Sound Advice

 Make sure the door is locked before reaching for your lock picks.

That was the opening line for this blog post on researching before you write.

 But I deleted the rest of the post. 

'Cause the opening line made the point all by itself. In fact, on its own it's sound advice for many aspects of your business and personal life.

So, I'll say it again:

Make sure the door is locked before reaching for your lock picks.

Or battering ram.

12 Essentials in Every Successful Copywriter’s Toolbox

 

Copywriting is the art of persuasion, the science of engagement, and the magic of compelling storytelling rolled into one. To succeed as a copywriter, you’ll need to have these 12 essential tools of the copywriting trade at your fingertips at all times.

1. Listening Skills
   Great copy begins with understanding. Listen intently to both your clients and their customers, so you fully understand their wants, their needs, and their goals. Pay attention to the nuances of their language and the emotions behind their words. This empathetic approach will help you craft messages that resonate deeply with your client's customers and prospects.
   
   
2. Target Audience Knowledge
   Dig deep into market research, customer feedback, input from client team members (e.g., sales and customer service) to gain insights into your audience's demographics, preferences, and behaviors. The more you know about who you're writing for, the better you can tailor the message to meet their needs and desires.
   
   
3. Facility with the Voice of Your Prospect
   Speak the language of your audience. Whether they're formal and professional or casual and conversational, adapt your tone and style to mirror theirs. This builds rapport and fosters a sense of connection with your readers.
   
   
4. Familiarity with the Product/Service Being Offered
   You can't effectively sell something you don't understand. Take the time to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the product or service you're promoting. Understand its features, benefits, and unique selling points.
   
   
5. Identification of the USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
   What sets this product or service apart from the competition? Identify its unique strengths and advantages, and weave these into your copy to create a compelling case for why customers should choose your offering.
   
   
6. Understanding of the Prospect's Objections and How to Successfully Answer Them
   Anticipate potential objections or concerns that your target audience might have and address them head-on in your copy. By proactively providing solutions or reassurances, you build trust and alleviate doubts.
   
   
7. Knowledge of How to Reach the Prospect on an Emotional Level
   Emotions drive decision-making. Craft your copy to evoke specific emotions that resonate with your audience, whether it's joy, fear, curiosity, or nostalgia. Emotional resonance creates a powerful connection and motivates action.
   
   
8. Ability to Communicate with Clarity
   Clear, concise communication is essential in copywriting. Avoid ambiguity and unnecessary jargon and complexity. Your message should be easily understood by your prospect (don’t worry if it’s not totally clear people outside your target market).
   
   
9. Understanding the Value of Social Proof:
   Testimonials, case studies, and reviews provide credibility and validation for your claims. Incorporate social proof into your copy to reassure current and potential customers and build confidence in your product or service.
   
   
10. Structured Storytelling Skill
    Stories have a unique ability to captivate and persuade. Learn to structure your copy like a compelling narrative, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Engage your audience (who is always the hero of the marketing story) with relatable characters, conflict, and resolution.
    
    
11. Editing Skills: Good writing is rewriting. Take the time to revise and refine your copy, eliminating unnecessary words, tightening sentences, and polishing your prose. Every word should serve a purpose and contribute to the overall impact of your message.
    
    
12. Mastery of  Headline Writing: Your headline is the first impression you make on your audience and determines whether a prospect will continue to read or move on. Make it count. Headlines must grab attention, pique curiosity, and promise value. Experiment with different techniques, such as using numbers, posing questions, or making bold statements.

Becoming a successful copywriter requires dedication, skill, and a deep understanding of both your audience and your product. By having these 12 essential tools of the trade ready to deploy at all times and by continually honing your craft, you'll be well-equipped to create copy that inspires action, drives engagement, and achieves results.

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If you found this useful, check out:

The 40 Essential Skills and Traits of Top Copywriters

The Master of Oreo Envy

When we would travel to visit my grandparents, my sister and I would ride in the back seat and my mom would pass us and Oreo cookie the moment she detected any sign of restlessness.

I would gobble my cookie like a hungry dog tossed a piece of fat from a benevolent butcher.

My sister would then show me her half eaten cookie. "I still have half a cookie. You have nothing."

With the next Oreo, I would control myself and slowly eat half of it. When I turned to my sister, she would hold up the creamy center, having eaten the chocolate wafers. "Ew. You only have half a cookie. I have this delicious cream."

Next time, when I had saved the cream, she'd sneer, "Yuck the cream is awful with no chocolate. And you have no chocolate. Poor, sad, no chocolate you."

This went on for the entire 6-hour drive. Every cookie passed back by my mom was a torture device in the hands of my sister.

Those drives are long in our past ... but she can still push my buttons just like when I was that 6-year-old in the back seat of a Pontiac Star Chief.

The Small Stuff

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"
 
That sign was hung behind the sales manager's desk at a small business I consulted.
 
When the salesperson who had won "Salesperson of the Year" was asked to say a few words at her celebration lunch, she was introduced by the sales manager who said, "Tell 'em how you did it, Diane."
 
Diane stood up. Looked around the table and said, "I sweated the small stuff."