CONTENTS
Copywriting Made Simple
Check out the full contents list for Copywriting Made Simple.
You can also read chapter 1 online.
Introduction
- What is copywriting?
- The challenge…
…and the reward - About this book
Know the product
- What are you selling?
- Understand the product
- Research the product
- Visit the client
- Talk to the client
- Too much information?
- Try this: Explore your knowledge
Know the benefits
- Features vs benefits
- Why benefits matter
- Turn features into benefits
- Tangible and intangible benefits
- Which benefits should you use?
- So what?
- Unique selling points (USPs)
- Different strokes for different folks
- When features are benefits
- Try this: Turn features into benefits
Know your reader
- Who is your reader?
- How does your reader live?
- What does your reader want
- How does your reader feel?
- Researching the reader
- Write a persona
- Set your aim
- Try this: Readers and aims
Write the brief
- What is the brief?
- Who writes the brief?
- What goes into a brief?
- An example brief
- One job, one brief
Write your headline
- What is a headline?
- Just say it
- Set the theme
- Offer a benefit
- Create intrigue
- Ask a question
- Explain why
- Break the news
- Give a command
- Try this: Headline hunt
Structure your copy
- Why structure matters
- Make a plan
- Start strong
- Write the middle first
- AIDA and her daughters
- Solve a problem
- Give information
- Take different views
- Family tree
- Make a list
- Go step by step
- The magic of three
- Use visuals and formats
- Try this: Restructure it
Calls to action
- What are calls to action?
- Basic calls to action
- Bring in benefits and persuasion
- Keep it simple
- Show that it’s quick and easy
- Stepping stones
- Try this: Call yourself to action
Get creative
- What is creativity, and why do you need it?
- Creativity with purpose
- Some starting points for creative copy
- Start simple
- Mix it up
- See it differently
- Find a metaphor
- Draw a contrast
- Make ’em laugh
- Play on words
- Use images
- Show, don’t tell
- Stir it up
- Do different
- Do the opposite
- Reframe it
- Give it a twist
- Switch perspectives
- Turn weakness into strength
- Get meta
- Borrow interest
- Be agile
- See what others did
- Take it further
- Try this: Apply your creativity
Find your flow
- Just think
- Switch it up
- Free your writing
- Engage your unconscious
- Work through weaker ideas
- The power of ‘yes’ and ‘no’
Engage your reader
- What is engagement?
- Talk to your reader
- Don’t write for the client
- Answer the reader back
- Use ‘we’ (or even ‘I’)
- Write like you talk
- Write for someone you know
- Use the same words the reader uses
- See it from the reader’s side
- Be concrete
- Use verbs, not nouns
- Be active
- Be specific
- Make it real
- Stay positive
- Avoid jargon and clichés (mostly)
- Tell a story
- Try this: Once upon a time
Sharpen up your copy
- Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite
- Make it simple
- Kill your darlings
- Stay grounded
- Easy on the description, extra verbs
- Get the length right
- Pace yourself
- Get rhythm
- Make it rhyme
- Add alliteration
- Make it punchy
- Break the rules
- Check it… or get it checked
- Try this: Under the microscope
Be persuasive
- Taking the first step: a persuasion story
- The power of persuasion
- Persuasion with purpose
- Six principles of persuasion
- Social proof
- Liking
- Authority
- Scarcity
- Consistency
- Reciprocity
- Bring it all together
- Overcoming objections
- Try this: Persuade yourself
Use psychology
- It’s all in the mind
- The endowment effect
- Loss aversion
- The Forer effect
- Reframe costs
- Sunk costs
- Reactance
- Embedded commands
- The double bind
- Distinction bias
- Try this: Psych ’em out
Hit the right tone
- What is tone of voice?
- Consistency
- Character
- Value
- Exploring brand character
- Be human
- Be honest
- From character to values
- From values to tone
- Vary the tone
- Tone of voice guidelines
- Five real-world tones of voice
- Try this: Values and tone
Dealing with feedback
- About feedback
- Get your head right
- Respect the feedback
- Read what’s written
- You are not the reader… and neither is your client
- Wrong directions, wrong destination
- Ask for examples
- Accept or reject the feedback
- Work through the feedback
Project tips
- About this chapter
- Web pages
- Audio and video scripts
- Sales letters
- Emails
- Display advertisements
- Print projects
- Social media posts
Over to you
- Closing thoughts