Flashback Friday: Get your writing MOJO back!

by carlinecole

Hiya CopyStar!

My kids all have different personalities – but my third one – well, she’s a doozy!

She’s not hot with passion or cold with skepticism – she just don’t give a squat!

When I threatened to take away a toy as a punishment – she’d shrug her shoulders and say “Okay”. Now, she wasn’t being rude – she just didn’t care! Man I wanted to pull my hair out!

But – then I realized she uses apathy as a defense mechanism.

She didn’t want me to know what the real problem was. Most often she was confused… embarrassed… or unsure of herself.

So I learned to keep my requests simple and specific. When I tailored them to her needs – BAM! I got what I wanted – and she followed through!

Well guess what?

Your market is like my daughter #3.

To avoid boredom or apathy in your copy – you’ve got to keep your message simple… specific… and you’ve got to grab your reader’s attention right from the beginning – with a great headline!

So – I’m going to give you some of those secrets to invigorate your copy – and eliminate confusion in your writing!

So keep these tips in mind:

Watch your grammar! – Now, I’m a big fan of writing like I speak to get on common ground with my market. But I saw this ad in a newspaper – and even I couldn’t believe what I read. Here’s what it said: “Shamed by you English? You can speak good soon and write like a graduate college if me let you help for a day of 15 minutes.” What???

If you stumble when reading a word – get rid of it! Find a simpler, easier replacement. And also remember this: Get rid of the word “that” as much as you can. Rewrite your copy so you don’t need to use it.

Be careful of bad word play! One furniture ad read: “shack of sit”. Some readers may find it “cute” – but others may not. It’s just not worth taking the chance – especially if the reference can be considered “off color”.

Be careful of typos! This was on the menu of one Popeye’s fast food restaurants: Popeye’s jalepenis chicken poopers. Not too enticing to me!

Read your copy out loud! If it sounds choppy or awkward – it is! So fix it! If you confuse your reader – you lose credibility and your masterpiece will end up in the trash!

K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, sweetie! Build copy momentum by writing short paragraphs and sentences. I mean it. Short ones. Forget about what your teacher told you – use fragmented sentences. And…

Don’t use college words when kindergarten ones work just fine!

Here’s an example:

Did you get the point? Can you see exactly what I want you to do – or is it doo? (LOL! Sorry – couldn’t help myself!)

Remember: You’re not trying to impress your prospect with your vocabulary – you want to reach the heartstrings attached to the purse strings!

And make sure you do this…

Take the prospect by the hand and ask for the sale! When you get to the close of the sale – give your prospect plenty of reminders! For example – remind him…

Of your 100% money back guarantee! He risks NOTHING!

It’s easy! Just pick up the phone and call TOLL FREE 1-800-xxx-xx

To ACT NOW!

This offer is for a LIMITED TIME only!

Of all the FREE gifts he gets when he calls RIGHT NOW!

How SMART he is for making this great decision today!

Who woulda thunk my apathetic child could teach me such a valuable lesson in copywriting? Thanks to her – I see why I need to light a fire under my prospect – and take him by the hand to lead him to the sale!

Thanks Daughter #3!

Yours for stellar copy,