According to AIDA, the copy must first get the
reader's attention, then create an interest in the product, then turn
that interest into a strong desire to own the product, and finally ask
the reader to buy the product or take some other action that will
eventually lead to a sale.
A second well-known formula is ACCA: Awareness, Comprehension, Conviction, and Action. In ACCA, consumers are first made aware that the product exists. Then they must comprehend what the product is and what it will do for them. After comprehension, the readers must be convinced to buy the product. And finally, they must take action and actually make the purchase.
A third famous formula is the 4 P's: Picture, Promise, Prove, Push. The copywriter creates a picture of what the product can do for the reader, promises the picture will come true if the reader buys the product, proves what the product has done for others, and pushes for immediate action.
The "motivating sequence" presented below is a five-step formula for writing copy that sells.
1. Get Attention
This is the job of the headline and the visual. The headline should focus on the single strongest benefit you can offer the reader. If you don't hook the reader with the strongest benefit-the most important reason why he or she should be interested in what you're selling-the reader won't get past the headline.
2. Show a Need
All products, to some degree, solve some problem or fill a need. A car solves the problem of getting to and from work. An air conditioner prevents you from sweltering in summer heat. Toothpaste with fluoride keeps your teeth from getting holes in them. And mouthwash saves you the embarrassment of having bad breath. However, with most products, the need for the product may not be obvious or it may not be ingrained in the reader's mind. The second step of writing copy that sells, then, is to show the reader why she needs the product.
For example, many small-business owners do their own taxes and haven't thought about hiring an accountant. But an accountant, with his superior knowledge of taxes, can take advantage of the latest tax regulations and shelters and save the business owner hundreds or even thousands of dollars in income tax.
3. Satisfy the Need and Position Your Product as a Solution to the Problem
Once you've convinced the reader that he has a need, you must quickly show him that your product can satisfy his need, answer his questions, or solve his problems.
4. Prove Your Product Can Do What You Say It Can Do
It isn't enough to say you can satisfy the reader's needs-you've got to prove you can. You want the readers to risk their hard-earned money on your product or service. You want them to buy from or hire you instead of your competitors. How do you demonstrate your superiority over the competition? How do you get the reader to believe what you say?
Here are a few proven techniques for convincing the readers that it's to their advantage to do business with you.
• Talk about the benefits of your product or service (use the features/benefits list as the source of your discussion). Give the reader reasons to buy by showing the benefits she'll get when she owns your product.
• Use testimonials. In testimonials, others who have used the product praise the product in their own words. This third-party endorsement is much more convincing than a manufacturer praising his own product.
• Compare your product to that of competitors. Show, benefit for benefit, how you are superior.
• If you have conducted studies to prove your product's superiority, cite this evidence in the copy. Offer a free reprint of the study to interested readers.
• Show that your company is reliable and will be in business a long time. Talk about number of employees, size of distributor network, annual sales, number of years in business, growth rate.
5. Ask for Action
The last step in any piece of copy should always be a call for action. If the product is sold by mail, ask the reader to mail in an order. If the product is sold retail, ask the reader to clip the ad and bring it into the store.
If your ad doesn't sell the product directly, then find out the next step in the buying process and tell the reader about it. For example, you might offer a free brochure on the product, a demonstration, or a sample. At the very least, encourage the reader to look for the product in the future if he is not going to buy it today.
Make it easy for the reader to take action. Include your company name, address, and phone number in every piece of copy you write. If you're writing retail copy, include store hours and locations.
If you're writing copy for a hotel or tourist attraction, include easy-to-follow instructions on how to get there, along with a clearly drawn map of the area.
If you want the reader to send in an order or write for a free brochure, include a handy coupon she can clip and mail.
If you want the reader to call, highlight your toll-free number in large type. And, if you take credit-card orders, be sure to say so and indicate which cards you accept.
Put order forms in catalogs, reply cards in mailers, dealer lists in industrial sales literature. Make it easy for your reader to respond.
And, if possible, give the reader an incentive for responding now: a price-off coupon, a time-limited sale, a discount to the first 1,000 people who order the product. Don't be afraid to try for immediate action and sales as well as long-range "image building." Ask for the order, and ask for it right away.
A second well-known formula is ACCA: Awareness, Comprehension, Conviction, and Action. In ACCA, consumers are first made aware that the product exists. Then they must comprehend what the product is and what it will do for them. After comprehension, the readers must be convinced to buy the product. And finally, they must take action and actually make the purchase.
A third famous formula is the 4 P's: Picture, Promise, Prove, Push. The copywriter creates a picture of what the product can do for the reader, promises the picture will come true if the reader buys the product, proves what the product has done for others, and pushes for immediate action.
The "motivating sequence" presented below is a five-step formula for writing copy that sells.
1. Get Attention
This is the job of the headline and the visual. The headline should focus on the single strongest benefit you can offer the reader. If you don't hook the reader with the strongest benefit-the most important reason why he or she should be interested in what you're selling-the reader won't get past the headline.
2. Show a Need
All products, to some degree, solve some problem or fill a need. A car solves the problem of getting to and from work. An air conditioner prevents you from sweltering in summer heat. Toothpaste with fluoride keeps your teeth from getting holes in them. And mouthwash saves you the embarrassment of having bad breath. However, with most products, the need for the product may not be obvious or it may not be ingrained in the reader's mind. The second step of writing copy that sells, then, is to show the reader why she needs the product.
For example, many small-business owners do their own taxes and haven't thought about hiring an accountant. But an accountant, with his superior knowledge of taxes, can take advantage of the latest tax regulations and shelters and save the business owner hundreds or even thousands of dollars in income tax.
3. Satisfy the Need and Position Your Product as a Solution to the Problem
Once you've convinced the reader that he has a need, you must quickly show him that your product can satisfy his need, answer his questions, or solve his problems.
4. Prove Your Product Can Do What You Say It Can Do
It isn't enough to say you can satisfy the reader's needs-you've got to prove you can. You want the readers to risk their hard-earned money on your product or service. You want them to buy from or hire you instead of your competitors. How do you demonstrate your superiority over the competition? How do you get the reader to believe what you say?
Here are a few proven techniques for convincing the readers that it's to their advantage to do business with you.
• Talk about the benefits of your product or service (use the features/benefits list as the source of your discussion). Give the reader reasons to buy by showing the benefits she'll get when she owns your product.
• Use testimonials. In testimonials, others who have used the product praise the product in their own words. This third-party endorsement is much more convincing than a manufacturer praising his own product.
• Compare your product to that of competitors. Show, benefit for benefit, how you are superior.
• If you have conducted studies to prove your product's superiority, cite this evidence in the copy. Offer a free reprint of the study to interested readers.
• Show that your company is reliable and will be in business a long time. Talk about number of employees, size of distributor network, annual sales, number of years in business, growth rate.
5. Ask for Action
The last step in any piece of copy should always be a call for action. If the product is sold by mail, ask the reader to mail in an order. If the product is sold retail, ask the reader to clip the ad and bring it into the store.
If your ad doesn't sell the product directly, then find out the next step in the buying process and tell the reader about it. For example, you might offer a free brochure on the product, a demonstration, or a sample. At the very least, encourage the reader to look for the product in the future if he is not going to buy it today.
Make it easy for the reader to take action. Include your company name, address, and phone number in every piece of copy you write. If you're writing retail copy, include store hours and locations.
If you're writing copy for a hotel or tourist attraction, include easy-to-follow instructions on how to get there, along with a clearly drawn map of the area.
If you want the reader to send in an order or write for a free brochure, include a handy coupon she can clip and mail.
If you want the reader to call, highlight your toll-free number in large type. And, if you take credit-card orders, be sure to say so and indicate which cards you accept.
Put order forms in catalogs, reply cards in mailers, dealer lists in industrial sales literature. Make it easy for your reader to respond.
And, if possible, give the reader an incentive for responding now: a price-off coupon, a time-limited sale, a discount to the first 1,000 people who order the product. Don't be afraid to try for immediate action and sales as well as long-range "image building." Ask for the order, and ask for it right away.
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