statements that engage the
reader with something relevant to their interests.
You can build a series of posts that explain something, or cover common
concerns in a helpful way.
Use keywords and decent length descriptions of 200 to 300 words for
Pinterest & Google+ posts as these can be indexed by search engines.
Be generous but not patronizing. Give credit where possible to others
(especially to authority sites and brands) but make sure it is appropriate and
relevant.

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Make people think “WOW! I didn't know that.” whenever you can.
People love experiences and to be moved in some way. Give them
something to shift them away from their standard patterns of thinking. That's
why awe-inspiring photos and videos go viral. People love to be awed!
Demonstrate, help, teach!
Show other people doing what they want THEIR way!
And of course answer questions. Let your audience get to know you,
share your expertise by answering questions online and helping them
everywhere you can on social media.
Pinterest Checklist
Purpose
Achieving viral spread of Actives own and client photos using keyword
rich descriptions and searchable #hashtags.
Pinterest has a lot of viral potential especially when we collaborate with
bigger Pinterest boards of ezines, and travel sites.
Policy
High quality photos and videos that have well researched keyword
content based on popular or trending topics. Use #hashtags.
Procedure:
Use Google Analytics converting keyword phrases to search for trending
topics. Google Trends in another good source of keywords.
Choose high quality photos that include:
Fun

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Awe
Curiosity
Fascination
Images – good quality pictures and videos
Add # hashtags
Add URL if uploading image from computer
Comment on other posts
Use statements including phrases like:
How to
Why people
You could
If you
Ways to
Top reasons to
Tops reasons why
Why it's
Things to consider
The important thing to remember is
Post comments on other related board pins, especially bigger sites with
1000 plus followers.
Remember to include the most important points for your audience and
topic, and to be helpful and knowledgeable at the same time.
Facebook Checklist
Purpose
To build social reach outward from existing clients and attract new
likes/followers from other sources. Use Facebook to find existing and new
customers to share experiences with using media to give a multi-dimensional
snapshot of what you offer.

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Policy
Create interactive content that engages new clients through multimedia
with use of popular #hashtags.
Procedure
Research popular trending travel related #hashtag topics, find other
websites using these and like, contribute to and comment on their pages.
Offer content to big sites who want quality images and content to post.
Comment on their content.
Look for topics your clients are interested in and create connective
content between your site and theirs. Contribute to these pages with positive
comments interacting with potential client audiences.
Include #tags in content in content on your pages and other sites for your
travel niches and on external Facebook pages.
These should be used EXTENSIVELY on bigger Facebook pages you
have previously liked.
Consider adding Facebook comments to a blog.
Add:
Images – good quality pictures and videos
Add # hashtags
Add URL where appropriate
Comment on other posts
Contribute to other peoples’ pages with helpful, relevant content
Use statements including phrases like
How to
Why people
You could

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If you
Ways to
Top reasons to
Tops reasons why
Why it's
Things to consider
Important things to remember
LinkedIn Checklist
Purpose
To create a visible presence on Linkedin
Policy
Stay
Procedure
[Mia you’ll want to add content here such as you’ve done for this
category above]
Add:
Images – good quality pictures and videos
Create and contribute to discussions that are relevant to your audience
Add URL where appropriate
Comment on other posts/discussions and add useful ideas and
contributions
Endorse and invite other members
Use statements including phrases like
How to
Why people
You could

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If you
Ways to
Top reasons to
Tops reasons why
Why it's
Things to consider
Important things to remember
With all social media remember to include the most important points for
your audience and topic, and to be helpful and knowledgeable.
There are two important starting points to remember when implementing
your Google+ strategy:
First, use keyword and intent based combinations of phrases in your
Titles and...
Second, use very specific and correct formatting of your posts’ content.
If linking to a page, use a sufficient number of words that are highly relevant
to the page your post points to. If not linking to page and creating an image
post, make sure that the description is a decent length to make it more
searchable in Google+ and also generic search engines.
Google+ Checklist
There are four steps you need to walk through when implementing any
Google plus strategy:
1. Keyword and target page research and layout
2. Acquiring RELEVANT Followers
3. Participating in communities and commenting on posts (building
relationships)
4. Posting sequence and formatting for Google search to make it easy for
your audience to find your posts/page
Ensure that your Google+ posts:

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Are extremely targeted to the right audience (use keywords from your
main website page titles)
Are engaging and encourage curiosity (talk about the reader and what
they want, then tie the features and benefits of your products and services
into your post copy)
Contain the right blend and number of #hashtags (4 to 5 maximum per
post)
Contain the right number of keywords (300 words - fewer is better)
Link to the page I want to teach Google has high relevance to my
audience (to improve my overall website authority and relevance)
Motivate readers to take a desired action or learn more by inserting copy
that builds interest and trust (ask them to do something other than buying,
e.g. read more about [insert what they are interested in in the form of a
feature or benefit]
Positions you as an authority in your niche to both Google and visitors
Helps Google serve up your content as often as possible
Leads visitors to a landing page that delivers what you promise in your
content. This is the first step in your sales funnel (yes your offsite content IS
part of your sales funnel. Using templates dramatically reduces the time
needed to post awesome posts both Google+ and your audience will love.
What do you think Google+ can do for your business?
Get traffic
Build authority and relevance to Google (semantic search)
Both
Don't Know
See results without voting [I’m not sure what you mean by this]
Posting to Google+: Keyword and Target Page Recon [?]
Policy

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There are some steps you need to walk through when implementing any
Google+ strategy
Keyword and target page research and layout
Acquiring RELEVANT Followers
Participating in communities and commenting on posts (building
relationships)
Posting sequence and formatting for Google search and making it easy
for your audience to find your posts/page
Using specific keyword phrases in your Titles and...
Using specific and correct formatting of your posts content – using text
that is copy rich but sounds natural and non salesey
Procedure.
Ensure consistency across posts so they are...
◆ Extremely targeted to the right audience
◆ Are engaging and encourage curiosity
◆ Contain up to 7 #hashtags
◆ Use descriptions: a minimum of three descriptive paragraphs
◆ Use *Title* around titles to tell Google the title should be bolded and
that it is the post title
◆ Link to the page you want to teach Google has high relevance to
your audience (to improve overall website authority and relevance)
◆ Motivate readers to take a desired action or learn more by inserting
copy that builds interest and trust
◆ Positions you as an authority in your niche to both Google and
visitors
◆ Help Google serve up your content as often as possible by making it
super relevant to popular keyword phrases
Using templates dramatically reduces the time needed to write awesome
posts both Google and your audience will love.

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◆ Contain "hooks" to relate your content to your audience’s interests
and desires. Relate their needs and wants to what you have to offer,
deliver value to prospects and lead them to a desired action as part of
your sales funnel. And yes your offsite content IS part of your sales
funnel!
◆ Add hashtags you want to use. Use up to 5 hashtags, and include
some that relate to the main generic topic, plus some that interlink
(meaning that they are placed on many related posts you have
written). Make sure your hashtags are highly relevant to what the
post is about. This reinforces your credibility and also means any
hashtags that get clicked will bring up posts that are only of interest
to readers, and won't turn them off.
Plan out your posts. One in 4 to 5 posts should be about a product or
service you promote. The rest should be interesting, helpful or informative to
readers. Give them something of value in each post, such as a post that
teaches them something even if it’s small.
The job of non-product and service promotion posts is to educate the
reader so when you do promote posts about "your stuff", you don't have to
try to throw all the features and benefits into a commercial looking post.
Write 5 posts leading up to the "sales post" that talks about the benefits
of linseed oil for shoe leather, how to choose the right color polish for your
shoes, about the foundation of shoe polish and some funny stats about how
many shoes the average puppy eats before becoming a grown up dog.
Entertain your audience while TEACHING them that you are the expert, and
that there is a long thought out process or history behind your product or
service.
Think about this as you construct your descriptions, and use our who,
what, why, where, when, how, question worksheets to help you come up with
some engaging ideas for posts.

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When you are posting to Google+ here are the golden rules:
◆ Use appropriate hashtags.
◆ Descriptions are to be a specific amount of words long except for
gallery pics. You can use page content as a base for descriptions, but
change them so they are unique and follow our content guidelines
◆ Post to public and extended circles 3 to 5 times a day and once a
week to a big community.
◆ Once a week share a post from one community to another. Pick
posts with lots of engagement with over 25 plus ones.[?]
◆ Comment on one to two posts per day on other profiles and
communities.
◆ Join communities and follow pages [posts?] relevant to your page.

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Writing For SEO
OPTIMISING FOR SEARCH ENGINES
The skill of search engine optimization has changed and expanded
immensely in the last ten years! But it is still important for writers to
understand how SEO relates to content writing, and how to format your
content so search engines can find and read your content easily.
It used to be pretty much all about:
1. The number and relevance of links to your pages
2. Site structure and navigation
3. On page optimization of your content
Now search engine optimization is all about:
1. The number and relevance of links to your pages (even more
important)

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2. Site structure and navigation
3. On page optimization of your content
4. Bounce rate on website
5. Engagement & number of pages visitors view
6. Number of authority connections via social media or links (how
many authority sites or personal profiles are pointing to the website)
7. Semantic search
What this means is that Google and other search engines use many more
indicators to evaluate a website page’s importance. They want to know if
anyone with authority thinks the site is good, and how well it satisfies its
visitors. They determine this by working out who is linking to the site and by
looking at visitors’ behavior onsite through analytics.
What can you do to make your page more "authoritative" and search
engine friendly?
Well, the longer your page is (generally) the better you are at offering
steps, facts, charts, images with properly formatted "alt" text descriptions and
clearly visible titles ("h") tags, the higher it is likely to rank. Your page also
needs to have a title that contains your main keywords.
Adding keywords to your title may be obvious, but the text you add
around your title and the relevance of any subtitles to your main title, also
help Google’s’ semantic algorithms to determine the context of the whole
article.
Make it easy for search engines to determine that your article contains
lots of useful content. If that content holds visitors on site for longer then
other websites’ pages, and has lots of 'votes' of confidence (links, shares and
Google+1's) it is more likely to rank well.
If your content is easy to read for search engine robots and not just
humans, your chances of ranking higher increase.

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So make sure when you add images and see the option add 'alt text', add
keywords that are relevant to both the image and to the keywords in your
titles. Google can see what many images are, so be honest about describing
what your images are too.
Use H1, H2, H3, H4 tags. Surround title and bold text with other relevant
text that gives context to those titles. For example: let’s say the title of your
article was 'How To Repair Cells At Home'. Google only knows what type of
cell you are referring to from the surrounding text on the page. Are you
talking about human body cells? Are you talking about battery cells? Maybe
you are talking about cell phone cells.
The only way search engines know what you are talking about is through
semantic indexing your page. The algorithm references images, subtitles and
surrounding text to determine what the page is about. It also tells Google and
other search engines how useful the content might be to searchers. So the
more clues you can give the search engine robots that crawl your page, the
higher the likelihood of your pages ranking somewhere decent.
Then link back to your page from content that is also highly relevant to
your page. Use hashtags and descriptions that closely relate to your page. If
you can encourage 'authorities' to connect somehow to your page though any
medium, you will help search engines identify your page as 'popular'.
If your page is seen as popular, holds visitors’ attention and satisfies
them in some way, you have achieved your goal of optimizing your page.

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PROMOTING YOUR CONTENT
Social media, linking, ads, email....these are all ways you can promote
your page.
Again, work on quality not quantity. Think relevance not numbers!
Semantic search wants to see connections to and with your page by relevant
sources.
When you create content for social media or any other promotional
material, here are some guidelines to follow:
1. Make the content you post highly relevant to the article/page you are
sending visitors to. Create a mini version of the article using similar
keywords and hashtags. Use images that relate to your page as well.
2. When encouraging likes and shares, comment on similar posts that
have been posted by authoritative sites. You want as many people as
possible who are known as authorities to acknowledge your post.
This is especially important for Google+ (which I love as it helps
Google find and index your page faster).

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3. Create bios as a third party description of yourself, and add an
enticing call to action within it.

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Overcoming Writer’s Block
CAUSES & CURES FOR WRITER’S BLOCK
Writer's block is a creativity killer that we writers all encounter from
time to time. I'm covering it here because it's something that needn't paralyze
you.
Writers block can last for days or even months. I used to have periods of
up to 6 months with writer’s block. I thought I was suffering from a lack of
inspiration, a lack of motivation and essentially what felt like a creative black
hole. Sound familiar?
When you are feeling despondent about your writing, it's easy to use this
as an excuse to give up writing, or drive yourself crazy trying to force
yourself past it. The good news it that it's also common to have a sudden
resurgence of enthusiasm when you let go of your expectations and give your
writing bug a little help to kick it back into gear.

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Some of the most common causes of writers block are:
◆ Fear of sounding "budget" [Not sure what you mean here. Suggest
changing to “cheap” if appropriate]
◆ Fear of failure
◆ Burnout
◆ Perfectionism
Let’s delve a little deeper into these issues and talk about some habits &
belief systems that you can apply to help you move past them.
If you take a look at these labels, you may have noticed that they are all
essentially based on fear, and fear, when understood, can be conquered.
"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the
formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody.” Herbert Swope
Let’s take a look at these fears:
Sometimes we try too hard. We try to write a masterpiece and think we
need to be exceptional. We think it's important to be clever, come across as
authoritative or sound witty, but what we need to remember is that people
don't care how funny or technically savvy you are if you aren't addressing
what they want. Give yourself a break and take the pressure off!
Complexity is not necessarily better when what your reader is actually
looking for is to make a connection with someone who can solve their
problem & deliver a solution to their wants or needs. They want you to be
clear and concise first. If you add embellishments and humor, that's great, but
if you look at the content that gets shared the most you will notice it's
instructional and explanatory rather than clever.
So go back to your reader research and the profiles you created as part of
your original homework. Write down what they most want or want to avoid,

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then run through the title ideas sheet in this book to brainstorm some ideas.
Once you've established a concept, then break it down into bullet points - like
a mini tale of contents to follow. Then start writing in small chunks. You'll be
surprised how these small steps can stimulate a flow, and next thing you
know, you're coming up with stuff to write.
Fear of failure and perfectionism. I suffer from these afflictions, and I
know they can be debilitating. I have learned to let myself off the hook and
give myself a break. By taking the pressure off and not allowing your self-
criticism to take hold, you allow your creative energy to flow.
I think of this mindset as creating an energy gap, then letting the universe
fill it in. If I am trying to fill it by force, nothing creative can flow into that
space. So give yourself a break and have faith that your creativity, with a
little guidance to help it along, will arrive.
Burnout (lack of motivation and inspiration). This one is what writers
complain of most often. When you have run out of ideas and enthusiasm it
can feel like a daunting prospect to have to force yourself to come up with
material.
It's much easier to go back to the chunking method at this point, but
rather than try to be creative, approach it from a technical point of view. Just
add the paragraph titles or bullets as an outline. Aim to come back to each
paragraph to fill in the details later. This exercise in itself will jog your
creative memory.
Creative beliefs – a big hindrance to writing is the belief that some
people have got writers flair and some people haven't. Talent is part of it yes,
but if you enjoy writing, there is a high likelihood that your budding (or
established talent) is sitting there waiting for the right catalyst to bring it to
life.

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Shoulding on yourself Telling yourself “I should be” or “I should have
done that instead of this". Don't be too much of a perfectionist and let that
paralyze you. Just start small and keep adding to your page without
judgment. You can always go back and fix it later with a fresh mind. You will
be able to return and turn your mishaps into masterpieces - trust me - I've
been there and done this thousands of times already.
One of the great things I have learned about content writing is that you
can go back to something you wrote, even a day earlier, and turn that raw
content into something that is awesome and really connects with your readers
and their desires.
Your belief in your ability can come from the fact that you can, and are,
able to learn this stuff. And it's really not that hard when you have the
understanding and the system to go with it. So be kind to yourself when you
have writer’s block and have faith that the inspiration to add the finishing
touches will come later.
The following tips will help you to get started when you have been
frozen by a bout of writer’s block :-)

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WRITE YOUR HEADLINE FIRST
Starting with your headline gives you an anchor, or a point to start out
from.
Remember that headlines are an advertisement for the rest of your
content. Your headline should describe how your content will solve an issue -
and get your readers closer to their desired outcome.
Here are some concept headlines to stimulate ideas:
4 Stages of X
Checklist (to help achieve ________)
Common or Obscure Problems & Solutions

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Controversial Opinion About Something
Why I Don’t Believe In ________
Current & Topical Events
Euphemisms
Goal Setting - How To Achieve ________
Golden Rules For Doing Something
Grateful For
Holiday Ideas For
How To Do Something
Thing I Love About
Industry Trends
Laws of X
Location Based Title (how to do ________ in ________)
Ways To Save X
Mistakes To Avoid
Motivational Triggers
Myth Busting
Newspaper Style Title
Overcoming Objections To Common
Pain Avoidance, How To Avoid
Personal Story About Something
Predictions For Something
Product Review
Pros and Cons Of
What I Leaned From
How To Save Time/Money
Secrets Of
The Perfect Cure For
The Uncommon and the Unusual Ways To
Things I've Learned From
Things To Do
Things to Avoid
Timeline or History of X
Top 7 Tips

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Traditions Of Successful
How To Escape From
Victory & Overcoming X
Hove To ________ In [#] Easy Steps
How To ________
How To Find
How To Rock
How To Make A Strong
How To Completely Change
How To (route That Gets)
How To Use ________ To Stand 0ut
How To Create ________ The Right Way
X Inspirational Ideas For
What To Do With
Where To Find
Quick Guide To
A Complete Guide To
Ultimate Guide
Beginners Guide
Hack
DIY
The Anatomy of ________ To Get
Things your ________ Doesn't TellYou
Trends For [YEAR]
EX Things Every ________ Should
XAmazing ________ To Try Right Now
Insane ________ That Will Give You
Types Of
Questions You Should Ask Before
Secrets To
Resources to Help You Become
Signs You Might
Point Checklist
Rules For

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Habits of
Ideas To
Trends You Need To Know
Best ________ To
Why We love
Facts About
Essential Things For
Key Benefits Of
Examples Of ________ To Inspire You
Ideas That Will Motivate You Achieve
Reasons ________ Doesn't Work
Working Smart With
Smart Strategies To
Most Effective Tactics To
Mast Popular Ways To
Essential Steps To
Wrong Ways To
Creative Ways
Tips For Busy
No Nonsense
Surprising
Foolproof Tips For
Epic Formula To
Handy Tips From ________ To
Superb Ways To ________ Without
Tricks To
Ways To Make Sure Your ________ ls Not
Mistakes You'll Never Make Again
Weird But Effective Ways To
Super Tips That Will Make You
Supercharge Your
Pleasant Ways To
Wittiest ________ To
What No One Tells You About

184. 182
GUIDED WRITING WITH BULLETS
Bullet points offer several benefits.
* They draw immediate attention to a section of the page you want
people to pay attention to.
* They help to qualify your content quickly for skim readers whose eyes
are searching for anchor points on the page as an indicator that the content on
your offer is relevant and of interest to them.
* They help you to break your content down into easy to manage chunks.
Like a Table of Contents, you can list your most important points through
bullets to capture a reader’s attention, then elaborate on each bullet point
with a paragraph or two explaining the point further.
 Bullet points also help you as a writer to cover a series of important
messages you want to convey.

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* You can use them to relate to your readers by touching on any
concerns, or by building on their desires.
For example:
Concern Bullets
Top 5 Concerns Consumers have when buying an XYZ.
1 Value: explain why this is a valid concern
2 Fit/Sizing:
3 Guarantee
4 Which model:
5 Upgrade capability:
These points are a very general summary on what someone might be
concerned about, and I'm sure you could come up with some points that
relate to your products or services.
Concern-based bullet points tell readers that A) you understand their
issues and B) you are setting the scene for their assumption that you will be
offering a solution and C) they are validated in their concerns and actually do
need _____ (they are not being silly). This combination gives them hope and
even a little relief that if they read on you will help them though a resolution
to their own concerns.
Step Bullets
5 Important Steps To _________ A Successful _________
1 Homework: add a hook or something they may not have known
2 Preparation:
3 Presentation:
4 Must have elements 97% of _________'s forget

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5 Finishing tricks to make your _________ exceptional & outstanding
Step bullets offer a very powerful opportunity to push your USP's and get
your prospects excited. {Question: Will all your readers know the definition
of USP?]
Build in some mystery so they feel excited or curious about learning
something new. Here is your opportunity to really stand out from the crowd.
Things To Avoid: Bullets and other Bullet Point ideas:
3 Things To Avoid When ______
6 things I learned about ______
Top questions experts get asked about ______
Smart questions people ask about ______
7 Ways To ______
Little Known Tips To Improve Your ______
Refer to your headline examples for more ideas.
Bullet points help to focus your readers’ immediate attention. They also
make your content easier to follow and for readers to find what they are
looking for, Bullet points can and should lead readers from one point to the
next, whetting their curiosity and tempting them to read on.
Use bullet points to connect with your readers, offer a clue that you have
valuable information to share so they want to engage further with the rest of
your content.

187. 185
CHUNKING
Break your content down into manageable sized chunks. Within each
chunk come up with a problem the reader may want to solve such as finding
something, fixing something, saving time on something, saving money
etcetera.
Follow this pattern:
◆ Engage, identify and relate
◆ Build on your point, make them feel safe and that any concerns they
have are valid or shared by others like them
◆ Point out steps for how to solve an issue or get closer to a goal
◆ Validate and prove why this works or why they should believe you
◆ Suggest an action
This pattern helps you come up with some juicy ideas for your content.
You don't need to strive for perfection. Just start by building the inner
core of your content, then you can pull each segment together in a flowing
sequence afterwards.

188. 5 TIPS FOR EASIER WRITING
1. Use your customer research
2. Think in headlines
3. Teach and answer questions
4. Chunk it down to easily readable bites
5. Don't put too much pressure on yourself

189. 187
Conclusion
FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
In my ten plus years as an online marketer there are a couple of things
that really stand out as the most important rules to adhere to. If I were giving
advice on what you can do to make your content marketing efforts a whole
lot more effective, I would say stick to quality versus quantity content.
The first thing I learned was that the amount of value I received in return
for my effort was ALWAYS based on the amount of value I delivered to my
audience. And how much value I was able to deliver through my content was
always directly rated to the amount of research I did on an audience before I
started. This meant learning what they love, hate and talk about, and, most
importantly, how they want to FEEL throughout the whole process.
The second thing was to focus on quality not quantity. Over 12 plus years
I have found that writing good quality content in a slow, methodical way,
then placing it on websites that attract the right kind of readers, is key to

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higher conversions. Don't bother writing content for people that aren't your
target market, or are "fringe audiences". Write for websites or magazines that
match your audience’s demographic and your results will prove to be much
more effective than blasting out a series of average articles on as many sites
as you can find.
Hold your head high, be diligent about upholding your own standards,
and build your credibility in a consistent, steady manner. Don't be tempted to
listen to the masses who tell you to "go hard and work your butt off" building
in as much content as you can. I have been there and done that as have many
of my colleagues and they will all tell you that's a great way to burn yourself
out and get really sick of writing really fast.
Write for the audience you know well and devote your energy to doing a
really good job for these people. They are the ones you know want your
stuff, and they will appreciate it – and so will Google and other search
engines, because your visitors’ time on page will increase, as may your
rankings, and so will your conversion rates!
It's much better to start off like a tortoise, slow and steady, and deliver
immense value. Build a bond with your prospects. I understand that some of
you will be writing for clients, and that you may be thinking this doesn't fit
with your business model. From my experience and others that follow these
principles, their articles convert better into longer visits onsite and greater
sales, so the value of their writing services increases.
If you write posts that do more than create interest but also build desire
and deal with a lot of obstacles that the website would have to deal with
otherwise, then more visitors will be preconditioned to take an action. This
means less work for the website owner/webmaster to do to try and convert
readers once they arrive on their website. Referrals from good articles and
relevant traffic mean bounce rates go down & conversion rates often go up.
Everyone wins!

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So here is a summary of the general rules I follow when writing any
online content. This also applies to print media, but for the benefit of the
majority of readers who will be writing for websites, lets assume I am talking
about online content.
Mia's top tips for online content writing:
1. Start by doing thorough homework. Spend plenty of time doing
research on your audience: what are they talking about, what are their biggest
wants, fears and concerns, and where they are talking about them online. E.g.
reviews, forums, social media etc.
2. Tie in their desires with the benefits of your products and services.
When I say desires I don't just mean desiring a new 'widget', I mean what
satisfaction will that widget deliver and how will it make them FEEL. List all
the good things they might feel after purchasing it or signing up for it.
3. Don't be afraid to admit weakness and past failures as long as you
explain the benefits of those failures and what you learned from them.
Remember that making a damaging admission tells them you aren't perfect
but have learned from your mistakes, and so can they. It also infers that you
are transparent and not trying to hide anything.
4. Talk about your readers’ concerns openly and honestly. Validate their
reasons for having those concerns and then help them get past them through
your processes.
5. Help your readers, serve them, give them something of value to make
them feel good and more confident in what you have to offer. Demonstrate
what you can do for them in small steps.
6. Bond with them and show them you are serious about helping them.
Align yourself with them by talking about situations you've been in that they
might relate to, and share how you have overcome things they might fear but

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that they think they will have to get over[OR: overcome] to get what they
want.
7. Clearly explain the value of your products and/or services. This will
appeal to their logical brain. People are emotional beings, but when it comes
to handing over cash they switch into pragmatic mode. At this point they will
be looking for excuses to justify buying something. They also want to feel
like they deserve it, so give them an excuse and a reason to feel good about
buying this over something else they could spend their money on.
8. Add social proof such as examples of how the products or services
have helped someone else, and case studies or quotes by third-party sources
noting the benefits of your products or services.
9. Namedrop sources of authority and any publications they have
released about stats or topics that relate to what you are selling. Grow your
credibility by showing you've done your homework and citing facts rather
than throwing in a whole lot of words just to sound authentic.
10. Explain what your reader can expect if they do what you ask them to
do. Give them a clear outline of what's likely to be required of them (e.g. sign
up, register, free trial). Tell them what they can expect when they click on a
link and make sure what you promised is delivered at the destination you are
sending them to. Use the same wording as the buttons and call to actions they
are going to see when they arrive at the site you are sending them to. For
example, if you are telling them they can register for something, and when
they arrive at the site they see no registration button but instead they see a
membership button they will have to stop and think "Hang on, is this what I
am supposed to do?". When someone arrives on a website from your content,
they need to arrive and see something that makes them say to themselves
"Ah that's what I'm looking for". In other words don't make them work for or
guess what to do as the next step.

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11. Create a clear and concise call to action that is explanatory e.g. to get
that do this now or before [ insert time limit or number limit].
12. Add a summary, P.S. or reminder outlining what they can expect
when they follow your call to action.
13. Remember you can also use your copy to stay in touch with your
audience by inviting them to join your newsletter or ask them to follow you
on social media.
That's pretty much it. That's my checklist when writing content. I like to
ensure that all the articles I produce contain these elements. If I miss
anything, I can generally see it in the results.
Following these principles makes for satisfying reading for your
audience. They will feel like they have had a complete experience and will
be preconditioned when they reach their destination because you will have
done much of the work to warm them up to a purchase. You will have given
them something that genuinely helps them get closer to their goal.
Don't try to be perfect, it's more important to think of your content like a
really good conversation with a new friend. If you have relayed back to a
person how they feel about something, gotten them excited and given them
something helpful and useful to them, you will both feel good about the
conversation.
So have fun writing and don't be shy, sign up for my monthly newsletter.
Every month I go find and share the latest research, tested strategies, funny
stories, and lots of juicy stuff to help you write awesome content.
Come join me at http://www.mia-gordon.com, oh and you can also ask
me questions if you're stuck on anything. I'll do my best to get back to you as
soon as I can.

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Have an awesome day and I wish you all the best in your writing
endeavors.

195. ENDNOTES