Hiya CopyStar!
I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since hubby and I took the plunge and started living the “Green Acres” life!
Traded the big house in suburbia for a cabin in the woods… Mercedes E350 for a Subaru Ascent (which I affectionately call my “Mountain Mercedes!”)… fiber optic internet for prehistoric service that works when and if it wants and…
… tossed out just about all my fancy clothes – for overalls!
And let me tell you – it’s been an amazing adventure! Most of ‘em positive and LOTS of ‘em hilarious!
So to celebrate my one year of country living – I thought I’d share with you some crazy similarities I’ve discovered between copywriting and country living!
I’ve got my top 5 lessons that will skyrocket your writing skills. Plus they’ll make you chuckle and nod your head at the same time!
Y’all ready? Here we go…
Country living and copywriting lesson #5: Take your time! Hey – I talk a mile a minute and my speed is high or HIGHER! But out here in the North Georgia mountains…
… folks take it much slooooower. You don’t get right to the point.
You ask about the family… talk about crops… and try to forecast the weather. And then…
… you tell ‘em why you’re here!
Well – guess what?
That’s what you gotta do in copywriting!
You don’t just start off with “Buy this!” Nope. You gotta:
- Connect with your reader!
- Show ‘em they can trust you!
And THEN…
… you can move on to the sale. You can’t rush your market! Why?
Because if you don’t take the time and set the stage to make the sale – then you’re an “outsider”. And let me tell you this:
Folks around here don’t take much liking to outsiders – in the country or in your copy!
Country living and copywriting lesson #4: Rely on your friends!When I first moved out to the country – I KEPT getting lost! Why?
2 reasons:
#1 – I’m directionally challenged – so I can barely find my way out of a paper bag! And #2 – the dang blasted GPS would stop working without any warning! I’m following the directions and then out of the blue…
… it starts recalculating… and recalculating… and recalculating. And all it’s doing is taking me around in circles. I was warned that the mountains can mess up GPS signals – but dang! What was I supposed to do?
On top of that – my cell phone barely worked and I had no idea where in the world I was going!
So I told my neighbor Rembert about this one day and he gave me a powerful piece of advice.
He said: “Any time you need help – you just find somebody and tell them you’re a friend of Rembert C – and they’ll take care of you.”
Rembert has spent all his 70+ years in this neck of the woods – so just about EVERY body knows him!
Didn’t take long for me to have to test it out cuz I got lost trying to find my cabin the next day! Then I saw a truck from down yonder. So guess what I did?
I drove right up to the truck and said, “Hi – I’m new here. Do you know Rembert C?” The older man named Raymond said, “I sure do.”
So I said “I’m his friend – can you take me to his house please?” (Cuz if I can get to Rembert’s house – I can find mine!) And Raymond said “Follow me.”
No let me tell you this: Raymond went completely out of his way to get me to Rembert’s. He didn’t know me from squat but he knew I was Rembert’s friend and that’s all that mattered!
So what’s the copywriting lesson CopyStar?
Your prospect doesn’t know you from squat either! So what do you do to build that trust? You connect your prospect with folks they already know. I’m talking about CREDIBILITY!
So make sure you name drop in your copy!
Mention what experts say. Show studies and research material that prove your point and quote notable folks your prospect quickly identifies with.
Your prospect will become comfortable with you because you share common interest. Take advantage of that!
Country living and copywriting lesson #3: Don’t just plant for yourself! I love blueberries. I mean…
… I really, REALLY LOVE blueberries! That’s why one of the first things I did when I moved out into the country was plant blueberry bushes.
I would get so excited seeing the blueberries turn from green to dark purpley-blue. I just couldn’t wait to eat them. But when I would go to collect those juicy berries – they were gone!
Those dang blasted birds – or some other critters – swooped them up! I googled and found out that I could buy nets to cover the bushes but it just seemed like such a hassle (I AM still a city girl at heart!). And then…
… I asked Rembert how he keeps the birds out of his blueberry bushes? And you know what he said?
“I don’t. I just plant enough to feed me and the birds!”
Light bulb moment!
Once winter broke – I planted a DOZEN blueberry bushes around the property. Now – I’ve got so many blueberries – I WANT the birds to eat them up!
