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Job one for a copywriter is getting and keeping attention. We always give that our best shot.But there are some situations where you need to do this more intensely, and you don’t want to come across like a screaming insane person yelling loudly just to get attention.So we need to come up with some unusual techniques, to increase the intensity without pushing our prospects away.That’s what today’s show is about. I’ve identified five unusual copy techniques that are especially helpful for cold traffic and introducing new products.They are a bit exotic, and you’ll find at least some of them extremely useful the next time you write copy.
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Today we’re going to talk about two words that can change your writing forever. Not just your copywriting, but especially your copywriting.One word is a first-grade word and the second word is a fourth-grade word, according to people who seem to know about those things.The words are “but” – with one ‘t’ – and “therefore.” Why are these words so important and who, besides us, says so?It’s because these words can take a boring string of sentences and make them interesting.They can add conflict, and consequences, to a story with as few as three sentences.We’ll show you why and how, and how this is true from stories around the world, in a little bit.The key thing to know now is that the creators of the cartoon show South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have been flying around the country explaining how these two words make the difference between boring and a really good story.I saw a one-minute video on TwitterX of these two talking to some students at New York University, and I instantly realized, this is something for Copywriters Podcast.Because what they are teaching, which we will get to in a moment, not only applies to stories, but also to many other parts of copy. Therefore, we’ll be talking about these two words today.See what I did there?Resource: The Persuasion Story Codehttp://shorturl.at/pzAEQ
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You know FAQs – that list of frequently asked questions, and answers?Are they a copywriting chore you would just as soon avoid?Well, today I’d like to offer a different way to look at them. As a huge, and mainly underutilized, marketing opportunity.I want you to consider this possibility:An FAQ section doesn't just inform. It also persuades. But not in a cheesy, ham-fisted kind of way. See, it is possible to inform while persuading, and we’ll look at how today.
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OK, finally. You’ve got your copy written.At least your first draft.Now what?That’s what a subscriber to the podcast asked me on youtube a few weeks ago.The best I can do to answer that question is tell you how I look at copy, whether it’s my own, or a client’s.Today’s show is about a series of steps I go through to review copy with a mentoring client or in a one-off copy critique.Some of this may be familiar, but listen for the parts that aren’t. Adding those parts to your routine could end up taking your finished copy to the next level.We go into depth on the podcast, but here is the complete set of lists from the show:4 important things to look for first1. Who is the prospect? Who is not? How would you know if you tripped over them?2. Empathy3. Rule of 1 - Golden Thread4. Continuity and Smooth Transitions5 Key Elements Of Copy1. Headline2. Opening3. Proof4. Offer5. Call to actionGetting the words right1. Do you use easy, simple-to-understand words?2. Variety in sentence, paragraph length—and bolding3. Flesch-Kincaid grade level4. Images, emotions, physicality of descriptions5. Conversational phrasing and actual dialogReadability formulas, mentioned in the show: https://readabilityformulas.com/Mentoring and critiques: https://garfinkelcoaching.com
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These days, things in copywriting are changing so fast it can make your head spin.Junior copywriters aren’t sure there’s a career path, because of AI.Experienced copywriters are finding clients have different and sometimes confusing demands that you never would have heard five years ago.Our special guest today, Scott Zetlan, has some answers for junior copywriters, experienced copywriters, and everyone in between.That’s because he’s seen and done so much in business, both old school and online. Scott has helped hundreds of businesses grow and scale fast, using innovative testing techniques.Scott’s company, Visiopt, has a tool that lets businesses run a single test equivalent to a whopping 4,317 split tests, allowing for rapid optimization that leads to profits and new opportunities.Scott’s also an expert in writing copy that converts cold traffic.He’s agreed to come on the podcast to talk about a new model of survival and success for copywriters, based on his wide span of expertise and his current in-the-trenches experience.Scott’s company: https://visiopt.com/
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One of the hardest things for copywriters and business owners to get right is running ads to cold traffic on Facebook and Instagram, and making those ads profitable.If you’ve tried this for yourself, I think you know what I mean.So does today’s guest, who has discovered some important techniques that work and has also discovered the mistakes to avoid, and is going to share valuable info about both with you in detail.Our special guest today is Travis Moh, a media buyer who understands copywriting as well as the mysterious world of online funnels and different types of campaigns.Travis is responsible for more than $25 million in tracked revenue over the last three years. He says, “most clients I work with come to me after they've been burned by large ad agencies, because they like my in-house, in-depth approach much better.”Travis also coaches other media buyers and business owners, and he’s going to let us in on some of his hard-won knowledge today.But first, let me let you in on something you may have heard before:Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims... and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity... you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time.Links to Travis’s courses:Agency Owners / Media Buyers Segment: https://mediabuyingpro.com/agencyCourse Creators / Coaches Segment: https://mediabuyingpro.com/adsforcoaches
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I would say our guest today Will Siebler takes a Zen approach to copywriting. On the home page of his website, he has a picture of a lonely but sturdy coffee cup on a table. On the coffee cup is the word “Begin.”But the shimmering peace is shattered by a few words overlayed on the picture:“I’m Will. I write words that make your clients say, ‘Shut up and take my money!’”It’s a quiet confidence you just don’t see that often in copywriters.Will has had his own marketing and copywriting business since 2003.He knows how to get big results, too.He helped a commercial cleaning go from $1 million a year in revenue to $5 million by using a simple direct mail strategy aimed at their best client type.Online, he recently helped a building design client reduce their cost per conversion from $1,168.58 to $132.72 and, he says, we’re just getting started.I met Will on LinkedIn, and a few weeks ago he shared a two page document with me that he’s spent years putting together. It’s not a sales letter. It’s a cheat sheet of what he calls “the greatest copywriting wisdom” he’s come across in 30 years.And he’s boiled it down to the nub.I asked Will to come on Copywriters Podcast to talk about it, and he agreed. Because he’s in Australia and Nathan and I are in the US, we are recording this much later in the day than our usual time. That’s why there’s a screen behind me to block out the late afternoon San Francisco blazing sunlight, if you’re watching this on youtube and you wondered, what’s that screen doing up there?Will's websitehttps://www.cashcopy.com.au/
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Listen to this:“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”That’s from author and sportswriter Jim Dent, and it perfectly captures how a lot of us feel in the summertime. Lazy and happy to be so.And that’s fine. But don’t mistake your state of mind for the state of business. While more retail sales happen in November and December than they do in July and August, business is still very active. People want things. People buy things.Did you buy or sell anything in the middle of July, on Amazon Prime days? I know I sold a bunch of books. Well, that means somebody bought them. Business lives! And not just for me and book buyers.What I’d like for us to do today is talk about how you can take advantage of the summer and the other three seasons in your copy and in your overall marketing.use any time of year!Link to The Persuasion Story Code:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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It’s a double-edged word that doesn’t get talked about enough.And that word is: confidence.It definitely has a bad connotation, as in “con artist” or “confidence man.”But on the flip side, and with a different meaning, it’s a very important, positive word.I would say in some very straight-laced business circles, it’s the only emotion you can talk aboutfreely without raising eyebrows or causing questions about your strength and resolve.Most important of all, though, is that confidence can make the crucial difference between failureand success in copywriting. At three levels: The copywriter level, the client level, and thecustomer level.We’ve talked about confidence before on this show, but only in passing.Today we’re going to stand still and focus just on confidence and copywriting.The Persuasion Story Code:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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As a copywriter, sometimes your biggest problem is that your prospect doesn’t have a problem.Well, that’s not exactly it.Actually, sometimes your biggest problem is when you don’t KNOW what your prospect’s problem is… and how to communicate to them in a compelling way that your product can solve that problem.And if you can show convincingly that you can solve that problem better than anyone else, or in a new and unique way that’s of course different from how everyone else does it—even better!That’s what we’re going to talk about today. How your customer’s problem is actually your best friend.You can find out how to write great problem/solution stories, and a whole lot more, in The Persuasion Story Code https://shorturl.at/pzAEQ
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Does the world turn upside down when you are writing copy for prospects with money?The first time you do it, it sure seems that way.And there’s a good reason for that. The rules are different for writing that kind of copy.Does that mean that the core basic aspects of psychology are different for rich people than they are for everyone else?Absolutely not. The core basic aspects are virtually identical. They’re pretty much the same for all humans.But overwhelmingly, the mindset of a person with money is worlds apart from the mindset of a middle-class person and a working-class person.And, as copywriters, we’ve been trained with materials that assume we are selling to ordinary people, not the well-off, the rich, and the super-rich.Nathan was working on a personal development offer for high-end prospects, and it occurred to him that the copywriting rules are completely different when you write for them than when you write for middle-class or working-class prospects. What we want to do on today's show is to talk about those differences and suggest how each listener can improve their skills and adjust their mindset when they get to write offers to this customer group.Contact us:Critiques, David https://www.garfinkelcoaching.com/copy-critiques/Nathan: https://advertisingcheatcodes.com/advertising-alchemist/
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In this episode, we dive into the concept of transformation in marketing, revealing why it's the secret ingredient behind successful campaigns.We'll uncover the types of transformations—physical, emotional, and social—that resonate most with audiences. Learn how to identify the most compelling transformation your product offers and how to overcome the natural resistance people have to change by highlighting the significant benefits.Discover the art of simplifying your transformation story, making it easy to grasp and irresistible to your prospects. We'll provide vivid examples to illustrate the power of clear, concise storytelling, and share practical tips to help you create copy that paints a vivid picture of the life-changing impact your product can have.Join us as we dissect iconic marketing campaigns like Nike’s “Just Do It” and Apple’s “Think Different” to understand how these brands used transformation to captivate their audiences. We'll also look at how the "Got Milk?" campaign subtly but powerfully shifted perceptions, transforming milk from a boring beverage to a cool, essential part of daily life.By the end of this episode, you'll have the tools to harness the power of transformation in your copywriting, making your marketing messages more powerful and effective. Don't just sell a product; sell a better future. Tune in and start creating compelling narratives that resonate with your audience and inspire action.And get your copy of David's new book, The Persuasion Story Code, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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In theory, AI should be able to do anything you tell it, including write good copy for you.In practice, AI does what you give it instructions to do.And finding the instructions to give it that will make it write in compelling, simple conversational English… looking for those instructions has been like the search for the Holy Grail.At least for me. Until now. Three weeks ago we had our returning champion on for the first time, Jason Parker.Nathan and I got so excited that we both signed up for his AI copywriting class.Not cheap, but worth every penny.I’ve been cranking out so much good writing since then, it makes my head spin. And I’m still getting my bearings.What Jason has done, that I haven’t found anyone else can do to nearly the same degree of proficiency, is give the AI prompts that precisely instruct the AI to write copy that sounds like a human talking.Nathan and I desperately wanted to have Jason back to talk about this, and Jason agreed to share his five favorite prompts today.Well, not exactly prompts. A tad wee bit more than that. What he calls “prompt chunks.”We’ll be sharing these with you later, no strings. And we’ve got a lot to talk about today.Contact Jason: Jason (at) ParkerKirkland.comCheat sheet with five prompt chunks:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1saLVuzeRK6ZRjNCtDeFIknoioZhOedWWDHnz1NI2XHc/edit?usp=sharing
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It is rare that we quote baseball players on Copywriters Podcast, but today we are going to quote a great one, Yogi Berra. He said,“It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.”But as intrepid copywriters, we do the difficult.Actually, stories about the future are very useful and effective in copy.They’re probably not exactly what you think, though.You may be using some of the stories we talk about today, but some of them will probably be new to you.Here’s the most important thing to remember:When you can get your prospect to imagine a future where they already own or have bought what you are selling, and they attach a positive feeling to it, closing the sale becomes so much easier.You can get better at all your stories with my new book The Persuasion Story Code. It’s available exclusively on Amazon—Kindle, paperback, and audible.Here’s the link:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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If your tank is empty and you’re looking for inspiration, you could do worse than to watch a little WWE wrestling.¬Our special guest today, Todd Jones, is quite a fan and an expert. He’s written a terrific article called “5 Lessons I Learned About Storytelling From Pro Wrestling.”Yesterday I read it. Because it’s online, it has videos to illustrate his excellent points, and I watched about half an hour of high points in the sport, dating back all the way to 1981.Most of the clips are much more recent, though.Todd is known as “the about page guy” and specializes in working with small and medium businesses with their content and copywriting. He’s a prolific writer with a unique point of view and lots of talents and skills he uses to help his clients.Todd has experience in a wide variety of things, from retail, grocery, vending, tech journalism and ministry. He’s great at building online communities.So we’re going to talk about all that and more today.Todd’s coaching: https://www.copyflight.com/coaching/Todd’s article on the WWE and storytelling: https://www.copyflight.com/5-lessons-storytelling-professional-wrestling/
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I really didn’t believe it was possible—that AI could crank out compelling copy in a conversational, persuasive voice.But I reconnected with my old mentoring client Jason Parker last week. By “old,” I mean it’s been over a decade since we worked together. He’s not all that old himself. Me, that’s another story.When he showed me what he’s come up with, I didn’t believe my eyes at first. But then he showed me how he was doing it. And, with no background material other than the book title, he had AI write a pretty decent sales letter for my book The Persuasion Story code in about two minutes.I found my way to Jason because the only other person in his agency, Brian Halpin, was online talking about a webinar 80% written by AI that generated just shy of $900,000 for a client.Talking further with Jason, I found out that his agency was scoring win after win. Over $4 million a month for Launch Medical. Half a million a month for A Caccia di Trader, an Italian financial publishing business. And other improbable but documented big, impressive successes.I asked Jason if I could dig into what he was doing and how he was doing it, and he shared a lot with me. Meanwhile, he emphasized that we were only scratching the surface. But the most important thing I’ve seen is he’s found a way to get AI to stop writing like what we’re used to seeing from Chat GPT.And he’s also found a way to pour a lot of proven copywriting knowledge and techniques into custom bots.I asked him to come on the show and share some of it with us. He very generously agreed to do so.Jason’s agency is Parker & Kirkland
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When you talk about your product and you get that deer-in-the-headlights look, what gives?In the best of all worlds, it’s simply that the prospect doesn’t understand what you’re saying.And that very much could be because you’re the man or woman who knows too much.I’m talking about the curse of knowledge—when you’ve gotten all this expertise, which you needed, but you forgot to take the next step of simplifying it and putting it into appealing marketing language so your prospect can instantly understand and appreciate the value of what you’re offering.The curse of knowledge is real.But it’s curable.We’ll look at what it is and how to cure it on today’s show.There’s lots to learn, but I recommend my book, The Persuasion Story Code, as a way to use stories to break the curse of knowledge. Here’s the link:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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First weekend in May, the #1 show on Netflix was an origin story. Not a real origin story, but a total fabrication for comedy purposes. It was a movie called Unfrosted.It’s important for copywriters for a couple of reasons.The first is the power of a product name.The movie was a totally fictional story about how Kellogg's popular toaster pastries became a hit in grocery stores.It's hardly a spoiler to tell you the name they settled on that led to the big bucks: Pop-Tarts.How they got there is a big part of the totally made-up plot.Also, there's a great cameo by actors Jon Hamm and John Slattery, who play two leading characters in the series Mad Men.In the new Netflix movie, they play out-of-touch New York admen who come up with totally wrong product names.Later in the movie, when they hear the name Pop-Tarts, one of ’em grumbles an admission of defeat:"That'll sell."So that’s the first important lesson for copywriters:Gotta get the name right!But there’s a second lesson that’s maybe even more important, since copywriters often don’t have control over the product name anyway.And that lesson is this:People love origin stories.Yet I’ve found a lot of the time, copywriters don’t know how to put an effective one together, and how to use it once they do.We’ll cover that today on the show.My book, The Persuasion Story Code:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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Every day it gets worse–the struggle to get people’s attention.It’s always been hard, but never like this before.Too many things and people are competing for our attention at any given moment.This may seem like a particular problem for copywriters, since we’ve been trained to start every message with a headline or a subject line.Nothing wrong with that, but there is a way of using words that is scientifically proven to get and hold attention better than anything else.And that’s a story.We’re hard-wired at birth to blot everything else out, except a life-threatening emergency, when a good story is being told.So, how do you tell a story in a headline? Or in your lead? Or in your opening paragraph?Without, you know, launching into an old, tired, never-ending hero’s journey story or a nightmare story?Well there is a way, and it’s much easier than you think.Since you’ve already been exposed to it for years without realizing people were using stories that way.The Persuasion Story Code:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ
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Time to talk about a taboo subject that needs to be discussed: The truly awful clients copywriters inevitably get, and how to set things right with them (or make a Quick Draw McGraw exit)!We’ve all had them. That can’t be changed or avoided.But what to DO about them?That can be learned, from an expert who’s been there, done that, and figured it out!Our special guest today is A-List Copywriter Kim Krause Schwalm, author of the great new book Client Badassery Secrets: How Copywriters Can Earn MORE, Run A Thriving Freelance Business, And Cut Out The Client BullshitI’ve read it and it’s really good.Kim’s just the right person to write this book, too. She’s worked as an executive with big direct-response publishers where she hired copywriters, and also someone who has written copy for some of the best-known publishers and supplement companies in the world. And plenty of other clients, along the way.Today she’s going to tell us about the seven kinds of clients you meet on the way to copywriting “hell,” and how to avoid their tricks and traps and come out ahead.Kim’s book, Client Badassery Secrets: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGV7MZ8PKim’s website:https://kimschwalm.com/
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