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To be truthful, I don't always take the time that I should when I'm researching the target market. Ideally, I would use the Google keyword tool and Facebook advertising tools to research interest groups. After that, Think with Google is also a platform I use to research trending products, but as I said, I don't always go the whole 9 miles.

Lesson #1 - You are not your customer.
Unless you plan on buying 100% of your own product, then we really need to think about what the other person wants.


What are the ingredients for great sales copy?

Of course we need essentials like

• a great hook

• a great offer

• an attention grabbing headline

• a compelling call to action

• etc. etc. etc.

But all these things revolve around, and are influenced by, the first essential ingredient

Without this one thing all your formulas, formatting and fancy words will fall flatter than a piece of roadkill under the wheels of a tractor-trailer truck.
(wow, that sentence was a mouthful wasn't it?)


So what is the first essential ingredient to all winning sales copy...?

First, and foremost...

Know your reader!


Know where they hang out and what they're interested in.

If you're advertising a product that's perfect for 30 year old women, don't go scattershot with facebook ads across the stratosphere. We want our ads showing up in the groups where 30 year old women hang out.

If you're selling shoes, it's no good advertising running shoes to people with no feet. Sure, you might sell a couple pair but you'll waste a lot of time and money going after the wrong market with the wrong message.


Once we know who our ideal target market is, then we can hang out in their world for a little while.
We can start by just observing for clues and patterns, and then we can ask a few questions once we grasp the insider lingo.


When we understand our prospects world it becomes so much easier to bridge the gap between our offer and their desire, and sometimes our copy practically writes itself.


Anyway, that's how I do it

I think Howard Schultz might disagree with you on that one.

This is such an odd question for me. Of course the person I'm writing for is a top of mind priority. Always. How else would salesmanship work?

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One "trick" I've seen recommended before that I've found useful (when applicable/possible) is to print out a physical picture of (a representative of) your target consumer (nb: this presumes a well-researched and grounded target). Keep it near where you're working so the image remains in the back of your mind. Read your copy aloud to them. You may find you make helpful revisions/additions you wouldn't otherwise have considered.

Asking more specific questions about your target audience leads you to answers more relatable with your target audience.
These answers connect more deeply with your reader.

I advise you to reread SARubin's post...in my nutshell:

Target: Who, where, when.
Match your message to that marketplace.
LINGO...or Bingo if you speak the language of their desires.
And to add to what Matthew Stanley said about avatars (pics of prospects)...

Sometimes you can think of certain celebrities to give you "types". Oprah might love bread, but she likes to diet (every couple of years to hawk her latest weight loss tips).

Or a relative, Aunt Polly or cousin Vinnie, pretend like you are writing to them, if they are in your target niche.

I, too, am miffed with the question as SARubin is, it just seems like you are going about it backwards, at least until now.

Some pictures in your mind, (metaphors), which might be of service to you:

A bridge you need to lead them across. Who is the them? Why should they cross the bridge? What awaits? Or just the old world What Is In It For Them (WIIFT).

Another mental image, a busy INTERSECTION, where you may encounter several prospects, but you need to find them and within a very short time, give them a reason why to read more or to get more info from you.

One other image to consider, you are in a room divided by a curtain, your prospect is on the other side, how do you get your message to her? Is she in one spot, or does she move around, if she moves...where to and when?

One thing I used to teach copy writer wannabees is the use of the MASLOW Pyramid combined with Schwartz' stages of awareness.

Example. Self improvement/development. At the top of Maslow is the person who spends 25 thousand dollars to walk on hot coals on Tony Robbins' private island as opposed to one on the bottom, who has to scrape 25 bux to buy Tony's book.

The avatars at the top of Maslow, are also the most aware on the Schwartz list.

As for where it comes into play, BEFORE a single word gets written, I have to know who and WHY I'm writing to.

GordonJ

Example:

AUDIENCE
Mothers at home looking after school age kids

TIMING
Kids have just gone back to school
after holidays

MESSAGE
Now that the kids are back at school,
you deserve a break and
some tlc.

Come on in and redeem your Mom's Pamper Package

blah, blah
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What you see is the ATM method.

Your message almost writes itself after some practice
of the the 3 steps.

For the targeted audience, it is on point,
relevant and shows you understand her/his world.

Best,
Ewen

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I've tried these two approaches, and to be honest, I haven't noticed much result. The sale of my product was rather influenced by great deals and special promotions.

You must know the customer before pitching them.
They don't buy when they see your product as cheap in price or has got a lot of features.

They buy because they have the desire for it. They believe that this product is for them only.

So, first know your customers well before pitching.

I've always heard that it's easier to push a product or service when you are actually a consumer yourself. It took a while for this to click but I believe there is some truth to it. It may also just depend on the situation. I agree with SARubin, Matthew Stanley, and GordonJ as well; they pretty much covered the extra stuff I was going to say.

Yep, certain types of writing will speak to different types of people. With enough varied writing styles, your message will reach the masses.

Ah. Well here's the problem: Curse of Knowledge mixed with not having actually listened to the target market.

I don't say this to be insulting. Happens to me fairly frequently and I ought to know better. Stick with me.

So you know what's important about your topic.

You want to express this to them.

But you do it in your terms, with your words, and without any connection to relevance in their world ie. what they already believe.

Someone said content should be 80% old/understood, 20% new. My failure in general is expressing things in the opposite ratio. Build onto what they already know or believe, instead of shocking them with too much new.

I've been a copywriter for over 25 years and done pretty well with the skill, for myself and others. And it took me say the first decade to learn the "You are not your customer" lesson. The things I value are definitely, absolutely, totally NOT what my target market values. Ever. I have a completely different valuation or appreciation scale. The stuff I care about is not anything like what the normal person cares about.

So if I write copy based on my values, I'll be off target every single time.

I might get lucky with an accidental overlap, but that is so rare it's not worth counting on for results.

What I do instead is a series of information interviews. I talk to my target market (I know, weird, right?). I find out what they value and hear their words. I write those words down.

When I hear two or more members of my target audience say the same pain point in the same words, I know I've got a winner.

I use that pain point language direct from the target market. I do not rewrite it in my own, "better" terms. This language is the wolf whistle that makes the customer's ears perk up and them pay attention. After all, it's exactly the kind of thing they would say, have said, themselves.

This is the shift that made the biggest difference for me. Making stuff up and writing copy based on what you think is important is not going to be effective. Figuring you know what the target market values is a mistake.

The solution is getting close to your audience and hearing what they actually say... and then repeating those words back to them. Tie those pain points in with your idea, 80% existing info, 20% new, is the way to believable comprehension and action taking by the audience.

Hi Jason,

Could you please elaborate on what you mean by the above? And give an example?

I think I know what you mean, but maybe I'm reading into it my own understanding and not yours.

Marcia Yudkin

Nowan loves horizons that destroy bedrocks.

& yet we all see bedrocks gotta change less'n we all ossify into nuthin'

So always there are plausible an' desirable leaps to be made ... but from where to where?

Deny the ground undah people's feet, diminish it, appear to claim it off 'em, say you know more 'bout it than they do ... whatevah smart dream you got ain't gowin' noplace.

It is kinda athletics.

When the elevatah broke in' your buildin' you gotta mix with gravity all diffrent.

darn! I gotta use the stairs!

Yeah, but the rules of forward motion always remain the same.

First, you gotta have full feel of the step you on -- this real vital an' secure sense is tested evrytime we got an earthquake or drunk too many cocktails.

Ground undah ya = VISCERAL AF.

Hey, so anyplace next you gonna be gotta have same or bettah bedrock, K?

Othahwise, why risk your ass headin' on ovah?

Anyways, thing for copywritin' an' marketin' people is the twixty areah between these 2 full an' solid ABSOLOOTS.

1) One sure step ('pon which ye be)

2) Next sure step (bcs it is possible, desirable, you gotta go anyways, an' if'n you shortchange yusself you gonna be pissed)

My view?

You wanna write in that space bcs it is equally yooniversal an' poisonal.

Closest thing we gaht to magic or alchemy.

Fluxystuffs!

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Hello, there are many criteria that you should maintain to target a specific audience. Like you have to study before writing something those are: age group, interest, location. It will help you to get more responses in the same content or post. The post reach also gets a hike.

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