This document provides guidance on effective copywriting. It discusses that copywriting is salesmanship in print and outlines key principles such as doing research on your target market and understanding what is important to them. It recommends using headlines that interrupt, engage, and educate readers while appealing to their self-interest. The document also provides examples of different types of effective headlines that appeal to emotions like fear, greed, guilt, and exclusivity. It suggests writing body copy with benefits, proofs, and addressing objections. The overall message is that copywriting should be focused on the reader and what will motivate them to take the desired action.

1. Copywriting

2. Copywriting Is
Salesmanship
In Print

3. The Slippery “Slide”

4. How To Tell When
You’ve Done It Right
The Super Bowl Example

5. Do Your
Homework First!

6. Marketing Strategy:
* What to say
* Who to say it to
* How to say it – copywriting

7. Marketing Tactics:
* Where to say it (media)
* How Often (frequency)
* Strategy before tactics

8. Define Your Target Market
• Who are they?
• What are their pains?
• What keeps them up at night?
• When do they start thinking about
buying what you sell?

9. Before You Write Anything, Know:
• What are their emotional hot buttons?
• What is important to them about what you
sell?
• What do they need to know to know to
make a good buying decision?
• How are you going to teach them this –
and then prove it?

10. The 4 Step Formula
1. Interrupt - headline
1. Engage - subhead
1. Educate - body copy
1. Offer & Call to action

11. Your Headline
• The ad for the ad
• What is the purpose of a headline?
• What is the purpose of a subhead?
• How it applies to print, audio & video
• Test
• Professional copywriters write at least 100
and spend 80% of their time on headlines

12. Your Headline
• Attracts attention – “interrupts”
• Communicates the strongest benefit
• Appeals to prospect's self-interest
• Sets the tone for the rest of the ad
• Selects the right audience

13. How To Write It
• Say it in plain English
• Use headline “starters”
• Model from the “headline bank” (100+
successful headlines)
• Target a specific emotion

14. Headline “Starters”
• “How To”
• Comparison
• Testimonial
• Inflammatory
• News

15. “How To”
“How To Eliminate The Six Month Lag
Time, The Non Refundable Fees And
The 34% Chance Of Rejection On
Your Next Small Business Loan”

16. Comparison
“Most Fences Only Last Three Years
Due To Poor Quality Materials And
Shoddy Workmanship, Our Fences
Are GUARANTEED
To Last At Least 12 Years And
Many Last For 20”

17. Testimonial
“I Used To Get Only 2 Referrals From
Each 10 Jobs, But Now That I’m
Using The Referral Card Marketing
System, I get 8 Or 9 Consistently”

18. Inflammatory
“How To Keep Your Fence From
Falling Over And Squashing
Your Kids”

19. News
Use words like: “new”, “finally”, “introducing”,
“at last”, “announcing”
“Finally, The Magic Vitamin Company
Introduces It’s New, FDA Approved,
Diet Pill That Lets You Lose Weight
While Eating Anything You Want!”

20. The 7 Basic Emotions
1. Fear
2. Greed
3. Guilt
4. Anger
5. Exclusivity
6. Salvation
7. Flattery

21. Example – “Fear”
“How To Protect Yourself From
Losing All Your Personal
Assets In a lawsuit or
Judgment”

23. Example – “Greed”
“How I Earned $37,857
Online In Only 6 Hours!”

24. Example – “Guilt”
“Don’t Spend Any More
Sleepless Night Worrying
About Your Family’s Security”

25. Example – “Anger”
“Wage Your Own Personal
Tax Revolt!”

26. Example – “Exclusivity”
“So Rare Only 11
Were Made In 1917”

27. Example – “Salvation”
“Every Time You Reach Out To
Help Another Human Being
You Will Be Rewarded Forever”

28. Example – “Flattery”
“Your Friend (name) Has
Recommended You As a
Person Qualified For This
Amazing Opportunity”

29. Body Copy
• Write bullets – mini headlines
• Benefit focused, action verbs
• If mention feature also include the benefit
to you from it
• Provide proof for every claim
• Answer every objection in advance
• Provide the information needed to make a
decision

30. Writing Tips
• Write like you talk – read it all out loud and fix it if
sounds awkward – consider speaking your copy and
then transcribing
• Short sentences are better
• If you can use a smaller word over a
longer one, go for smaller
• Write so a 6th grader can understand
• Keep paragraphs short – no more than 5
lines – one word paragraphs are OK

31. Writing Tips
• Use transitional phrases for flow between
paragraphs or as paragraphs themselves
(but that’s not all, and that’s just the beginning, and I’m
not done yet, and here’s the kicker, and here’s even
more proof)
• If multiple pages, never end a sentence at
the bottom of the page – if you end in the middle
of the sentence it’s obvious there’s more

32. Platitude Evaluations
• Well, I would hope so (we take MC/ VISA, free
estimates)
• Who else can say that? (best service, top
quality, reliability)
• Cross out/write in (would your ad or marketing
piece still be accurate if you replaced your name with
a competitor’s?)
• So what, who cares? (family owned business,
in business 50 years)

33. Your Offer
• Tell the reader, listener, viewer exactly
what to do
• If you don’t have room to make the sale, at
least capture their name/email with a free
offer (landing page, classified ad)
• Offers of information about how to buy
what you sell are good
• The “Godfather” offer – you may want to make
your headline if good enough

34. For Help
Contact me at:
Joe McVoy
joemcvoy@gmail.com
720-890-8760