Plan to persuade ...

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Just like any other type of writing, a sales letter must have a
STRUCTURE.
In fact, I would require my students to study famous direct
marketing pieces and determine what "persuasion architecture" the
copywriter follows. This gives the students practice through this
'reverse-engineering' process to appreciate that, beyond the
words and sentences, there must be a certain flow, plan, map, or
whatever other name you want to use, to great copywriting.

One of the courses I had to take in grad school was 'Research
Methods'. Apart from teaching you how to carry our academic
research, it also has a heavy writing component. The text used
for the class for the writing component of the course basically
covered things I already knew from copywriting, but with an
academic twist.

In fact, I got an "excellent" for my writing but the paper
mechanics (formatting) was a little lacking. (I just hate all
those footnote, bibliography, etc, 'rules' that go with academic
writing. I guess I'm so accustomed to the freedom of
copywriting!)

For example, if you are writing a paper based on a deductive
argument, then you must start with a thesis statement and "tell
the readers what you are going to tell them, then introduce the
general topic, narrow your claim, followed by supportive
arguments and after "telling them what you told them" you
conclude with the claims of the thesis statement and its
implications.

In other words, there is a pattern you must follow to make the
paper logically connected and lucid. Your readers are prepared
for what you are about to explain and after you have explained
this, summarizing what your paper is about.

As a copywriter, you must also think about the structure you are
going to use for your letter BEFORE you even start writing. This
would be your plan from which you will build your literary house
made up of words, sentences paragraphs and sections.
One of the most common mistakes I see rookie copywriters make is
that they concentrate so much on the "power words" and "sounding
like a copywriter" that the flow of the letter suffers. The main
reasons for this lack of flow arise because:

>>The headline does not logically connect with the opening
paragraph but addresses two different ideas
>>The topic sentence of each paragraph is not logically
supported by the following 'body' sentences.
>>The "transitions" from one paragraph to another is almost
ignored so there is an awkward disconnect.
>>The right information is given in the wrong places such as
the 'call to action' given before the list of benefits. (Think
AIDA.)
Too much real-estate is given to a minor selling point.

In order to maintain the "slippery slide" in my letters I always
try and write my letters in one sitting. This may sometimes mean
writing for 12 hours straight, but while I'm writing the last
sentence I still have the first sentence in my head. If I do
break off from writing I'll have to start reading from the very
beginning to make sure that I have the entire letter in mind.
Interestingly, one of the great techniques used by article
writers and which can work in sales letter writing is to bring
the article full circle by ending on the same idea, story, or
issue that you started with.

Now, it would not always be possible to write a long sales letter
in one sitting, but in the planning process (just like you
'outline' an essay) you can ensure that the letter will flow
smoothly from beginning to end. A disorganized sales letter is a
major hindrance to persuasion. It is often said that you sell the
sizzle but not the steak but even the sizzle must have some
rhythm and cadence to it.

When I first started writing my own sales letters for the
internet I took a letter written by a top copywriter and studied
the patterns he used and did the same for my letter. Did this
work? Like gangbusters. No, it wasn't a "swipe" because the
products were different and you will never be able to recognize
this as a "swipe" because I borrowed only the "plot" of his
letter.

Speaking of plots, (which is another word for the 'plan of the
story') just the other day I was telling my kids that the best
plots are used over and over again with different stories and its
no accident the top movies and stories use common plots.
So study those famous pieces in your swipe-file and determine the
plan or structure the writer used and borrow those 'persuasion
architecture' to build YOUR own persuasion masterpieces.

-Ray Edwards
#copywriting #persuade #plan
  • Totally disagree with this post. Even within the post the OP says,

    The right information is given in the wrong places such as
    the 'call to action' given before the list of benefits. (Think
    AIDA.)

    To say that all MUST have this or that, just isn't true.

    gjabiz
  • I have to chime in. I also respectfully disagree, Ray and Gordon. But for a different reason.

    The moment the prospect senses a persuasion structure, they start skimming, yawning or bolting.

    Allow me to be precise with my language.

    Having the elements necessary (and you're right Gordon, you don't need "all" the elements) for persuasion is one thing. Having them in a predetermined, sequential, formulaic framework (which prospects are barraged with daily) is something which works against you today.

    ----

    First, let me say for instance, almost all long form sales letters have a guarantee. Working copywriters consider it essential to persuasion, yes?

    Of course.

    However, in my experience, not necessarily.

    I have proved time and again, if your offer and copy are impelling (notice I didn't say "compelling"--look up the difference), you don't necessarily need a guarantee.

    Copywriting heresy yes, but true.

    Time and again, I see heatmaps where my guarantee sections are ice cold. Deep sea blue.

    Implication? Nobody cares about my guarantee. They're actually skipping that section!

    Now when this first happened to me, I thought "Gee, I really want them to consume my guarantee! I want them to know about it." And I tried several things to draw attention to it.

    Result? Conversions went down.

    Then it hit me. They're not consuming my guarantee because THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT IT. They're already sold!

    So I did the unthinkable. I took out the guarantee and guess what? Shields went down. Conversions went up.

    -----

    Back to formulas and structure...

    One of the most popular directors is Quentin Tarantino. His movies often open in the middle of the story.

    To keep a prospect reading, with each sentence, your communication should implicitly convey a sense that anything can happen. (However, I am in no way advocating rambling.)

    Line by line, the copywriter's job is to build anticipation, the desire to know what will be said next.

    Persuasion structures work against the copywriter when the prospect is meta-aware of what is happening. And the moment they get that feeling this communication was premeditated with the intent of selling you something, their shields go up and consumption of the page declines.

    Your implicit job as a copywriter today is to create a conversation where the prospect doesn't feel sold. It's organic and natural communication.

    THAT'S what's working today.

    ----

    That stated, frameworks and structures are extremely useful for learning the fundamentals of copywriting, I encourage them--however, the sooner one learns how to break the rules, the sooner the formulaic copywriting, paint-by-numbers approach is abandoned, the better.

    Always keep them guessing.

    P.S. Take a page from Donald Trump. You never know what will come out of that man's mouth next. No two speeches are alike-in terms of content or structure. No teleprompter.

    P.P.S. I talked with a couple copywriters I mentor about this. One of them said "Rick, what you're saying is kind of like what Bruce Lee said. "Be like water."

    The light bulb went off for him.

    Bruce would fight tradition martial artists with his self-invented Jeet Kune Do. He would win because he had no rules, he knew the limitations of each martial art and he would use those limitations against his opponent.

    Copywriting Katas are great while learning. They instill muscle memory. However, when you get in a streetfight, your ass will get kicked with your well-executed Kata being used against you.

    P.P.P.S. Here's another one. Copywriting bullets.

    Every copywriting guru I know teaches the power of bullets.

    But today, bullets are a tip-off. A tip-off somebody is trying to sell.

    However, work your bullets copy into short concise paragraphs and watch consumption go up--ASSUMING your bullet copy is impelling.
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    • The copywriter's job hasn't changed since the post was invented. And what's working "today" has always worked, best as I can see.

      People have never been hot about being sold and great copywriters have sort of known this intuitively.

      Here's Claude Hopkins doing organic and natural in 1913:




      To you who are considering buying a motor car, we want to offer a few suggestions on the subject of price. Please do not think these are wholly selfish. Of course, we want to sell you a Chalmers car if possible. For the suggestions we make are based on the experience of thousands of buyers.

      And so we say to you, first of all: Buy a real car. Don’t economize too closely on the purchase price. Economy is not merely spending the least money; it is getting the most for your money. And buying an automobile at too low a price is the worst economy in the world...


      Bill Bernbach and his gang used organic and natural to build the VW brand in America in the 50s and 60s.

      Ray isn't right; nor is he wrong. The same sort of applies to your post, which by the way, has some excellent insights -- Ray's delivered some insights, too.
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    • I don't think you disagree with me at all because if a persuasion structure works
      against the copywriter then that "broken persuasion structure" becomes the new
      structure. There MUST be a structure otherwise you have confusion.

      -Ray Edwards
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  • Clearly, you guys have a lot more experience in determining the art of persuasion in writing sales letters, but I noticed Rick mentions Quentin Tarantino's style, do you feel that this can work in list building strategies?

    For example, I just finished a free report (more of a book now 82 pages) - it begins with the problem (from my experiences) in a story format, then jumps through time (from the a distant past and carries through to the present) and then, concludes with an 'open' call to action to 'stay connected" - by joining the newsletter (a second list) of subscribers.

    I mean, the only product I have right now "is the writing" - aside some affiliate potential earnings. So, until I can condition them to 'prepare' for what's to come... my plan was to "persuade them to stay connected" as I am developing phase II - teachings, processes and systems that will enable them to use what they learned... but, it is vague as to what I am selling... no real push for money or sales yet. - Just seeing if I can "move people" in a direction I laid out?

    Given this 'freebie' is really a (82 page) sales-letter for the next "what's to come" or "what to expect"- it centers on 'warming up" the reader to 'feel' connected to the messages throughout, and simply asks them to "join my newsletter" - a second list to see if I've piqued curiosity?

    Call it my test to see if I can persuade through my writings.

    Now, I have no formal training with this... it's just how the context of my writings flowed in this piece... but from a perspective of building long-term trust to a cold audience, do you guys feel this is a good "plan to persuade" my readers?

    I really didn't want to self-promote it... so, I didn't include a link to the pdf here.. I am however (nervous) in considering seeing if people here would be willing to critique it?

    Another concern is that there maybe some "ramblings" that should be removed, as Rick refers to it, as I am working on developing a "personal style" for my copy (persuasive writings)... and it spanned 11,000 words in sowing the seed I am trying to plant in their minds... is that too much?

    I'm not here to bomb the thread, even Raydal's methodology seems to be silently inter-woven into the manner in which I write... and once I lock in on a target I feel the writing stays within the "contextual flow" and yet it happens without truly knowing... how does that happen?

    Maybe I'm just tired...

    Art

    [edit] removed link to the report - one in respect to the OP, and two... learned what I needed to know!
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    • After reading it I'm none the wiser as to who you are and how you can help me.

      I don't know your values, what you stand for and against, why I should trust you, and what I should have learned.

      And the writing comes across as incredibly self-indulgent and long-winded. You could easily cut it in half and not lose anything.
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  • I believe Art, by the length and muscle you put into your writing, you will be acknowledged favorably for it.

    Whether those attributes are enough to overcome its initial "hypey internet marketing" look and feel, I am not sure.

    I encourage you to try giving it a more authoritative, more reserved look and feel.

    I hope that helps.
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  • Rick,

    Thanks, I appreciate your insight, and take "the length and muscle" as being a welcomed compliment.

    I have been struggling as to the direction the message "invites" as there are many paths I can take the reader from here, and I am feeling "exactly" as you said; "it does come off as a hypey internet marketing" look and feel... and I have been giving great consideration as to how to "present it and package" in a more befitting manner to reach a broader audience.

    Thanks.. I do appreciate you taking a look at it.

    Art
  • Thanks, Max. I appreciate.

    In posting my comments, I am genuinely not trying to be contrarian, disruptive or argumentative.

    There's enough of that on this forum, let alone the world.

    What I'm hoping people take away from my opinion(s) is that the majority of what you read in the copywriting books should not be taken as Gospel.

    The word "FREE" can suppress results. The Belcher button doesn't always convert best. Offering bonuses can cheapen an offer. A headline can tip off a reader you want his money. Etc. Etc. Etc.

    Unlike others who struggle for work, as a workaholic working behind my desktop upwards of 80 hours a week for the past 35 years, I AM FLOODED with writing from multiple avenues.

    I see what's working up close and personal. All cold traffic.

    I say that not to impress anyone, but to reveal a small glimpse of what my life is like. I am forever in the trenches writing and TESTING.

    And most of what you read out in the wild is BS. Designed only to tickle your ears, fill your head and empty your wallet.

    A possible additional bonus? Your FB or Adwords account gets banned.

    I am not saying anybody is wrong unless their advice is righteously absolute in nature. In other words, certain copywriting devices and strategies work in certain contexts and on certain advertising platforms.

    So bottom line, I encourage everyone to use Ray's or mine or anybody else's advice as grist for the mill, as inspiration of what to try.

    But don't be too surprised or upset if it doesn't work. Nothing is certain to convert in copywriting today regardless of the source.

    I hope this clarifies.

    Thanks again, Max.
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  • …and while we're dispersing a shedfull of myths.

    You don't always have to write a 107 page (give or take) sales pitch.

    Because many of the most profitable "pitches" were a mere 1 or 2 pages long.


    Steve
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  • ^ This is absolutely true about rookie writers. You see it all the time right here on the forum.

    And you guys are missing Ray's point about structure. The ad with the chick getting the spanking is a real non sequitur.

    That ad wouldn't work because values have changed. Has nothing to do with structure (the topic at hand). The anecdote about the copy working better without a guarantee? Same deal, non-sequitur (and not such a valuable insight. Should we market based on your anecdote or the TONS of research that show that strong guarantees, ie. "risk reversal" work?).

    Keep them guessing? Naaaah. Obvious not. Keep them reading -- and that has a lot to do with Ray's point about transitions, keeping the promise in the headline, etc. If they dive into your ad or letter or whatever and don't find what they're looking for toute d'suite, you've lost them.

    Ray's post is spot on -- copywriting 101. Plan it out and make sure it fits together well and flows well, depending on the challenge at hand.

    Slippery slope, whether it's a letter or a facebook ad.

    That being said, of course you don't want your ad (or letter or whatever) to read like advertising. I'm a huge fan of the "soft-sell" (which is the hardest kind of copy to write). Still, you gotta plan it out beforehand (or rearrange it later) into an optimal "slippery slope", ie. structure.

    Hope you're giving them samples of "soft sell" to reverse-engineer too.
  • Jennie, thanks.

    It's so nice of you to respond. It's starting to feel like homecoming weekend on this thread with all the oldtimers chiming in.

    You said the magic words.



    The emphasis is on the word "now."

    Word on the street is, being one of the top ClickBank and supplement copywriters, YOU are one of the ones to know.

    (As an aside, most here don't know that Jennie is one of the top VSL copywriters on ClickBank. She also has multiple controls selling supplements. Plus she was one of the top 3 Elance copywriters until it got bought out by upwork.)

    It really IS all about what's working now.

    Books are outdated, and increasingly irrelevant.

    My advice? Spend every minute sharpening the saw, studying your market instead.

    Because the best copy being written today is not getting 2% conversions. Although it was more than acceptable in the old days to cover adspend and offer a nice profit.

    Today's converting copy must get better conversions, better EPCs. You've got to squeeze as much profit out of a piece as you can, especially if it's on the frontend of a funnel.

    The great thing is that analytical tools like hotjar.com and crazyegg.com and clicktale.com plus others can give you insights you couldn't get in the past.

    For instance, I have been fine tuning a particular ClickBank piece in a large, rabid market on FB for six months.

    Six months is a long time. I have a three hundred hours into it as least.

    It's gone through multiple versions. Quizzes, surveys, articles landers, landing page changes, changing up the offer... it was always on the cusp of profitability on Facebook.

    We didn't give up. We kept at it.

    Then I tried something new, something different.

    It immediately gave us a 400% ROI. Finally, a well-earned breakthrough.

    Will that last? Well, obviously we're scaling as fast as possible right now, so we'll see.

    But given I treat my copywriting efforts as a business and not just a one-time promotion or even a freelance service, I'm sure we'll continue to optimize.

    The point is you can't be rigid in your thinking. You can't be righteous about formulas and tactics that worked in the past.

    I believe "structures" lull you into a false sense of confidence. "It worked then, it should work now, right?"

    Not necessarily. In fact, I say probably not. Not without some significant modification.

    That's why I encourage people I mentor to instead spend their time being a student of THE MARKET. Here are 6 of the things I do...
    • Buy the products you see being promoted over and over again. Follow AND DOCUMENT the funnel. Analyze that. Feels like a waste of money, but I'll do that before I buy a generic copywriting course. It's cheaper, too.
    • Don't just read, but participate on the forums of your prospects. You want to develop a sixth sense about your prospect.
    • Build out a comprehensive avatar and buyer persona. Keep a running list of words and phrases your market uses. Not just words you swipe from competitors. They'll come in handy.
    • When you do get a new customer, develop a real relationship with them. Survey them. Record and transcribe them.
    • Collaborate with other copywriters. I realize copywriters are lone wolfs, but I encourage you share the work, split the fees with people you trust. Share the daily insights and breakthroughs. $25K masterminds are overpriced and overrated.
    • Invest in tools that allow you to analyze your work. And then spend the time optimizing. It's never ending but the insights you'll get will give you a competitive edge.
    Jennie, with your experience, you know all this implicitly. I was kinda saying it for those who don't have your expertise and focus.
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    • Thanks Rick,

      And there we see what may be the current state of copywriting instruction...

      Too many... way, way, way too many teachers who are
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    • I completely agree with Rick on squeezing every last drop of value from each piece of content you have, I have a pretty good method in which I do so, and I am sure that I could improve upon it a good bit, but here is my strategy:

      1. Publish the original article on the best/highest quality website possible, let it get indexed by the search engines.

      2. Take that article and turn it into a PDF file (Usually using Power Point), perhaps add a few images & spice it up a little bit, then take the PDF and distribute it accross the top PDF distribution channels such as Scribd.com, SlideShare.net, DocStoc.com, Issuu.com, and many others.

      3. I run the article through a program called Natural Reader, which turns it into an audio file. Now, I have a podcast in which I distribute throughout a number of podcast sharing websites, using unique titles & descriptions for each upload.

      4. Then, I take the content PDF file throw it in Power Point, add some images & create a slide show. Next, I take the audio file I created before, and put it onto the video. Now, I have a fully functional video to distribute accross the top video marketing channels, such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

      5. If you wish to take things even further, you can use that piece of content and throw it into an eBook, which you can either sell for money, give away for free/with a product purchase, or for an email address.

      That's my plan, on how I get the absolute most of out my content, without spending a whole lot of time, money, or resources to get it done. Everything I just listed can be done very quickly, and yields surprisingly great results.

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  • Jennie wrote, among other things:

    I'm a little confused about the context of Jennie's comments. It seems like she is talking about a selling environment where people are coming from search engines and expecting non-selling information and therefore you now need to sell in a manner that doesn't look like a traditional sales letter.

    However, some of us sell in contexts where the customer does expect and want a sales page that looks like a sales page and where anything else would be confusing. For example, if I am reading my alumni magazine and see mention of a tour to Turkey and want to know more about it, I am expecting to see a sales pitch about the tour, not general information about visiting Turkey. Likewise, if my weekly newsletter gets someone thinking about a certain theme and then there's a blurb about a new course on this topic, someone clicking to read about the course is going to expect a sales letter-type writeup about the course. If they get something else, they're going to be confused and the possible sale will be lost.

    Now maybe the reply is that we shouldn't be selling in such ways any more, that that's not where the money is, but if there's already been trust built up, I don't see what is outmoded or wrong about selling in these ways. I do understand the appeal of advertorial-style selling approaches, but that's been around for 20+ years, and that only fits certain situations.

    Could Jennie or Rick or anyone else who understands their side of this discussion please comment, because I am rather confused.

    Thanks,
    Marcia Yudkin
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  • Marcia, what I think you're asking is why not sell straight up if the prospect is open to the opportunity of buying?

    The prospect has been previously educated. They're trusting. They're ready, willing and able.

    Just light up the benefits, address possible objections, maybe add some scarcity and urgency and show them the order form.

    If that's the situation, I would agree.

    Don't make it harder than it needs to be, right?

    PS: Here's a pretty good assessment of what's happening today:

    http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/09...pe-shifts.html
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  • How refreshing to have a thread that engages the readers and contributors with intelligent insights and observations.

    It seems in any business there are levels people reach where their effectiveness, productivity, output and results produce the best outcomes for themselves or their employers.

    Structures can be built and then built upon to produce new and improved systems that can deliver more predictable results.

    Not that I'm saying predictable is good but predictable concepts in face to face selling are good fallbacks for when things are not progressing with a client.

    Revert to the control.

    In copywriting perhaps having some fall back structures to use and refer to is not a bad thing.

    It is a bit like rote learning in school where the repetition or memory of particular facts, systems or ideas is embedded into the students brain.

    When copywriting you have the luxury of producing material out of view of the client and you can modify and edit as you see fit.

    When face to face or one on one the seller can modify their responses according to the feedback they are "hopefully" receiving from the prospect.

    Analytics tools like Clicktale or numerous other split-testing and tracking tools should help copywriters improve results but do these tools really help the inexperienced practitioner?

    I think it still takes experience and understanding of what these tools produce to successfully modify copy to deliver a better result.

    It is always nice to quote examples where there has been huge success or differences but you would expect as you got better the differences might only be marginal and as Rick mentioned it was only after extended testing there was one significant breakthrough that produced better results.

    Best regards,

    Ozi
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