When I write or critique a marketing campaign, I find it helpful to follow tested and proven copy formulas to create a winning campaign. You should check your copy now and see if they match any of these response-boosting guidelines.
Let’s take a look at just three useful copywriting formulas…
1. AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
It works because it keeps you focused on the final goal: Prompting your reader to act.
- Grab attention with a personal, benefit-driven headline.
- Now that you’ve got their attention, what you say next is critical. You must create interest to keep them reading. Help them quickly identify that your message is relevant.
- To build desire, use your strongest benefit-driven selling points to appeal to your prospects’ needs and wants.
- Get that response by clearly stating what you want your prospects to do. For example “Call 1-800-XXX-XXXX to get your free recession-fighting report” or “Return this Special Savings Certificate in the postage-paid envelope today to begin your FREE no-risk, 30-day trial.”
2. AIDPPC: Attention, Interest, Description, Persuasion, Proof, Close.
This variation on AIDA was developed by copywriting great Robert Collier, outlining his take on a winning formula.
- After you’ve got attention and interest, your curious prospect will want a full description of what you’re offering. This is like the bait. Show your readers how this offer will improve their lives, and…
- Persuasion goes beyond simply presenting interesting information. You must convince prospects that it’s in their best interest to respond to your offer.
- After you’ve made your claims, provide proof. Today’s skeptical prospects demand that you prove your statements. Back up your sales pitch with cold, hard facts and testimonials.
- Close. Summarize the benefits and the offer and pair that with your call to action. If you’ve done it right, you’ll be on your way to a sales boost.
3. The 4 Ps
Now let’s take a look at one more, known as the 4 Ps:
-Promise. AIDA tells you to start with Attention, but the first P tells you how: Catch your readers’ attention by promising them a benefit. Call it out in the headline, elaborate on it in the subhead and then expand further in your opening. Showing your readers what’s in it for them is the only surefire way to grab attention.
-Picture. Help your readers imagine themselves enjoying the benefit or outcome you’ve promised. This approach appeals your prospects’ emotional triggers. Specifically elaborate on how your product or service will make this benefit a reality.
–Proof. Back up the picture you’ve painted with cold hard facts: Statistics, research studies, charts, graphs, testimonials, third-party reviews, certifications, product photos and product demonstrations.
-Push. This is more than just a call to action—it’s also delivering your irresistible offer and illustrating how much value your recipient will receive. Your goal is to link the promised benefit to the enticing picture to the acceptance of the proof…all to result in an action.
If your marketing doesn’t measure up to these response-boosting formulas, you’re losing leads and sales. If you’d like me to help you get better results, email Caleb at [email protected] or call me at (310) 212-5727.
Here are the rest of this week’s articles:
