"Killer" Opening Lead Question

Since I don't consider myself an expert copywriter by any means, I'm just going to plagerize Ben Settle

This is from issue 5 of his Crypto Marketing Newsletter...

1. Candor Lead - From Halbert's Betty's Diet Book...

"My name is Betty Adams and the first thing you should know about me is... I'm not a doctor. I'm not an expert on nutrition either. I never went to college and I don't have a degree in anything. In fact, the only thing I consider myself an 'exert' is about..."

2. "Did you know?" lead - plays on people's sense of curiosity. From one of Gary B's ads...

"Do you know why you should never eat a spinach salad when you're being interviewed over lunch? If you're a man, do you know why you should never wear a gold bracelet to a job interview? If you're a woman ,do you know the kind of blouse that makes interviewers of both sexes think you're a loser?"

3. If then lead. Easiest to use. Money because it has 'built in belief'...

"If you would like to be a woman that nearly all men... just can't resist, then this is going to be the most important message you ever read"

4. If/then with proof. Same as 4, but proof element makes it stronger. From Thomas Hall...

"If you would like to lose up to 63 pounds, then here is how I did it in Japan, and why I think you can do it in America"

5. Questions. Ask a question that speaks to market's pain/desire

Do you have hemorrhoids? (lol)

Have fun with these!

Good question, and helpful examples from Tony. The common thread in all the examples, and the key to a good lead is that it should take you to the point where you want to keep reading...

People will read more if they think they will get what they want (benefit) they want to know more (curiosity) or they believe you may be able to help (credibility). As with all copywriting the only real test is the reaction of the public. Don't necessarily fret too much about perfection. Put together a couple of options then test and tweak.

This question is a little bit like asking what the best lure is to use for fishing, because there are so many variables, but understanding your target audience is an important consideration in writing a good lead.

Some factors that affect how a lead is written include who you're writing to (target audience), what they already know, and what kind of product you are writing for.

Assuming there is a unifying single Big Idea (Ogilvy's term, meaning a single strong idea, emotion, or benefit) used throughout the advertising piece, then the lead will work best if it supports that, and then works its way through the product benefits, claims, features, proof, offer, guarantee, etc.

However, the style of the lead used might change based on what the target audience knows about the company or products. Someone completely familiar might respond best to a direct approach (such as an offer or promise), whereas somebody completely new might respond best to an indirect approach (such as a story or proclamation type of lead).

It was Eugene Schwartz who referred to this concept in his book, Breakthrough Advertising, where he mentions the "Five Levels of Customer Awareness."

Looking at it another way, the better the customer knows the product or company, the less resistance there might be to a sales pitch. The inverse is also true.

IMO, you can't go wrong reading through the swipe files of the classics like Schwartz, Ogilvy, Drayton Bird, John Kennedy, Clayton Makepeace, etc. There are lots of good contemporary ones too (Shake Weight, anyone?), and checking the top sellers at places like ClickBank can be useful. Infomarketingblog dot com has quite a few examples of classic ads, too.

From what I've read the lead should focus on how an issue will be addressed in a defined time period. It needs to be an opening promise of benefit.