This week we're going to reinforce the training that Recruits of my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp are drilled on. In case you didn't read my last article we covered what you MUST do before you write a single word of copy. Each weekday we build on your skills of creating your copy from the ground up following my Field Guide. By the end of this copywriting Bootcamp you won't believe that it was you capable of writing such a professional sales letter.
Get out your pen and paper, set your timer for 15 minutes, and let's go!
How do you start?! We connect to the person reading. Copywriting is a team sport. There's you, the writer and the reader. The reader gets to decide when the game's over. As soon as the reader is gone, they're not reading your copy anymore. So you're anticipating what's going to keep them interested and intrigued with your copy ahead of time. Here's how it's done.
Pick a primary target market. (Yes you can have more than one, but the more specific you make your target market, the easier it will be to sell to them. For our purposes, you need to pick one specific target market.) Let's define just what I mean and how I create my audience as a real person in my Field Guide.
Target + Market = Tarket - a singular way to look at writing to one person rather than a mob. Get this one concept down and your copy will bond effortlessly with the reader. Because it's just you and her in the room. (Opps - I let out another of my secrets. We're limited in the English language when it comes to identifying rather than "he" I suggest if you use the pronoun "she" instead. Your copy will go through a subtle filter that you may find is more palatable to more of your audience than you imagined. Of course, it depends on who your target market is.)
We have a lot to cover here, so don't miss a single word. You must know the education level of your target audience to write effectively. In general, even educated people don't mind reading simple words. Simple means clear. But there's a fine line between talking down to your market. Don't go there. For the most part, Americans read between the 11th and 12th grade levels.
Did you know that best-selling books are written for the 8th to 10th grade level? "Reader's Digest" aims for the 10th grade level, while "Time" and "The Wall Street Journal" reach for the 11th. So Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!
Prepare a Fact Sheet for your target market. Write down all the facts and demographic information you know about them. Here are a few questions to get you started;