The Step-by-Step Copywriting Course PDF

The Step-By-Step Copywriting Course
by Karon Thackston © 2002-2007, All Rights Reserved
4th Edition
by Karon Thackston © 2002-2007

Marketing Words, Inc.
How To Increase Keyword Saturation
(Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)
Copyright, U.S. Library of Congress 2002-2007, All Rights Reserved.

ISBN 0-9726983-1-0
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Table of Contents
Navigation 3
Introduction 4
Lesson One: THE Most Important (and most overlooked) Aspect of Copywriting 6
Lesson Two: Discover What Copy Type Fits Your Target Audience Best 14
Lesson Three: Guess What? Men and Women Are Different! 21
Lesson Four: Writing to Please Everybody 25
Lesson Five: Headlines - The Beginning and the End 40
Lesson Six: Features vs. Benefits - Do You Really Know the Difference? 47
Lesson Seven: Making An Emotional Connection 50
Lesson Eight: The Power Points of Your Copy 67
Lesson Nine: A.I.D.A. and the Buying Process 86
Lesson Ten: Search Engine Optimization - Copy Is Crucial 99
Final Exam! 123
Final Thoughts 127
Worksheets 128
Lesson One: Answers and Insights 137
Lesson Two: Answers and Insights 140
Lesson Three: Answers and Insights 144
Lesson Four: Answers and Insights 146
Lesson Five: Answers and Insights 149
Lesson Six: Answers and Insights 152
Lesson Seven: Answers and Insights 154
Lesson Eight: Answers and Insights 157
Lesson Nine: Answers and Insights 162
Lesson Ten: Answers and Insights 166
Final Exam: Answers and Insights 169
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Navigation
Navigation of The Step-By-Step Copywriting Course is simple and easy when you use Adobe
Acrobat’s navigation pane. This will allow you to jump back to previous sections quickly to review
notes or reread information.
It will also allow you to move easily between the lessons and the answers and insights sections.
The navigation bar (which will appear to the left of your screen) lists each chapter and each
answers and insights section.
If you do not see the navigation panel to the left of your screen, click the button indicated below in
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Introduction
Have you heard the old saying, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never
hurt you?” It simply isn’t true! As you know, words can sting! Remember when that person you
thought was your friend began saying things about you that simply were not true? What about
when your partner criticized how you looked the last time you went out for dinner? Then there
was the first time someone said, “I love you!” Whew! What an emotional charge those words
held.
“But those words are spoken. Copywriting is the use of written words.” Yes, I know. Powerfully
written words. Like the words you read when your test results come back from the doctor. Or the
words you read when you receive a “Dear John” letter. And then there are the words you read
from your girlfriend or boyfriend when she/he writes a love letter. Those are the words we never
forget.
The same is true for copywriting. If done properly, copywriting holds the power to persuade
people, to guide them, to direct their actions and to evoke a desire to buy.
What’s more… copywriting is an extremely important element in the search engine optimization
equation. Without carefully crafted copy that includes the strategic use of your preferred
keyphrases, search engine rankings can be quite difficult to obtain and/or maintain.
Copywriting is a powerful skill to have!
In The Step-By-Step Copywriting Course, you’ll learn what it takes to create emotionally charged
copy that is specific in style, length and tone to your target customer’s preferred communication
method. You’ll find out what to do… what not to do… and how others are doing it. You’ll
discover the four different communication styles and how to use them to effectively communicate
through your copy. You’ll learn the variations of how men and women communicate and how to
persuade both sexes. You’ll find out how to add emotion (an absolutely vital tool) to your copy in
order to get better results. And, because we usually learn best from examples and practice, you’ll
get real-life illustrations of copy that works, plus practice assignments, so you can put your
newfound knowledge to use.
But before we write a word of copy, we'll need to gain a good foundation. When doctors go to
med school, they normally don't see a patient or practice medicine for the first two years. Why?
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They have a lot to learn before they are ready to touch a live human being. The same applies to
writing copy.
Before we begin to write copy, we've got a lot to learn about people, buying behaviors,
communication styles and all the other elements that set great copywriters apart from so-so ones.
This book is divided into 10 lessons and a final exam. Do them at your own pace. Each one will
provide information, give an assignment or two, and then direct you to a link where you can
receive the answers to the questions and actually see how I completed each assignment.
Occasionally, I’ll throw in some additional goodies, too!
So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!
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Lesson One: THE Most Important (and most overlooked) Aspect

of Copywriting
The minute you began to create your very first advertising piece, you most likely discovered that
writing advertising copy isn’t easy. In fact… after hours of staring at a blank computer screen,
you probably started talking to yourself:
“What am I doing?”
“Whom am I writing to, anyway?”
“Since I don’t know who they are or what they want, I guess I’ll just tell them what I want them to
know.”
This is a B I G issue that you’ll need to get settled before you’ll be able to create copy that
causes your target customers to respond the way you want. So many times people sit down and
begin to write copy without having a clue whom they are writing to. What happens? The result is
usually copy that focuses totally on the company with no regard to the customer whatsoever. So,
what is the most important thing to know about copywriting?
In one sentence… Get inside the mind of your target audience.
By target audience, you might think of: males between the ages of 35 and 50, corporate
managers, married with two kids, making over $100,000 a year type stuff. Well, sort of. But
“knowing” your target audience and getting inside their minds goes way beyond that. Think of it
this way. When you sit down to write a letter, you don’t write it first and then think, “Hmmm, I
wonder whom I can mail this to?” Instead, you decide whom you want to write to and THEN you
sit down to create the letter.
Let’s say you bought a new car and you want to write a letter – or email – to several people telling
them all about it. What you’re going to do is highlight the information that will be of interest to that
particular person you’re writing to.
For example, you’re going to tell your best friend all about how fast the car will go, how sleek the
interior is, what a super stereo it has, how sexy it makes you feel, etc., etc. But your mom… well,
it’s doubtful Mom will want the details of how sexy you feel when you drive your new car. With
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her, you’re going to talk about the safety features, what great gas mileage it gets, and that you
got roadside assistance as part of the deal. See?
While the topic stays the same, the information you include changes and how you present that
information changes.
Everyone communicates differently. Moms don’t care about the same things as teenagers do
when it comes to cars. Small business owners have different computer equipment needs than
the CEOs of large corporations. Women in upper-income levels are interested in brand names
and high price tags (for their perceived quality and status) while women with lower incomes are
concerned with finding the lowest price possible.
There are a variety of communication and behavioral styles, different approaches to the buying
process, vast changes in the ways men and women approach shopping, and other factors in the
copywriting equation. This makes it important to know as much about your target group as
possible. Otherwise, how can you possibly know whether to take the my-car-drives-fast-and-
makes-me-feel-sexy approach or the mom-would-be-so-proud-of-me approach?
OK, I’ve made my point, I think.
So, how do you know whom you’ll be writing to in your copy? And how can you determine what
information is important to them?
Think about it this way. It took you years to get to know your friends and your family. You spent
a lot of time around them, noticing what they liked and didn’t like, how they behaved in certain
situations, and so on. But with a group of customers, with your target audience, you can do what
is called a target audience analysis to come up with the necessary information. It can be as
simple as four questions or as detailed as 100. How many questions you include really depends
on what you personally want or need to know. Let me tell you what the four basic questions are,
and then I’ll go back and explain.
First Who is the perfect customer to buy your product or service? (This is not
necessarily your existing customer.)
Second What problems do these people face that your product or service can solve?
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Third What end result is your target audience looking for from your product/service?
Fourth What demographic information do you know about your target customer?
(sex, age, education, income, etc.)
Now, let’s look at a sample target audience analysis I did with one of my clients. She has a Web
site that sells organizational products and is looking to reach parents. I asked her to tell me about
her target customers, and this is what she said:
Perfect customer group is professional parents (mainly women) working outside the
home, ages 25-45, with children still living at home. They make about $45,000 per year.
(Notice she also included demographics here.)
Problems they face: The inability to say NO—to their kids, their boss, their
parent/teacher organization, the scout troop, the soccer team, each other, the garbage
man, the dog walker... They’re trying to be everything to all people, available 24/7, and
do it all in one short lifetime without keeling over from a heart attack. Whew! Makes me
tired just thinking about it.
End results they want: (This is what you’re *really* selling!) More free time, reduced
stress, more efficiency, more money, improved file systems/paper management, and
children with strong life skills to prepare them for the real world.
Doesn’t sound like a lot of information, does it? Well, let’s just see how much we can pull from
the answers to those four simple questions. First, she said, “professional parents working outside
the home about 25-45 with kids still at home.” Let’s break that description down a bit.
What do you think of when I say “professional parents”?
I think of parents who have demanding jobs: who might work in a corporate atmosphere and have
a lot of job-related responsibilities. They attend their fair share of meetings, have after-work
obligations, and are trying to reach the next rung on the corporate ladder. In addition, they truly
want to be there for their children and other family members.
Between soccer practice, taking the dog to the vet, making arrangements for a business trip next
month, helping with homework, trying to spend quality time with their spouse, doing the grocery
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shopping, sleeping, eating and breathing, there’s just no time left at the end of the day. In fact,
most days, these parents feel as if they have a negative balance in their time account.
My client also mentioned that her perfect customers are mostly women. This tells you a couple of
things. Most women are caregivers. They want to meet the needs of others. Women (in
general) are notorious for putting others’ needs before their own. This is one reason that women
suffer burnout as frequently as they do.
Another generalization about women is that they want to know the end results. They are not
primarily concerned with how things happen. They are more interested in the results after the
action has taken place. (Men show more interest in processes.)
Next my client said, “25-45 with kids still at home.” What does that bring to mind? To me, it
means they’re exhausted! Running all the time and trying to keep up with several people’s
schedules is a hectic activity. These women wish constantly for a quiet, peaceful evening with
absolutely nothing to do but sit and be bored. They would love to have Rosie the robot maid from
the cartoon series The Jetsons living at their houses. Whether they have toddlers or teenagers,
these women probably find their home life fulfilling but very stressful.
And what types of jobs usually pay $45,000 a year? Many, like finance-related jobs, managers,
association directors, salespeople, and small-business owners. I’m sure you can think of a lot
more. Primarily these will be white-collar vocations rather than blue-collar/labor intensive jobs.
This translates to higher education levels.
Now, if we put all that together, we get manager-minded parents looking for end results who face
hectic days at work and probably after-work obligations, while trying to run around and keep track
of the spouse and a couple of kids while being exhausted.
So, if you were one of these people, what would get your attention? You would want someone to
relate to you. You’d want someone who understood why you did all you did. You’d also want to
hear that there is some relief and that there is a way to stop the madness.
These are the things going on inside the minds of your target audience. These are the things that
keep them awake at 3 a.m. These are the emotions you need to put into your copy when you
write in order to make them sit up and say, “HEY! I need that!”
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So when we write copy for this particular Web site, we would focus on things we listed above.
While a list of the services this organizational company provides is nice and DOES let the
customer know what they offer, it’s just a list of facts. While those facts may have been phrased
in a nice way, they are – by no stretch of the imagination – sales copy.
What other questions could you ask in your target audience analysis? Practically anything that
would help you get to know your preferred customers better. Depending on your
business/product/service, you might find it helpful to ask your customers:
1. Where are you from?

2. What is your job title?
3. Do you have children?
4. What is your marital status?
5. What hobbies do you have?
6. What type of entertainment do you enjoy?
7. What are your immediate goals for the future?
8. What do you need in order to achieve those goals?
9. How often do you use the Internet?
10. What is your primary use for the Web? (check email, research purchases, make
purchases, etc.)
11. When it comes to ______________, what do you struggle with most?
12. When it comes to ______________, what would make your life easier?
[Fill in blanks with your product/service/offering.]
13. Are you the end user of the product/service or are you shopping for someone else?
(Quite frequently assistants will shop for managers; adult children will shop for senior
parents, etc.)
14. What country do you reside in?
15. What area of that country do you reside in?
16. Where do you like to vacation?
17. How do you like to destress?
18. Do you play sports?
19. What magazines do you subscribe to?
20. Are you a technology-minded person?
You can also ask questions related to specific geographic locations (if you have a local business),
Web activity (why the visitor did not buy from your site), and practically anything else. Your
individual business/product/service will most likely give you additional ideas for questions to ask.
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In order to make your target customers “feel the need,” you have to know them and be able to
reach them on their level. After all… most buying decisions are emotional, so your ad copy
should be, too. What was that? Read that carefully:
While need recognition is logical, over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional.
So how do we use that information? You’ve got some insight into the needs of the customers,
and you have a great idea of the heartaches these people are facing. But, in order to write
emotion-filled copy, you need as much information as possible.
So now that you know some questions to ask, how do you find the answers to the questions? It’s
actually easier than you might think. Here are my top seven ways to define a target audience.
Each is quick, simple and free/cheap.
1. Ask. Devise a survey or questionnaire. Take a week or two to write a list of

questions you’d love to have the answers to. Then create an online survey and send out
the link. Be honest. Tell the people why you want the information and what you plan to
use it for. Also remind them that the survey is completely anonymous.
If you really want to boost responses, offer a prize drawing. Perhaps you could give
away an Amazon gift certificate to one lucky winner.
TIP: I use Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com) because the software is

completely Web-based, and they have the easiest and most flexible tools I’ve found. Not
to mention, for surveys that only need 100 responses or less… it’s FREE!
2. Read. Pick up some industry trade magazines or newspapers from your local
newsstand (or read them online). Look for the Letters to the Editor section especially.
This is normally where folks “sound off.” It’s a great place to get some fresh insight on
what your target customer is thinking.
TIP: If your target audience is segmented by industry or profession, you’ll want to take a
serious look at the Words That Sell reports. They define what people in over 38
industries want and expect when making a buying decision. I swear by these reports and
use them on a regular basis.
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3. Lurk. Visit online forums that are directed at people in your target audience. No need
to post a message… just hang out and see what others are saying. This is another
wonderful place to get insights on what people in the real world are thinking.
4. Visit. Stop by some of the places your target customers might visit. Are you selling
back supports to truck drivers? You might need to visit a few truck stops. Just sit back,
order the lunch special, and keep your ears open!
5. Talk. Want to know the biggest complaint about retaining wall contractors? I actually
had to find this one out for a client! Talk with those who would hire a retaining wall
contractor. I jumped on the telephone and made a few phone calls. Amazingly enough,
almost everyone I spoke with had the same complaints. I was able to use that
information to position my client in the best possible light before his target audience!
6. Join. Local associations create a tremendous environment for people to express their
opinions, discuss pressing issues and solve problems. Don’t join the ones that fit YOU
best, however. Join the ones that your target customers would join!
7. Think. Put your thinking cap on and come up with more ways to get to know your
target audience. Perhaps you could visit a company that falls within your target
customers’ line of work for a few hours and observe. Maybe you could host a free
conference call where people within your audience could voice their opinions. With a
little creativity, you’ll have all the ins and outs of your target customer nailed in no time!
Once you’ve gathered enough information, and you are comfortable that you know your target
customer intimately, take the following basic steps.
First, make a list of what you sell. Don’t overdo it. Simply write down, in everyday
language, what you want to tell your customers. A short list will do.
Second, consider what you want your customers to know about you/your company. Do
you have special products or services? Do you provide them in a unique way? Are you
better than the competition? Why? Do you have really low prices? Do you solve a
particular problem? Offer a spectacular guarantee? Write it all down.
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Third, how can your products or services help bring your perfect customers the solutions
to their problems and give them the end results they are looking for? Whew! That’s a
BIG question. You’ll have to sink deep into the mindset of your customers and put it all
together. Remember their situation… remember how they feel… think about the
problems they face.
I think you’ve racked your brain enough for one lesson! Let’s put what you’ve learned into
practice. Your assignments are listed below. Once you’ve finished them, visit the link provided for
some feedback on Lesson One.
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Lesson One Assignments
1. Fill in the blanks. While ________ ___________ is logical, most buying decisions are
________________.
2. Define your perfect customer according to the information given in Lesson One. Take time to
develop a question list. Decide which method(s) for reaching your target audience for the
answers to these questions would work best for you.
3. From the information you collected (and in regard to your business/product/service), create a
list of what your customers:
a) struggle with
b) have on their wish list
c) are mad about and
d) think is a fabulous improvement.
4. Write down five powerful things that would get your target customers’ emotions going in a good
way.
BONUS QUESTION: What is the common denominator between your product/service and the
people you are selling to?
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson One!
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Lesson Two: Discover What Copy Type Fits Your Target

Audience Best
In Lesson One, we took the time to outline your target customer. Who they are, what they do,
what problems they face and why they need what you’re selling! It would seem that we’re now
ready to jump into writing the copy. I mean, how much more information could we need? A LOT!
Don’t touch that keyboard just yet!
One of the major issues most copywriters don’t consider is what type of copy – and what type of
verbiage – fits the target customer best. Let me explain.
Have you ever written copy that you thought was great only to find out it flopped big-time? Why?
When you wrote it, it seemed very persuasive. You included lots of benefits and even gave a
money-back guarantee. It got YOU up and moving, so why didn’t it turn your customers’ heads?
The reason is usually quite simple. They are not you. While one thing might motivate you and
excite you enough to open your wallet and buy, there are other personality types (and another
sex) who respond to different motivational factors. If you know the factors, you hold one key to
copywriting success.
Men, generally speaking, are going to be more interested in the process or the technical makeup
of a product/service. Women, on the other hand, are looking to find an end result.
We’ll cover that issue in more detail in the next chapter. Then, there are differences in
communication and personality styles.
There are several names for the different personality or behavioral types. Myers-Briggs labels
them with letters (E = extrovert, I = introvert, etc.). Some psychologists label them with types (“A-
type” personality, “B-type” personality, etc.). The DISC model (which I find the easiest to follow)
labels the different personalities with descriptors (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness,
Compliance). Regardless of what they’re called, I encourage you to get to know them.
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Dominance
The Dominance behavioral style is usually described with the following attributes:
• High ego
• Problem-solver
• Likes challenges
• Drives hard for results
• Positive
• Loves power and authority
• Motivated by direct answers
Words that will influence them (and can be used in your copy) include:
• Power
• Success
• Results
• High-tech
• New, improved
• The best
• Win
• Lead the field
• Now
• Immediate
• Bottom line
• Challenge
Influence
The Influence behavioral style can be described like this:
• Socially and verbally aggressive
• Optimistic
• Can see the big picture
• People-oriented
• Fast mover
• Motivated by praise and strokes
• Craves acceptance by others
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• Fast
• Fun
• Good job
• I feel
• Socialize
• Recognition
• Exciting
• Picture this
• People
• Popular
• You’re invited/you’re included
Compliance
The third of the four styles is Compliance. These people usually have the following
attributes:
• Critical thinkers
• High standards
• Well-disciplined
• Accurate
• Motivated by the right way to proceed
• Quality driven
• Numbers-oriented
• Facts
• The results are in
• The data show
• Proven
• Take your time
• Analyze
• Tried and true
Steadiness
Those who fall into the Steadiness behavioral style usually are described as:
• Loyal to those they identify with
• Good listeners
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• Patient
• Love security
• Want to see benefits
• Oriented towards family activities
• Motivated towards traditional procedures
• A proven process
• Step-by-step
• The help you need
• Help me out
• Guarantee
• Promise
• Warranty
• Think about it
• Take your time
• Value
As you can see, these simple hints already open new doors for copywriting effectiveness. From
what’s written above, you are probably getting some good ideas about how to adjust your copy to
fit your target audience.
For example, when writing to people with a Dominant behavioral style, you’ll want to be direct
and to the point, focus on the business at hand, show them how this will help them get results
and offer a win/win situation. No joking around – business is business after all. They’ll want to
stick to the point. They normally already know what they want (or so they think) and intend to find
it quickly.
Do not talk about things that are not relevant to the issue. Do not leave loopholes or cloudy
issues, or appear disorganized.
If you choose to ask questions in your copy, opt for specific “what” questions. For example, let’s
say we’re developing a headline for an ultra-fast printer. You wouldn’t want to write a headline
that asks, “How Do You Cure a Need for Speed?” That question is vague; it’s not specific, and it
begins with the word “how.”
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CEOs, upper management and others in this category aren’t the least bit interested in “how” you
do anything. They are visionaries. They look at the big picture, not the little details. Details are
somebody else’s job!
Instead, try rewriting that headline to include the word “what” and to be specific, like this: “What
Cures a Need for Speed?”
Who falls into the Dominance category? Usually corporate officers, managers, the military,
some salespeople, many entrepreneurs and almost any other person who is in a position of
control.
Those in the Influence category will want to allow time for socialization (so include some chitchat
when possible). They’ll want to have fun, express new and innovative ideas. They will respond
quickly so offer praise and strokes for them making a good decision. Those high in the influence
style want to get to know you as well as your product. They love relationships and place a high
value on people. They are extremely outgoing and are very fast movers. Give them what they
think is a good reason to buy, and they’ll do it without a second thought.
If you ask questions in your copy or headline, be sure to ask "feeling" questions to get them
thinking. Questions like “Remember the excitement when you _____?” or “How did you feel
when _____? Get ready to feel that way again!”
Who falls into the Influence category? Most salespeople, customer service reps, teachers,
Realtors® and many small business owners, just to name a few.
Steadiness types make up the majority of the population. Over 40% of Americans fall into the
Steadiness category. These people need to see a logical approach to your product or service;
they need time for thinking before buying; they want to see how your solution will benefit them,
and they need a sense of security about buying.
Begin with a personal comment, an icebreaker if you will, and then present your case softly.
Steadiness types shy away from loud, overbearing, “screaming” types of copy. Want to get them
thinking? Ask “how” questions, such as “How many times have you wished ____?” or “How often
do you ____?”
The fact that 40% of the people on this earth fall into the Steadiness category explains why many
copywriters will tell you to write long copy that is full of benefits and offers a money-back
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guarantee. However, while this does work for 40% of the population, the other collective 60%
may have an issue with it. This is why I continually preach that you should know your target
audience!
For example, if you are marketing to a group of CEOs (which most definitely fall into the
dominance category), you can’t provide long copy… they simply won’t read it. They are looking
for the bottom line and may ask for more details later if they feel they are necessary. If you have
lots of information to provide, you’ll have to break it up into sections to suit a “dominance” type.
With those high in Compliance, you’ll have to push quality and standards. You’ll also need to
show them your product or service is proven. They don’t go for “new and improved” at all. (They
love to see and read about new advancements, but normally don't buy such new products until
they have proven themselves in the marketplace.)
They are extremely aware of the rules of the game and also of what consequences come if those
rules aren’t followed. They don’t appreciate jokes when making a decision; they don’t like to be
pushed into a decision, and they will definitely be turned off by disorganization and sloppiness.
Tell them what the right thing to do is (and back it up with cold, hard, organized facts), and you’ve
got it made.
Those high in Compliance will respond best to questions including statistics and questions that
force them to look at all sides of an issue/problem. For example, “68% of All Drivers Pay Too
Much for Auto Insurance. Are You?” Another idea is “Widget or Thingee… Which Makes the
Most Sense?”
Who falls into the Compliance category? Bankers, scientists, accountants and engineers are
good examples.
It all boils down to giving customers what they want through the copy you write.
=================
Lesson Two Assignments
1. Looking back at the target audience analysis from Lesson One, write down which group (or
groups) your target audience most likely falls into. TIP: It IS possible to have an audience made
up of all four.
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2. What should the attributes of your copy be if you want to effectively reach your particular
audience? (example: full of pizzazz or levelheaded, high tech vs. tried & true, etc.)
3. What should you definitely stay away from in order not to lose their attention or interest?
4. What is the most common behavioral style for the population as a whole?
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Two!
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Lesson Three: Guess What? Men and Women Are Different!

You might already be aware of that fact. I’ll bet you’ve noticed some subtle differences in men
and women over the years. Did you know, however, that men and women shop differently? I’m
sure you did, although you might not have given it a second thought.
The variants in how the two sexes shop play a major role in how you create your copy. Let’s
look at a few generalizations about the basic differences in how men and women behave when
shopping.
Men… Women…
Shop with a specific purpose. Shop for many reasons: to fill a need, to
relax, to socialize with a friend, etc.
Want written information including any Prefer to communicate verbally with a

specifics on the technical aspects, the sales associate, but will read information in
process, the quality, etc. They make the order to decide. They are more influenced
final decision based on their own judgment. by the information they are given.
Need information to be presented in a Can receive information in any order and

logical order. still process it effectively.
Decide to buy quickly. Take several exposures to a

product/service before deciding to buy.
Buy to enhance their own Buy to better their lifestyles and to add
values/standings, to add to their esthetic value to themselves and their
accomplishments and to provide for their homes, and to create relationships.
families.
Respond more to facts and figures. Respond more to social influences.
Consider each purchase an investment Make purchases that affect them

and/or something to fill a need. emotionally – make them feel good or look
better.
Get right to the point – accomplishing the Love to explore, weigh the pros and cons,
task of buying. Sort of a “hit and run” and evaluate their choices.
shopper.
Rarely ask for help. Need to ask questions.
Don’t consider price for routine purchases. Think price is a major issue.
Simply try again if their purchases don’t Suffer more from “buyer’s regret.”
work out.
Most behaviorists agree that the lines between men shoppers and women shoppers are
beginning to draw closer together due to changes in the family structure, reduced free time and
21
so on. For the time being, however, there are still very distinct differences that all good
copywriters should pay attention to.
For instance, did you know that women eat more fruit and men eat more meat? Men eat Frosted
Flakes and Corn Pops; women eat Special K and Total. Men like root beer; women like bottled
water. Men buy the majority of shaving cream, cameras, stereo systems and interior paint while
women buy the most bedroom shoes, clothes dryers, wine and long-distance phone service
(according to Sex Roles and Consumer Perceptions of Promotions, Products, and Self).
Here’s another case in point: a man and a woman go shopping for a car. The first thing the man
does is pop the hood and check out the engine. The first thing the woman does is assess how
the body style and color will “fit” her. A salesperson walks up. If the information isn’t on the
sticker, the man asks about horsepower, torque and how fast the car will go from zero to sixty.
(Although he’d rather just read it for himself.) The woman asks about color options, warranty and
safety features, and would like to have an entire conversation at length about each matter.
When a man enters a retail-clothing store, he already knows what he needs. He’s thought about
it beforehand. He goes straight to the department that has men’s shirts, picks up the first thing he
sees that will do, holds it up to himself (without using a mirror), decides it will work and buys it.
A woman, however, will enter the same store and, on her way to the section where blouses are
sold, will stop and look at the shoes that are on sale and the new spring handbags. She’ll then
make her way to the blouses, shuffle through rack after rack, feel the material, check the price,
read the care label, hold it up to herself in front of a mirror, hook the hanger over her forearm and
continue browsing. Once she’s found three or four that might work, she’ll head for the fitting room
to try them on. If none of them look exactly right – if they don’t make her look the way she wants
to look or feel the way she wants to feel – she’ll return them all to the rack and go to another store
to start over.
The buying styles of the sexes are so different that you might think it is impossible to write copy
suited to both. It’s not, provided you take a few things into consideration.
1. There are commonalities between the sexes. Both need information. Men don’t need
as much as women, generally speaking. Make sure you give enough information for
either to make a comfortable decision. You may consider giving links to “more info”
pages within your copy. You may also want to prominently place your contact
22
information on sales pages in case a woman wants to discuss her purchase or ask you
questions.
2. If you know your target audience is primarily made up of one sex, cater to their
information needs. Give men less “sales” copy with links to more information about
technical issues, processes and the like. If you’re writing a long sales letter to a male
audience, incorporate notions that will let him know your product/service will fill the need,
will enhance his standing or position, etc. Also present the information in a logical order
so it is easy for him to understand/consider.
3. If you’re writing to a female audience, take a more conversational approach, validate

her choice of your product/service, offer comparisons, tell her how it will make her feel,
look, behave, etc. Focus on what’s important to her.
No, it isn’t always possible to have a perfectly outlined target audience of 90% one sex and only
10% the other. It would be nice if that were so. Just like you’ll have a variety of customers from
all four communication styles, you’ll also likely have a customer base with a mix of men and
women. However, by giving due attention to what is needed to satisfy both men and women, your
copy will be more effective and balanced across the sexes.
Men and Women on the Web
You might assume that the shopping behavior of men and women is duplicated online. Not so.
In fact, it is almost reversed. Multiple studies repeat the findings that men spend more time
shopping online and women spend less. Other findings include:
Women use the Internet to save time, simplify their lives and gather information to make better
decisions. They look for the experience. They want to browse, chat with customer service
people (via online chat), ask questions, have an exchange and feel welcomed.
Men use the Internet for several reasons including shopping, but also gaming. When men do
shop via the Internet, they tend to give the sites more attention than they would the products in a
physical store. Men like to read technical information (online or off) and rarely use online chat
features. My guess… and it’s just a guess… is that these “Lone Wolf” shoppers like the Internet
because they can shop and gather information as much as their hearts’ desire without any
salespeople approaching them!
23
Whether you need to cater to one or both sexes, you’ll want to keep their specific “missions” and
buying preferences in mind in order to create the most effective copy possible.
=================
Lesson Three Assignments
1. Go to your local department store (Wal-Mart, Kmart, JCPenney, etc.) and observe the way
men and women shop. Write down your observations.
2. Name the primary differences in how men and women process information when shopping.
3. How can you encourage women – who generally take their time and comparison shop quite a
bit – to purchase now?
4. What do you see as a drawback in the fact that men generally have a need and fill it
immediately? How can you overcome this with your copy?
5. What primary shopping behaviors change when men and women shop online?
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Three!
24
Lesson Four: Writing to Please Everybody
So far you’ve discovered that there are many factors that influence your copywriting. For
instance:
• Who your target audience is,

• What their communication styles are, and
• Their sex.
But what happens when you have one of those target audiences that is made up of a variety of
communication styles, and includes both men and women? This is where you meet the
challenge of trying to please everybody.
Can it be done? Absolutely!
In Lesson Three, we reviewed the primary considerations when writing for both men and women.
Some of these will also help you in writing for a “hodgepodge” target group.
1. There are commonalities between the sexes. Both need

information. Men don’t need as much as women, generally
speaking. Make sure you give enough information for either to
make a comfortable decision. You may consider giving links to
“more info” pages within your copy. You may also want to
prominently place your contact information on sales pages in
case a woman wants to discuss her purchase or ask you
questions.
2. If you know your target audience is primarily made up of one

sex, cater to their information needs. Give men less “sales”
copy with links to more information about technical issues,
processes and the like. If you’re writing a long sales letter to a
male audience, incorporate notions that will let him know your
product/service will fill the need, will enhance his standing or
position, etc. Also present the information in a logical order so it
is easy for him to understand/consider.
25
3. If you’re writing to a female audience, take a more

conversational approach, validate her choice of your
product/service, offer comparisons, tell her how it will make her
feel, look, behave, etc. Focus on what’s important to her.
What about copy length, though? Is long copy or short copy better?
Long Copy vs. Short Copy
Ahhh! The never-ending battle. I'm sure you've heard both statements made with passion. Those
that believe you must walk your customer through each and every benefit and provide every bit of
information you have available preach, "Long copy sells better!" Proponents of this copywriting
format say customers need to be led into reading the next paragraph and the next. Finally, when
you have them drooling, you hook them and reel them in.
On the other hand, advocates of short copy state that consumers today have extremely short
attention spans. Copy that's “to the point” is a necessity in order to make a sale at all. According
to these experts, the long, drawn-out copy gets tossed right out the window by busy, impatient
readers. Feed it to them fast, or you'll lose them to the competition. So exactly who's right? They
both are!
No, I'm not being politically correct, and I'm not avoiding the issue. The honest truth is that all
people in the world do not communicate in the same way. Due to this fact, no single copywriting
approach will work with every product or service. As with every other aspect of advertising, you
must look to your target audience for the answer.
Remember the letter analogy? When you begin to write a letter, you don’t write the message and
then decide whom you will mail it to. Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), you
know who the recipient of the message will be. You know their communication style and how to
best phrase the information so it will be well received. The same applies to copywriting.
Let's say, just as an example, that your target audience consists of business owners. These
business owners happen to be CEOs. Just from this tiny bit of information, I can tell you the target
group is extremely busy, is very detail oriented and has a bottom-line mentality. These people are
generally “power” thinkers. Based on these facts, I would not dare write copy to this target
audience in long form. Why? It would most likely not be read.
26
The group above communicates in short, precise bursts. They are looking for the bottom line first
and an explanation afterwards (IF they feel an explanation is in order). The most effective way to
get the attention of this group (in writing) is to keep it short, sweet and to the point. Otherwise you
will lose them in what they consider to be a bunch of fluff. These folks are definitely members of
the short-copy group.
So who belongs to the long-copy group? As we said in Lesson Two, those in the Steadiness
category (over 40% of the population). Also, people making an investment, audiences made up
primarily of women and people who require a good deal of information about new, unfamiliar or
complicated products.
I don't mean an investment in the stock market (so to speak). I'm talking about people who are
going to make a large investment of time or money in anything. People who are thinking of joining
a multilevel marketing program would be receptive to long-form copy. Those who are going to
invest many hours in a self-help process would appreciate long copy. People thinking of buying
an ebook (which they can’t hold and flip through) are receptive to long-form copy because it gives
them chapter information and other details they need to make a decision. Let me explain.
When people are going to invest time or money (or both) in something, they get nervous.
Customers need to be reassured that they are making the right decisions. They need to be
reminded of why they need to purchase this product or service. A wealth of information makes
these prospective clients more secure about their decisions.
Those purchasing a brand new product or service would also benefit from long copy. When
people have no previous history with a product or service, they also tend to get nervous. The fear
of risk plays a big role with something new.
Yes, there are other target groups that would benefit from both long- and short-form copy. There
are a multitude of them to say the least. As the copywriter, your job is to discover which type of
communication style will be received well by your prospects. The information in Lesson Two will
give you excellent tools to do this with.
What else plays a role in determining copy length? Your product or service.
27
Your Product or Service
Some products/services fall into the impulse-buy category and require no apparent consideration
(thus justifying the term “impulse”). Others are products/services that we buy on a regular basis
and require little consideration. As you move down the scale in familiarity, and up the scale in
price, the level of consideration increases.
The newer the product/service, the more expensive the product/service, the more information
you’ll need to provide in your copy. What other considerations are there?
• Communication Style of Buyer – Core Steadiness or

Compliance equals longer copy; core Dominance or
Influence equals shorter copy.
• Man vs. Woman – Primarily men equals shorter copy;
primarily women equals longer copy.
• Customer’s Familiarity Level With Your
Product/Service – Longevity in the marketplace and high
familiarity level equals shorter copy; new product/service
equals longer copy.
• Price Level of Your Product/Service – The higher the
price (generally speaking) the longer the copy.
For a target audience that is made up of all types of communicators, and both sexes, try this:
Longer copy, broken into shorter bits. Create copy and deliver it in shorter bits and pieces.
You can provide the basic information on your home page of a Web site and then provide links to
get more information or additional details.
You can give primary information in a brochure or postcard (including how to order) and then offer
a detachable panel, telephone number or Web site address, so the customer can get additional
information by calling, mailing or surfing.
28
Here are a couple of Web sites that use this method with great success. Notice how they all take
a “middle-of-the-road” tone – not too distant, but not too conversational either. This tone would
suit both men and women.
Naturally First
Naturally First is a natural supplement provider. They launched a new product, CMS Force, that
is a unique type of calcium. Because the market is unfamiliar with their product, they needed to
provide tons of information! However, not all people want to read through all the technical
specifications, how the product was developed, why it’s better than calcium tablets, and so on.
The solution? This site gives you some general information about calcium and the benefits of the
product being sold, and then offers links at the bottom of the page for additional information.
NOTE: Segmenting Your Audience
The Naturally First site also does an excellent job of “segmenting” its target audience.
You’ll notice toward the bottom of their home page there are boxes that offer links to
information specific on calcium uses for seniors, women, pets, athletes and more. Even
though all of these groups fall into Naturally First’s target audience, each “segment” of
that audience has specific concerns and interests when it comes to nutritional
supplements. By formatting the copy so that each segment can click to information
specific to them, Naturally First increases its chances of making sales.
Segmenting your target audience is a very common practice… almost expected even.
Let me explain. Pretend you are the owner of the Naturally First site. Think of all the
people who might use your nutritional supplement. There are adults, pregnant women,
growing teenagers, children, senior citizens, athletes and many others. While all of these
may seem to be entirely different target markets, they are actually just segments of the
29
same nutritional supplement market. These people all have a need and an interest in
nutritional supplements, but for very different reasons.
While some of the information you provide to each segment will be general and apply to
everyone, other information will be specific to a particular segment.
Information Specific To Each Segment
For instance, everyone will want to know the overall benefits of taking the nutritional
supplement you offer. Perhaps they can expect to have more energy, lose a little weight
or prevent or cure certain diseases. Everyone cares about these benefits. But your
nutritional supplement may offer other benefits that only certain customers would have a
need/want for.
Pregnant women want a nutritional supplement that has high levels of folic acid and other
nutrients that will aid their developing babies. Senior citizens may have a need for
supplements that contain higher levels of calcium (and in a more readily absorbable
form). Athletes burn a lot of nutrients and have a higher chance of getting injured, so
those things are important to them.
Make the information about your product or service specific to whatever the needs of
each segment are.
Segmenting On The Web
Web sites are an especially wonderful place to make use of segmenting. Starting with
your home page, give general information that is applicable to all your site visitors. Then,
just like with the Naturally First site, break out the information specific to each segment of
your market. Give a brief description of the details that this segment can expect to find
and a link to the page where they’ll find them.
When your customers click to the various pages, they’ll find specifics on how your
product will benefit them and their special needs.
NOTE ABOUT SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION: When you segment on the Web, you
also have a great opportunity for search engine optimization. Many excellent keyphrases
come from highly specific phrases. So, instead of “nutritional supplements,” you might
30
find that “nutritional supplements for seniors” or “nutritional supplements for athletes” will
give you the high rankings you want. (More about search engine optimized copy in
Lesson 10.)
Before you lump all your customers into one category, take a good hard look. Do they
have different needs? Do you see various groups emerging from the crowd? Is there a
way to segment your market? If your market is already broken into various segments,
what is the best way to reach each group?
Once you determine the needs and wants of each segment of your target audience, you’ll
be better equipped to write copy that appeals to them.
Ebook Publishing Tools

This site combines copy in the center column and short blips in either sidebar. You get an
overview of the site, and the benefits of publishing ebooks. You also get more targeted
information because this site segmented its users’ needs by activity (navigation bar across the
top) and resources (navigation bars down either side).
ExecuNet
ExecuNet.com offers small bits of information with links to more while at the same time
segmenting its audience (job seekers vs. corporations).
31
SEO Research Labs
SEO Research Labs does a great job of providing small bits of information and segmenting their
audience. There are brief sections of copy with links to more detailed information on the home
page. You’ll also notice (if you click to their site) that they segment their audience into four
groups: search engine optimization consultants, website designers, website owners and those
who do it all themselves. All four segments need keyword research, but for different reasons.
Another approach? The sales letter. No doubt you’ve seen these all around the ‘Net. A sales
letter is generally defined as long-form sales copy that is written in the form of a letter. Sales
letters often tell stories or give examples.
Provided you offer multiple links throughout your sales letter (so that those who need just a little
information are not forced to read or scroll to find how to buy), these can work well.
Flip to the next page to see an example of one sales letter that I thought was very well written.
32
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33
"So What Is 'The Great Ezine Experiment'?"

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34
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35
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36
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37
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You’ll learn more general information about the structure of sales letters and other forms of copy
in Lessons Eight and Nine. However, keep in mind that sales letter writing is a highly specialized
form of direct mail copywriting. For a particularly focused study of sales letter writing, I highly
recommend Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.
Organization of Your Copy
In addition to choosing long or short copy and deciding whether or not to segment, you also need
to give some thought to how you will organize your content within the site's structure as well as
on the page itself.
For instance, where will your visitors come from? Will they likely click to the page from organic
search engine results? Will they come from pay-per-click (PPC) ads? Some other ad campaign?
A postcard or flyer mailed via the postal service? Once visitors get to the site, will they land on
the home page or another more specific page?
All these considerations must be given careful thought so that once the visitor actually gets to the
page you are writing, the content will be applicable, organized, interesting and appropriate.
For instance, if you saw a PPC ad with a headline that read, "17" Flat Panel Computer Monitors
for Only $199," what would you expect to see once you clicked that ad? Obviously, information
about how to get your $199 monitor, right? What if you clicked the ad and landed at the home
page of the Best Buy® site? At first you'd probably scour the home page looking for the link to
the $199, 17" monitors. After awhile, you might do a site-wide search. If that turned up nothing
(and you really wanted this monitor bad), you may look though every listing in the computer
monitor section. All the while you're getting more and more frustrated because you can't find what
38
the ad promised. What would have worked better? For the PPC ad to link directly to the page
about the $199 monitors.
Here's another example. You land on a site that provides search engine optimization services.
You read the home page and then notice the navigation links on the left side. You click a link
labeled "link building." The page that pops up next, however, is about article writing. It says
nothing about link building. While you may possibly know that article writing can be a very
powerful link building strategy, others might not be that savvy. Because the copy didn't take the
navigational structure into account, many visitors will be confused and frustrated because they
were expecting a page specifically about link building, not one that talks about article writing.
Whichever way you choose to organize your copy, be sure to consider how your visitors will
arrive at the page. You'll want to make the transition as smooth as possible.
As you can see, there are countless ways to present your information. Whether your audience
calls for long copy, short copy, or a combination of both, by restructuring your copy style and
format, you can often find ways to present a lot of information in a way that pleases almost
everybody.
=================
Lesson Four Assignments
1. Using the information in Lesson Four, tell me which length of copy would work best for the
following:
A) A CPA firm who may be interested in a computer system that is new to the
marketplace.
B) A “Write Your Own Ebook” course for anyone who wants to learn to write ebooks.
C) A group of salespeople who are thinking of hiring a consultant who comes highly
recommended by others.
2. Using the four considerations in this lesson, decide which length of copy would work best for
YOUR target group.
3. Can long copy work for those who need/want lots of information AND those who don’t? How?
4. How can segmenting your audience through your copy be beneficial?
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Four!
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Lesson Five: Headlines – The Beginning and the End
By now, I’m sure you’ve been bombarded with information about headlines. Different writers
have different standards when it comes to this all-important piece of your copy. Personally, I
don’t agree with any of them! I agree with the customer. But one thing is for sure…
your headline MUST get the customer’s attention, or your copy will never be read!
It will be both the beginning and the end of your ad.
With the information we have discovered in lessons one, two and three, you should know by now
that I trust the customer most when it comes to feedback. This includes headlines.
Depending on your target audience and your product/service, you can take several different
approaches to your headlines. But remember this… if the headline doesn’t catch their attention…
your copy will never get read (or did I just say that?)!
Choosing a headline isn’t easy. In fact, there are times that I spend more time on the headline
than on the copy itself. It’s that important.
So where do you get ideas for headlines? How do you create them? Here are just a few
examples:
1. Solve a problem – I read a great headline on a Web site for custom-written

poetry. It said, “We can solve your gift problem in 1 day for just $15.00.”
Wow! If I were in the market for a gift, I would definitely read the copy. It
offered to solve my problem and that caught my attention. (This is also called
a “benefits-oriented” headline.)
2. Use a statistic – One customer-service page I saw stated, “It costs 30 to 40

times more to gain a new customer than keep an existing one.” Every small
business owner is looking to save money in every area possible. Most are
very interested to read what needs to be done to keep their existing
customers.
3. State a quote – Did someone famous say something that applies to your
advertising? Can you put a new twist on an old saying? Use it! An auto
manufacturer featured a picture of an old truck and a new truck and stated,
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“Then and WOW!”
4. Ask a question – Perhaps a weight-loss center might ask, “What does it

take to lose 20 pounds by summer?”
5. Pique their curiosity - We are all curious creatures by nature. When you
write headlines like "Seven things you should never eat on an airplane" or
"The super foods that cured my cancer," people will naturally want to know
what you're talking about.
6. State your biggest benefit – We’ll cover features and benefits in the next
lesson. But for now, just know that answering the question, “So what?”
within your headline is a powerful way to get attention.
7. Take an opposing viewpoint – If the general rule is that vitamin

supplements are a “good idea,” but not vital to your health, tell them
otherwise in your headline.
8. Make a connection – Hit a nerve, touch on something that tugs on your

customers’ heartstrings. One excellent example of this are the “Feed the
Children” commercials. This organization combines the “stating a statistic”
and “making a connection” techniques. They show you a picture of a
starving child and make the statement: “Just 50 cents a day can save a
child’s life.” Pretty compelling!
9. Show the end results – Similar to the “biggest benefit” technique, showing
the end results lets the customer know what his/her life will be like after
buying your product/service. For example: “In Just 10 Days You’ll Be
Slimmer, Healthier and Full of Energy!”
10. Show a comparison – By linking your product/service with something that is

popular (or unpopular), you can generate a great headline. Example: “If You
Love Microsoft Word, Then You’ll Be Thrilled With Word Companion.” “If
You Hate Long, Unproductive Sales Meetings, Then Sales Meeting
Newsletter Was Designed Just for You!”
11. Offer a discount or freebie – “Zero percent interest for 60 months” always
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makes you wonder if it really IS time for a new car. And “Take an additional
50% off” will have any woman drooling in mere seconds.
12. Show them “How To” do something - Starting your headline with “How To”
is almost always a winning strategy. People love to find out “how to” do
everything from baking a cake to saving for the future. “How To” headlines
are always popular.
As you can see, different customers will respond to different headline types. Remember to use
words from Lesson Two that specifically fit your target audience when possible. Here are some
others:
FREE You Money Guarantee Love

Results Proven Safety Save Bargain
Easy New Improved Discover Now
Immediate Finally Instant Secret Truth
Odd Numbers (3, 5, 7) Specific Percentages (82.7%)
Have you seen headlines that have gotten your attention? Create your own “swipe file” (a file of
copywriting examples). You can use the headlines you collect as inspiration when you write.
There are two types of headlines that have been proven time and time again to work without fail.
I’m not saying that others are no good… I’m just saying that these two types rarely leave you high
and dry.
“How To” Headlines
“How To” headlines, as mentioned earlier, are headlines that begin with “How To.” They are
short. They are self-descriptive. They tell customers exactly what they want to know.
Just go to Amazon.com and type “how to” into the search field for books. What do you see?
Donald Trump’s book entitled How To Get Rich. Dale Carnegie’s world-famous book How To
Win Friends and Influence People that has been a bestseller for decades. Then you also have:
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How To Talk So People Listen

How To Grill
How To Become A Rainmaker
How To Survive the Loss of A Love
How To Change the World
How To Make Money In Stocks
How To Lie With Statistics
How To Cook Everything
and even How To Read A Book
and How To Eat Fried Worms
There is no doubt… “how to” headlines pull big!
Benefits-Oriented Headlines
The second most powerful type of headline is the benefits-oriented one. That makes sense.
Remember your lesson on the DISC Behavioral Profile? Those in the Steadiness category (who
make up over 40% of the population) are very benefits-oriented people. So are Dominance types
(results-oriented - what will happen after ____). And Compliance types? Yep… them, too. The
only DISC type that doesn’t focus on benefits is Influence. They don’t mind reading about
benefits; it’s just that benefits are not a focal point for them. That’s three out of four types that
prefer benefits.
So how, exactly, do you create a benefits-oriented headline? Let’s take it one step at a time.
First, you’ll need to know and understand the most powerful benefits of the product or service
you’re writing about. For example, if your copy is being created to sell scanners, your most
powerful feature (not benefit) might be that you offer the highest dpi (dots per inch) of any other
scanner.
What does that mean in layman’s terms? The higher the dpi, the more crisp and clear the
scanned picture will be. So, if you are writing a benefits-oriented headline for this product, you’d
want to use something along the lines of:
Prints So Detailed You’ll Wonder If They Are Copies or Originals
The Crispest, Clearest Prints of Any Scanner or Your Money Back
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Brilliant Color… Superior Clarity… Unmatched Quality
Notice that you never read any mention of the dpi. That’s the feature. You don’t want to focus on
features. You only want to focus on benefits to the customer.
Do you realize something when you look at these “all-star headline performers”? Not one is
funny. Not one is all that creative. But ALL THREE work time and time again.
NOTE: You will almost certainly have to experiment with your headline before finding one that
really sings. Don’t be discouraged. Try one and watch for the response. If you don’t get what
you’d hoped for, restructure it and try again.
Sub-headlines
And what about sub-headlines? What role do those play? A big one!
Subheads play an important role in copy for several reasons. They make your copy scan easily.
They help build interest. They increase desire. And, if used correctly, they guide customers
along to keep them reading.
Especially with applications that require long copy, include subheads that are benefits-oriented
and/or that pose interesting thoughts, statements or questions.
Look at this example:
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"Never Be Scammed Again…

Discover How To Shop & Buy Safely Online"
The Internet is a wondrous place full of information, products to buy, services to
obtain, and entertainment galore. However, it can also be a Pandora's Box with
strange things popping up each time you go online. How can you know that
you're shopping safely online and - more importantly - buying safely online?
There are hundreds of ways to "hide" on the Internet and unscrupulous

businesses take advantage of those methods on a daily basis. They set
themselves up to lurk behind fake email addresses, P.O. boxes, and telephone
numbers that have been disconnected. They only want your money. This makes
shopping and buying safely online a real chore!
So when you decide to buy from an Internet business, how do you know that you'll
get what you pay for? How do you know that the company will help you solve any
problems that arise? How can you be sure that you aren't going to be scammed?
Can You Spot A Fraud Before He Spots You?
When you go to a Web site, do you have the knowledge to tell the difference
between an unethical business that will take your money and run and one you can
trust?
Are you buying online with confidence or just hoping it all works out O.K?
Or have you already been scammed and want to know how to get your money back?
Now You Can Discover the Inside Secrets To

Internet Safety and Online Professionalism and
Protect Yourself and Your Family From Frauds and Thieves
My name is Butch Pujol, and I am a Consumer Advocate at Safe Internet Business.
See how this site uses subheads to guide the reader through? It goes through the questions
many people ask themselves before buying from an online company (basically… is it safe and
how do you know you’ll get what you want?). Then it asks a question that instills a bit of fear.
“Can you spot a fraud before he spots you?”
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That makes you stop and wonder, doesn’t it? You want to keep reading to find out how to be
safe. The next subhead hits on the benefit of experience. This guy is going to let you in on some
inside tips for keeping yourself and your family safe. Everyone loves to get inside info from pros.
Put subheads into your copy that will tantalize and pull your readers along to help you make more
sales.
==================
Lesson Five Assignments
1. Which of the types of headlines would work well for those who fall into the Compliance
behavioral style? How about Dominance, Influence and Steadiness?
2. Which would work better for men? Women?
3. Look over a few advertising pieces or Web sites and find two examples of headlines that
personally get your attention. Why do they appeal to you?
4. Keeping all your target customer information in mind, write one headline for each of the
previous approaches: solve a problem, state a statistic, use a quote, ask a question, create a
mystery, biggest benefit, opposing viewpoint, making a connection, showing end results, making
a comparison, offer a discount or freebie and “how to.”
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Five!
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Lesson Six: Features vs. Benefits – Do You Really Know the

Difference?
How many times have you heard the phrase “features vs. benefits”? But do you truly understand
what it means? What’s more, do you understand how it applies to your customers? Features
don’t sell, benefits do. However, exactly what are benefits, and how do you turn features into
them?
A feature is a trait of your product or service. Internet answering services will sometimes tell you
that their service answers calls when you’re on the Internet using a dial-up connection. That’s a
feature. That portion of their product is a mechanical part of the answering service.
To determine the benefit, you look at how “answering calls when you’re on the ‘Net” adds value to
the customer. In other words, “So what… what’s in it for me?”
Customers don’t care about the mechanical feature of the service. What they do care
about is how it can improve their lives. Take the feature of answering calls while you’re on the
Internet and then think, “So what?” Because the answering service picks up calls while you’re
online, you don’t have to add a second telephone line. You don’t have to wait until you’ve
disconnected to listen to your voicemail. Again… “So what?” You get the convenience of
immediate feedback from incoming calls in order to decide if you stay online or get off to return
the call. All of these are benefits.
Turn your thoughts back to Lesson One for a minute. Consider the problems your customers
face and the results they want to achieve. This is an excellent way to pull benefits out of features.
Let’s turn our attention to the ebook industry for a moment and define some concerns these
customers might have.
When publishing an ebook, the concern is primarily about getting the information across to
readers. It needs to be in a format they can readily access. While reading the sales copy for
some ebook compilers, the phrase “no reader required” came up. This is a feature. That phrase
didn’t mean much to me, so of course I was thinking, “So what?”
The benefit of “no reader required” is that the software is complete within itself. So what? Unlike
some ebook compilers that require the ebook purchaser to download special software in order to
view the book, this feature offered the benefit of being all-inclusive. So what? As soon as the
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book was downloaded, the customer could begin reading without further delays. That spoke to
the concern and answered the question, “So what? What’s in it for me?”
The final benefit… this ebook is ready to read with no additional software needed.
As you can probably tell by now, the benefits are what make a difference to your customer. The
benefits – more or less – explain why the feature is important. This is why benefits have selling
power and most features do not.
Here are a few steps you can use when working with the features vs. benefits equation:
1. List the features of your product or service (no reader required, answers calls
while you’re online, etc.).
2. Next, think about the concerns or needs of your customers.
3. Next, ask yourself, “Why does this feature matter to my customer?” Write your
answers on the list.
4. Finally, take it one step further. Ask yourself, “What specific problem or concern
can this feature address?”
5. There’s your 1st shot at a benefit.
6. Now… ask yourself (or better yet – ask someone ELSE), “So what?”
7. Refine the benefit until it is crystal clear what the customer gets from a particular
feature.
Let’s look at a few examples of turning features into benefits, so you can get a good feel for it.
Feature Benefit
Antilock Brakes Retain control of your car in an emergency.
Refillable Cartridge Save money by purchasing only the ink.
Tested Over 10 Years Have confidence that it works.
All Digital Network Phone calls are crystal clear.
Purchased from Local Suppliers Meat and poultry are always fresh.
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By explaining your sales information in language customers can understand, you are helping
them reach the point of purchase more quickly. Benefits are the primary key to their
understanding.
===================
Lesson Six Assignments
1. What is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

2. Make a list of the features of your product or service.
3. Read each feature and ask yourself the question, “So what?” Write down a short answer.
4. Consider the problems your target customers face and the answers to your “so what” questions
and then create a benefit for each feature.
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Six!
49
Lesson Seven: Making An Emotional Connection
How does this copy strike you?
Organized Times offers organizational consulting services.

Our company is 7 years old and can provide customers with
a variety of consulting methods to suit their needs.
We offer:
· telephone consulting
· in-person consulting
· email consulting
· books
· a free newsletter
When working parents want to get organized, they contact us to

get the job done right.
It’s informative. It tells you about what the company offers. But it’s lacking a lot, isn’t it?
It doesn’t give you the feeling that you want to rush right over and sign up, does it? There’s
nothing that gets you excited. Nothing that makes a lightbulb go on. Nothing that touches you
personally.
That’s where most copy falls short of the job. It is – more or less – a list of nuts and bolts. It tells
about the company, but doesn’t speak to the customer. It focuses on what the business wants
you to know, but doesn’t solve any problems. It lists features and benefits, but has no emotion.
Realize this:
Most buying decisions are emotional.

Your ad copy should be, too!
That’s why adding emotion to your copy is vitally important. But how? Once again… it goes back
to the customers. (Didn’t you see that coming a mile away?)
Remember Lesson One? Remember when you listed all the problems your customers face? Put
their shoes on for a few minutes. Put yourself right in the middle of their lives. What is it like?
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Creating A Profile
When you create a profile, give the fictitious person a name. This profile will be named Jane. If
you were to describe Jane (in relation to her need for organizational services), what would you
say?
Jane is in her mid-thirties and holds a position as a middle manager at a manufacturing

company. She has two children under the age of 10 living at home. They both attend
school and go to daycare afterwards. Each child has an after activity they participate in.
Jane's son plays basketball (which requires one nightly practice and one game each
week). Jane's daughter is in the chorus. Practices are during school hours, but
performances are always at night or on the weekend.
Jane is married, and her husband also works in a management position. He is employed
at a bank. Jane is desperate. She feels overwhelmed and stressed out most days. She
thinks she has too much to do. She never stops. She wants everyone to participate in
taking care of the house and chores, but feels guilty about those feelings. After all, her
children are only kids and her husband works a full-time job, too, so he is always tired.
Jane wants her family to spend some true leisure time together where everyone is relaxed
and happy, but she honestly sees no way that dream could become a reality.
If we use the target audience information and profile above from the organizing site, we can set
up a good example. The next step is to imagine Jane going through part or all of a typical day.
What does she do? Where does she go? How does she feel? Let’s walk through part of Jane's
day and find out.
5:30 a.m. – The alarm clock goes off, and Jane wiggles around under the blankets for a
few minutes until she reaches out and slaps the snooze bar with what little energy she
has. “Oh man… here we go again” is the only thought that floats around in her mind.
5:45 a.m. – Jane stumbles out of bed, tripping over a load of clothes she forgot she left in
the hallway. (She meant to do them yesterday but…) She opens the door of the
bedroom her two kids share and props against the doorframe for a second. “All this
peace and quiet is about to come to an end.” She does what she has to do… she wakes
the children.
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6:15 a.m. – “Are you up yet” is the scream that echoes through the house. Jane stomps
up the stairs yelling death threats. Kids start scrambling around while Jane stuffs peanut
butter sandwiches into Thomas The Tank Engine and Barbie lunchboxes.
7:00 a.m. – Everyone piles into the car – muttering to themselves all the while. After
searching for her keys for five minutes, Jane starts the car and rushes down the street.
She’s late… again!
7:25 a.m. – Jane drops the kids off at school blowing kisses out of the car window as she
speeds off to work. If she doesn’t hit any heavy traffic, she’ll still be on time for her 8:00
meeting.
7:30 a.m. – HORROR! Out of the corner of her eye, Jane sees something odd-looking
on the backseat. It’s Barbie! “I don’t need this today,” huffs Jane under her breath. She
turns around and rushes back to the school to drop off her daughter’s lunchbox.
7:50 a.m. – Jane grabs the cell phone and hastily punches in the number to her office.
Nothing happens. The battery is dead because she forgot to plug her mobile phone in
again last night. “I’ve only been awake two hours, and I’m already on the verge of a
nervous breakdown,” screams Jane. “Something has GOT to give!”
Now… THAT’S emotion. It’s real life, full of headaches, heartaches, and all the things that drive
people crazy. By emotion, I don't mean writing screaming, hyped-up, used-car salesman copy. I
mean connecting with your customers on their level.
When you give some serious consideration to the detail of your customers’ lives (personally or
professionally), you get tremendous insights into what emotions they feel during the course of an
average day.
THAT’S what needs to be in the OrganizedTimes.com copy instead of a list of nuts and bolts. As
a matter of fact… the copy was re-written. Flip to the next page and let’s take a look:
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The copy goes on to say:
53
MUCH better, huh? That really hits home. It pulls out experiences from the customer’s everyday
life. It approaches his/her problems and offers a solution. It makes the customer feel right at
home and know that this is the place he/she belongs.
Keep in mind that Jane is only one person within your target audience. There are others, too.
Think about it. What other profiles could be included? How about Jarret? He's a 28-year old
single dad who is trying to climb the corporate ladder at the software company he works for while
raising his four-year-old daughter. What needs would Jarret have? Daycare issues would come
into play. Money would likely be a biggie since he's a single dad. And, of course, time would be
a more precious resource to Jarret than to others since he has to do it all himself.
There are many different profiles within your target audience. Consider making personas for
three or four of them and then include emotional elements in your copy that appeal to them all.
Emotional Copy for Products and Services
This practice of including emotion in your copy doesn’t just apply to services. No! It can, and
does, apply to product copy, also.
Have you ever stopped to consider copywriting as a sensory activity? You should. Why?
Because in order to see, hear, smell, taste or feel a product, we have to be in the presence of that
product. All too often, when we create descriptions, we leave a lot to be desired. There is no
excitement, no interaction, no experience. Descriptions should be, well… descriptive. Effective
descriptions should fill the gap of what customers would see, hear, smell, taste or feel if they were
standing in the presence of the product.
Effective descriptions should draw customers in and create an actual event… as if they were able
to be right there with you. Emotional copy is multi-dimensional. It is about life and about
experiences. It is about what we live, and what we see, hear, smell, taste and feel.
Do you sell cinnamon rolls? You wouldn’t want to describe them simply as “delicious” or say they
“smell great.” Instead, you’d want to bring your customers into the experience of enjoying your
cinnamon rolls. Think of which of their five senses would be most in tune with your product and
write to those. Try this:
Definitely NOT grandma’s cinnamon rolls! Bake them fresh right in your own oven.
As the aroma of these gourmet rolls begins to waft through the air, your nose will start to
54
tingle and you’ll immediately know they are well worth the wait. The scents of freshly
ground cinnamon and yeast begin to merge as the dough rises and the cinnamon, sugar
and real creamery butter begin to bubble. Open your oven door to reveal one of the
largest treats you’ve ever seen. Drizzle the homemade cream cheese frosting over the
top to complete your warm, gooey treasure. Grandma would be pleased and proud!
Can you smell the cinnamon? Can you visualize the dough rising in the oven with the cinnamon
and sugar bubbling on the top of each roll? Are you remembering the times you’ve glazed
cinnamon rolls in the past and, with sticky fingers, taken that first bite out of a freshly baked,
warm, gooey pastry? This copy brings it all back, doesn’t it?
Do you rent private, Jamaican beachfront condos? Taking a basic route and falling back on the
phrases “ocean view” and “sunsets are included” will leave your reader lacking a truly intriguing
experience. Something like this will work better:
Lavish Luxury! As your day begins, enjoy a gourmet breakfast prepared by your own
private staff who is at your disposal 24 hours a day. A gorgeous view overlooking your
exclusive crystal-blue freshwater pool welcomes you to another exciting adventure in
Jamaica. A morning stroll along your private, white sand beach is the perfect way to
welcome the day. A fun-filled outing can consist of splashing in the surf, sunning on the
beach or napping in an authentic hand-woven hammock that cuddles every curve of your
body. At the end of the day, you’ll have sun-kissed shoulders, a glowing bronze tan and
a phenomenal appetite. Unwind at the poolside gazebo as you prepare for a world-class
dinner that rivals any five-star restaurant. Refreshing after-dinner cocktails are especially
enjoyable when sipped on the terrace as nature provides an amazing display of sunsets
and a soft, caressing breeze you won’t soon forget.
Let’s go! “Splashing in the surf, sunning on the beach or napping in an authentic hand-woven
hammock that cuddles every curve of your body.” Can you just imagine? How about “sun-kissed
shoulders, a glowing bronze tan”? That paints a picture, doesn’t it? Can you feel that warm
tingling you always get after spending a day in the sun? “Nature provides an amazing display of
sunsets and a soft, caressing breeze.” I’m ready! Where do I sign up?
Are you beginning to see the importance of writing truly descriptive descriptions? Your customers
aren’t there. They can’t see, hear, feel, taste or smell what you can. You have to do the next best
thing and vividly depict what their sensory experiences will be like, so they’ll want to buy what you
have or do what you’ve done. You have to give emotion to your copy.
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When you write descriptive copy, choose the senses that are most appropriate and focus on
them. If you’re describing food, of course you’ll want to think about what you’re tasting, but also
what you smell and see. (Presentation is just as important as taste.) If you’re writing travel copy,
you’ll want to focus on sights and sounds plus feelings (relaxation, enjoyment, excitement, etc.).
Your goal is to have your readers close their eyes and genuinely, vividly imagine they are in the
midst of the same experience you are.
Copywriting Makeover
Here’s a copywriting makeover I did for a client that focuses on this same issue… bringing out the
emotions and senses in your copywriting.
I’ve always loved scented candles. They help

create a cozy atmosphere. They give you a
relaxed feeling. And - most importantly - they make
your home smell wonderful! So, naturally, I was
excited when I was approached to rewrite the index
(front) page for an online retailer who made
specialty, soy-scented candles.
The goal of the copywriting rewrite was to increase sales. The copy definitely needed some
work. It wasn’t “bad,” but it had one major thing holding it back. The copy violated one of the
primary rules of copywriting. “It’s not about you… it’s about them.”
An additional problem was that the information - while definitely necessary - was presented as
more of a list of nuts and bolts. It needed a boost to create a “feeling” about the candles for sale.
The Problem
As you can see from the original version, http://www.copywritingcourse.com/IlluminousTimes-

BEFORE.doc, the copy either focused on the company or the candles. Very little of the copy
focused on the customer.
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Another element that was “off” in the copy was the lack of the “experience.” Site owner Dan Fehn
had some fabulous research data about scented-candle buyers; however, he did not know to
include that information when writing.
The Solution
The data I received included the following information from the National Candle Association.
Candle industry research indicates that the most important factors affecting candle sales
are scent, color, cost and shape. Fragrance is by far the most important characteristic,
with three-fourths of candle purchasers saying it is "extremely important" or "very
important" in their selection of a candle for the home.
Candle manufacturers' surveys show that 96% of all candles purchased are bought by
women.
Nine out of ten candle users say they use candles to make a room feel comfortable or
cozy.
This was the basis for the copywriting makeover. As a scented-candle lover myself, I knew for a
fact what women wanted from candles. I understood the candle-buying experience and played
on that knowledge to create copy that “romanced” the site visitor and increased the desire to buy.
The Rewrite
You can view the new copy here (http://www.copywritingcourse.com/illuminoustimes-current.pdf).

As you can see, the new version immediately begins to entice the site visitor. Everything she
wants from a scented candle is laid out before her… and some things she might not have known
she wanted.
I began to pique interest in soy candles (as opposed to traditional wax candles found in stores) by
immediately outlining the advantages soy candles offer. From there, I played on the fragrance
(the most important characteristic according to the National Candle Association).
I led the customer through a mental tour of her home - lighting candles for special dinners,
enjoying the glow as she snuggled with a good book, and having the unmistakable fragrances
only soy candles offer wafting through her home.
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A final benefits list of why soy candles are superior to traditional wax candles and an emotional
call-to-action wrapped up the copy.
The Results
I think the results of the copywriting makeover are best stated by Dan himself.
"Thank you! Sales have increased even before the holiday season, and my search engine
rankings have improved, too!"
So, as you can see, taking the focus off the product or company and putting it where it should be
(on the customer) makes a tremendous difference. Sales naturally increase when the customer
feels he/she is the reason for your existence.
When you input emotions from your customers’ own, personal lives… they feel a connection with
you. They think they know you. They understand that YOU understand them.
Emotions Sell!
In addition to building rapport with your customers, adding emotions to your copy greatly
increases its ability to sell. This applies to copy of every length from 60-word catalog descriptions
to 15-page sales letters.
Let me give you an example. Which of these seafood descriptions is more enticing to you?
Fresh Haddock Fillets
A convenient box filled with 18 ounces of fresh

Haddock fillets direct from New England. Perfect for
frying (especially fish & chips), steaming, broiling, and
more.
… or…
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Fresh Haddock Fillets

Say the phrase “fish & chips” in England, and
most Brits will assume you mean haddock.
New Englanders in the United States have also
developed a love for haddock. Dredging sliced
haddock fillets in flour and frying is a popular
way to enjoy this delectable fish. The
delicate, white meat of the haddock turns
extremely flaky and practically dissolves in
your mouth. Due to the versatility of this
world-class favorite, you’ll also find haddock
recipes that call for steaming, broiling,
poaching, and more.
© 2004-2007 Gorton’s Fresh Seafood, All Rights Reserved
The second piece of copy really gets you thinking. It pulls you into the experience of buying
seafood. It creates a vision. In the short space allotted for this piece of catalog (actually e-
commerce copy), you’re made to feel that this collection of seafood items is truly special.
How about this?
Metal Glider
Glider rocker looks like original from 1940s. Made of steel

with two-tone paint. Hefty construction is designed for
outdoor use. Triple glider, $195.
Nah… this one’s better…
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Walton Lane Glider Collection
In post-World War I America, savvy

armament purveyors turned their metal-
stamping talents to creating furnishings for
the peaceable practice of relaxing on the
porch. Our replicas feature the same
charm of the originals and are made of the
same steel, finished in two-tone enamel.
The gliders feature a smooth to-and-fro
action for lazing away long afternoons.
Triple glider, $195.
© 2004-2007 Restoration Hardware, All Rights Reserved
Again, the second one makes a connection. It gets you thinking about the metal rockers your
parents or grandparents used to have on their front porches. It takes you back to happier times
and instills a nostalgic feeling that warms your heart.
Let me give you a few sites to visit. These are ones I love because of their ability to connect with
visitors in an emotional way. Take a few minutes to look around. Notice how these sites create a
feeling and how they incorporate an emotional appeal (even if just slightly) in everything they do.
Gorton’s Fresh Seafood - http://www.gortonsfreshseafood.com
Lands’ End - http://www.landsend.com (One of my all-time favorites!)
Restoration Hardware - http://www.restorationhardware.com
Herrington - http://www.herringtoncatalog.com
First Street Online - http://www.firststreetonline.com
Flip down to the next page and let’s look at a few more examples of emotion-filled copy…
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There comes a time when you look back over your many accomplishments
and ponder the question, “Is this it?” Throughout your life, you have
pressed forward and found success in many areas… materially, financially,
professionally. But still, for all you have amassed, something is missing.
The question remains, “What’s next?”
As you step back from the rush of traditional society - full of those seeking
short-term gratification - you know there must be more. What is it that will
truly make you fulfilled? What will be your greatest challenge of all?
The Answer Is There...Can You Find It?
The answer to this life-changing question only emanates from one source…
you. However, most encounter difficulty with finding the answer due to the
nature of the quest. Finding what will truly fulfill you in the long run is a
process… not a one-time event. This process begins when you have
transformational conversations with someone who can help you examine
yourself and how you operate in life. Only with this insight can you move
forward to unlock those things that are sincerely satisfying for you.
Your Greatest Achievement Awaits
As you know, obtaining the material things in life comes relatively easy. But
your greatest accomplishment - more than anything you might have already
achieved - is you!
Transformational Conversations is a process that brings forth

enlightenment, inner peace, fulfillment, authenticity, truth, and personal
happiness. Those are things that cannot be bought. They must be
discovered and developed.
By working with Transformational Conversations, you enter a collaborative

relationship unlike anything else you’ve experienced before. You will see
results that are truly evolving and that elevate you to a greater level of
personal contentment. A renewed sense of pride in yourself is awakened
along with the discovery that life does offer more! [Get more details on the
process.]
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“But those are reaching out to individuals. What about making an emotional impact in business-
to-business copy?” The same principles apply: consider your business clients. Think of their
goals… their challenges… their desired outcomes.
After all, business-to-business copywriting is really just business-to-consumer copywriting taken

to a higher level. “Companies” don’t buy products and services; people buy products and
services on behalf of companies. You’re still writing to people.
There’s an example of emotion-filled business-to-business (B2B) copy on the next page…
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And here’s one for a Web site-design company…
Are Your Web Site Visitors Rolling

Their Eyes or Smiling?
Think the appearance of your Web site design makes no difference? It's a common
misconception. Appearance is primarily what our first impressions are based
on. Your Web site design evokes emotions within your visitors. Those emotions
either tell them to rest easy and take a look around or to get out of there fast!
You either make people feel confident about doing business with you - or you scare them
off.
You've seen them. There are thousands of sites that look as though someone just
threw them together. You can tell a distinct difference in the ones made from an
overused template and the ones that a professional designed. There's just no
comparison.
Those that look "homemade" are the ones that portray a shaky image. Those are the
ones that make site visitors feel skeptical.
Let's face it...anyone can create a Web site and post it on the Web.
However, a novice will not have the technical expertise and artistic skills that are
required to design a professional looking Web site that people will want to do
business with.
There's a difference between creating a Web site

and designing one.
We've all seen them, the cheap-looking Web sites that feature:
• loud, sassy colors and flashing animations

• impossible to read pages that have red text on a blue background
• distorted, shoddy-looking clip art
• loud, annoying music with no OFF button to be found
That's enough to make anyone roll his eyes! Now, let me ask you a personal
question:
Would you buy from a site like that?
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In a nutshell, the biggest distinction between a Web site designed by a professional

and a Web site designed by an amateur is consumer confidence. Confidence relates
to SALES. And it's sales that determine whether your online business will succeed...
or fail.
It's your choice.

You can have a professional-looking Web site that:
• is creatively designed to portray an image of professionalism and sophistication
• creates a feeling of confidence and trust for all who visit
• has eye-pleasing colors and customized one-of-a-kind graphics
• appeals to your target audience, generating more business and sales
• contains the elements needed to be search engine compatible
• is cross-browser compatible
• is designed to fit most screen sizes without horizontal scrolling
I can hear you now… "but I can't afford a pro!"
Oh yes you can!
Look, if you aren't getting sales from your site, you have two choices. You can either
continue hoping things will improve or do something about it. It's time to design
that professional-looking Web site that will keep your visitors smiling.
So, as you can see, both businesses and individuals benefit from an emotional approach.
Anytime you make a personal connection with people – anytime you “connect” with them – you
have a better chance of making sales.
Ever heard of Dale Carnegie? His book How To Win Friends and Influence People is one of my
favorites. Dale talks about making connections with people. He talks about paying attention to
them and remembering their names, their likes, their dislikes. That same idea comes into play
when adding emotion to your copy.
Through the information in the target audience analysis you did in Lesson One, and with the help
of the DISC behavioral profile, you can gather vital information about exactly what your customers
want. Then… provide it to them in the most personal way possible.
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================
Lesson Seven Assignments
1. In relation to your product or service, make a brief outline of your target customer’s day.
2. Make a list of the emotions/problems they feel during the course of their day.
3. In another column of your list, write down how your product/service can solve their problems.
4. Lastly, write the end results your customers will experience.
5. Create a list of emotions associated with the products or services you are writing about.
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Seven!
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Lesson Eight: The Power Points of Your Copy
When writing copy, there are certain “power points” (six to be exact) that can come into play.
While not applicable to every type of product or service, with many types these power points can
add emphasis, credibility, trustworthiness and punch to your copy in certain situations.
As you go through the following six points, think back to the first three lessons. You’ll begin to
notice that each of these six power points fulfills a need for your target audience.
Power Point #1 - The Power of Free
The power of “free” can be astounding. The general population loves to get something for
nothing. And these days, especially on the Internet, free is without a doubt a driving factor.
That leaves us with a few questions.
• Should I include a free offer in my copy?

• Where should it be mentioned?
• What should the offer be?
Should I Include A Free Offer In My Copy?
If possible, yes… I would recommend including something free in your copy. Sometimes – due to
space constraints, the style of the copy, your image or brand, etc. – it simply isn’t feasible. There
are millions of products sold every day without any free incentive included. But consider this…
How many times have you personally been considering the purchase of a product or service and
been a little torn as to what to do? Then you noticed a free bonus of some sort. You would like
the bonus in addition to the product/service, so why not order?
Free makes a very persuasive argument and is one of the primary tools in winning people over.
Where should it be mentioned?
There are so many places within your copy to bring up a free offer… the headline, the first
paragraph where you grab the reader’s attention, or as an added incentive when encouraging the
reader to take action.
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So where is the appropriate place to mention your offer? It depends a LOT on the product or
service, the offer itself, and which advertising medium you’re writing for. However, one safe place
to put the offer is in its own little section near a highly viewed area.
Many Web sites include a graphic beside or near the headline at the top. In email campaigns, you
might choose the subject line (careful of spam filters, though!).
The most important thing to remember is – if you make a free offer - position it somewhere that it
will be seen. It won't be much of an incentive if no one notices it.
What Should the Offer Be?
This is another area where the possibilities are endless. However, there is one rule to keep in
mind. Make it applicable!
When your readers are engulfed by your copy and all wrapped up in the world of – let’s say tennis
shoes – they would certainly be stunned by an offer of free personalized pencils with every
purchase. For tennis shoes, you would want to offer something else related to the athletic arena.
Maybe free socks or free cushioned insoles. Perhaps a package of different-colored shoelaces
or leather cleaner. Whatever you decide to do, make it a good “fit” with your product or service.
Here are a few ideas for freebies to get your juices flowing:
• Articles
• Reports
• Books
• Ebooks
• Access to special sites/forums
• Tutorials
• Trial products or memberships
• Consultations
• Free upgrades
• Coupons for related products or services
• Trial subscriptions
• Shipping
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Power Point #2 - Prove Your Point – Testimonials/Demonstrations
Have you ever been to a Mary Kay cosmetics party? Have you ever watched an infomercial for
“The Gator” smart grip wrench? What do the two have in common? They prove their points.
At Mary Kay cosmetics parties, what happens? Some woman volunteers to wash her face and
have the expert beauty consultant redo her makeup in a way that will take 20 years off her age
and make her as beautiful as Nicole Kidman. And… seeing is believing! Most women are indeed
pleased with the end results. So much so that most of the volunteers end up buying some, or all,
of the products used during their makeovers.
And the infomercial for The Gator wrench? It, too, shows application after application where The
Gator can torque, twist, tighten and unscrew everything in sight. Again… seeing is believing!
The ultimate demonstration is one that takes place right before your eyes. You know, the ones
you see on display at your local State Fair, or the ones that happen in your own home.
Have you ever been visited by a Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman? I was! His name was Roger.
He offered to steam clean my living room carpet for free. I was sure there was a catch, but was
interested to watch this guy in action, so I agreed.
Roger asked me to get my old vacuum from the closet. I did. He asked me to bring him a box of
salt. (Yes, I saw it coming, but I did it anyway.) He began to pour the salt onto my carpet. Then
(as expected) he ground it in with his foot. He took my old vacuum and asked me to let him know
when I thought it had sucked up all the salt. On came the vacuum and the challenge began!
After about 15 passes, I instructed Roger to stop. He did. Then he reached behind him and
rolled over the Kirby G6 – Limited Edition. He opened the latch where the bag goes and placed a
black, thin pad over it. Next, he flipped on the “onboard transmission,” put the vacuum into “drive”
and began the first part of his demonstration.
Just six passes later, he stopped the Kirby, opened the bag latch and pulled out the black pad. It
was covered with salt! It was also covered with dirt, sand, lint and hair. It was extremely gross,
not to mention embarrassing! I left the room and let Roger finish cleaning the carpet.
I knew Roger and I weren’t finished yet, but I went back to my computer anyway like a good little
prospect.
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Sure enough, about ten minutes later, Roger asked where he would find our trashcan. I walked
around the corner to see what needed to be thrown away and was immediately horrified! He had
used those little black demonstration pads instead of a bag while vacuuming the entire room!
There were disks all over my living room just covered with hair, lint, fibers, dust, sand, and who
knows what else. The fear of creepy-crawly things in my house started to rise up within me. All
this junk was in my carpet? How disgusting! My house wasn’t as clean as I thought it was. “I’m
sorry for the mess, ma’am, but we are only allowed to use these demonstration pads to vacuum
with. I’ll throw them away if you’ll show me to your garbage can.”
His point was made. I’d seen it with my own eyes. My carpet needed serious help!
The power of a well-performed demonstration can be extremely persuasive. But how in the world
do you work a demonstration into your copy? There are actually a couple of great ways.
Case Studies
Case studies are short tales that outline what happens from the time customers come to you until
they have success. It generally covers a challenge, the preparation, the implementation, the
results and any follow-through. The next page shows a good example from a business coach.
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The Application of Coaching

The Challenge
We had been working with a broadcast company in the capacity of facilitator, trainer,
and coach. Trudy came to one of our coaches after having been in several team-
building sessions and requested individual coaching.
Although Trudy held the position of managing director of

"Self knowledge is not
event marketing for one of the largest broadcast companies in
learned by
the country, and was making a very healthy salary, she was
contemplation, but by
unsatisfied and unhappy. And, even though she was viewed by action."
people in her company as a top performer, she believed that
she wasn't living up to her own expectations and potential. In
Johann Wolfgang von
particular, she felt that she needed to improve her managerial
Goethe (German author,
skills and that she could use mentoring and guidance from poet, scientist)
within her company.
The Preparation
The coaching process began with the DISC and the Personal Interests, Attitudes and
Values profiles. After the initial assessment, it was concluded that Trudy was
burdened by low self-esteem and poor self-management skills. The following areas
were identified for her to work on:
1. Her need to organize her time and tasks both at home and at work, which included
physical exercise to decrease stress and give her the time she needed to think.
2. Her need to focus and define her goals.
3. The need to hold her accountable in achieving those goals. She had a tendency to over-
commit and under-deliver.
4. Her almost naive trust and willing acceptance of others. This would often lead her to rely
on others only to be disappointed.
5. Her lack of training in listening to and motivating others.
6. Her need to accommodate others.
After reading her DISC and PIAV assessments, Trudy and her coach concluded that
she would focus on the following:
1. Improving her exercise and eating habits.

2. Organizing her apartment and attending to those things that she had been putting off.
(For example, redecorating and refurbishing her apartment.)
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3. Feeling more centered and in control of her life.

4. Taking herself out of her comfort zone to take risks.
5. Dealing with people as openly and honestly as circumstances permitted instead of being
passive and overly accommodating.
6. Feeling as though what she believed to be impossible was actually obtainable.
The Implementation
One of Trudy's biggest breakthroughs came after she completed a vision exercise,
the purpose of which was to force her to own up to what she really wanted. The
exercise began with her imagining herself having a job of her own design. She wrote
in detail about what her typical day would look like. She envisioned herself in a role
and described it, in writing, in the present tense.
By doing this exercise she recognized some of her strengths, including her ability to
influence others and her natural leadership skills. She recognized that at times she
made quick judgments without gathering all of the facts. This was exacerbated when
she felt under pressure. Trudy further realized that she tended to avoid conflict for
fear that she might not be liked. In addition, she tended to accommodate others
against her better judgment. What she wanted was to be a leader and to be valued
as someone who was a leader. As a byproduct of this exercise, she became aware
that she had difficulty asking for what she needed. This exercise proved to be an
insightful, invaluable, predictive, and enabling tool.
As director of events for the broadcasting company, she recognized that she was in
her comfort zone. It was requested that Trudy do one thing each week to step out of
her comfort zone. She was held accountable by the request that she report what she
did during the subsequent coaching session. By stepping out of her comfort zone,
she began to recognize the various behavioral styles and how she could more
effectively communicate with other people. She focused more and more on who she
wanted to be and the result that she wanted to achieve.
Other issues were also worked through including how she could deal with conflict
situations without compromising her own standards and how to overcome being very
scattered and quickly losing focus.
After each week's coaching session, Trudy was followed up with via e-mail to ask
how she was doing. She was also reminded of the commitments that she had made
for that week.
The consistent goal was defining the person that Trudy wanted to be. In addition to
working on her leadership skills, Trudy worked on being an effective communicator
by learning the characteristics of the behavioral styles. In addition to her coaching
sessions, she decided to enroll in a 4-week management teleclass to learn the DISC
assessment module. This further enhanced her ability to recognize the various
behavioral styles and how better to communicate and lead her staff.
During the coaching sessions, Trudy was guided through a process that included
recognizing her accomplishments as accomplishments and defining her strengths and
weaknesses.
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The Results
After 6 months of coaching, Trudy contacted XB Coaching by e-mail and wrote,

"Coaching creates self-awareness. I feel empowered by this change. Coaching really
works. I now understand that the entire coaching process is about moving forward
and I am an example of the success of this process."
Not to be lost in the telling of this story is the importance and the predictive utility of
the vision exercise. Trudy envisioned, in writing, where she wanted to be and,
through the coaching process, made that vision happen.
The Follow-through
Trudy continues to receive coaching. And she continues to implement the knowledge
and skills she gained during her initial 6-month coaching program. Since her first
sessions, she has set and obtained numerous goals that have allowed her to grow
personally and professionally.
She is currently using the behavioral styles that she learned to build her staff, be a
great leader, and to have balance in her career and personal life.
Similar experiences await you! Coaching provides unbiased insights

into yourself, your career, and your performance in both.
Click here to find out more about coaching.
Click here to receive your free profile.
Click here to contact XB Coaching to arrange coaching for you or your

staff.
As you can see, this takes you step-by-step through the process of what happens during the
coaching process, plus it gives you an exceptional idea of what to expect and what the final
outcome will be. A great “demonstration” of how coaching can help someone.
Flash Presentations
Flash presentations are an excellent method for giving a demonstration via your Web site.
Through the combination of your copy and the skills of a graphic designer, you can create a
wonderful demo for your customers to view. This can walk them through the benefits of your
product or service from end to end. Your copy will outline the results they’ll get, and the pictures
will reinforce the claims you’re making.
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This company did an exceptional job with their flash demonstration. Once you open the page,
click "Stage Curtain Demo" on the right-hand side.
Copyright i.weiss.com 2006-2007, All Rights Reserved
Free Trial
One way to allow for a demonstration (even if you can’t be there in person to perform one) is to
allow the customer an opportunity to “test drive” your product or service for a limited time. Many
software companies will let customers download trial versions to use for 30 days. If customers
pay for the software, they can keep it and use it for life. However, if after 30 days, the customer
does not purchase the software, it stops functioning.
Web hosting companies offer 30-day free trials of their services. If you aren't pleased within the
first 30 days, you get a complete refund of any money paid. Practically all retail stores now have
no hassle return policies, provided you have your receipt. Even automobile dealerships are
beginning to offer trial periods within which time you can return the vehicle if you aren't satisfied.
Watched any infomercials lately? Almost all of them offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on the
item being sold. This allows customers to give the item a trial run in their own homes. They use
it, and if they decide it’s not for them, they return it for a full refund. You can most likely offer the
same.
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By allowing customers to actually use the product or service, you are giving them the hands on,
“touchy-feely” experience they need in order to make up their minds.
Testimonials
Testimonials also offer a great way to show results. In addition, “qualified” testimonials can boost
sales. Celebrity testimonials (including those who might be considered celebrities or experts
within a certain group) can provide powerful persuasion with your customers.
But not all testimonials are created equal.
Take a look at these two:
“I just wanted to tell you how great your product is!

It has really saved me a lot of time and money.”
-- J. Elliot
and
"I'm word-less... all I can say is WOW!!! =) Thank you a lot for writing such
riveting copy for my site. I'm sure that my sales will rise as soon as I put it up
there. I am *very* pleased with the work you've done: fast and accurate. You've
managed to cut through all the hype and shoot directly to the heart of my
prospects. I simply can't say enough... I love your writing style; you literally make
words dance! All the best!" -- Miguel Alvarez, CEO, Third Sphere Hosting
There are some important differences between the two. Differences that make one seem
credible and the other seem “made up.”
1. The first testimonial is extremely generic. It mentions nothing about

specific products or services. The second one goes into a good bit of detail,
sighting particular attributes of the copywriting service, and how it impacted the
customer directly.
Granted, you usually don’t have control over what others write, but you DO have
control over which testimonials you put in your copy! Choose ones that go into
some detail.
2. The first testimonial is “unverifiable.” The name J. Elliott does nothing for
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me. Now, if that were a name the general population was familiar with (William
Shakespeare, George Bush, Tina Turner), the situation would be different.
Always get permission from the person giving the testimonial to use his/her
name, email address, Web site URL, phone number… anything that would allow
a prospect to contact the person. By offering a way to verify that the testimonial
WAS given by a real person, you boost your credibility tremendously.
3. The first testimonial lacks benefits. J. Elliott mentions only very common
benefits (saving time and money). EVERYONE claims his or her product will
save time and money. This is not a very powerful statement in and of itself.
Third Sphere Hosting, on the other hand, goes into how “fast and accurate” the
copywriting is, and how the copywriter “cut through all the hype and shot directly
to the heart of my prospects.” Good stuff!!
This lets others know some defining factors about the service… important
elements that could sway their buying decisions.
When you have compelling testimonials that are verifiable, you can drastically increase the
effectiveness of your copy. You can prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that your words are
not hype… that you deliver what you promise. Most importantly, you have the ability to show that
others find your product or service “worthy.”
Power Point #3 - It WILL Work… I Guarantee It!
Most people feel better about making a purchase when they hear one or two little words…
guarantee and warranty. Why? Remember Lesson Two where we stated that over 40% of the
population fell into the Steadiness category of the DISC Profile?
Those people are into stability (needless-to-say) and that means they want some type of
assurance that they are making the right choice. They want someone to be responsible if this
product or service does not work out the way they expected. The same applies to those who are
high in Compliance. They’re looking for assurances, too.
Since the Steadiness category is the most prominent, you will find that the majority of copy is
written for those people. This means the inclusion of a guarantee or warranty whenever possible.
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There are several ways to offer assurance to your buyers.
Lifetime Guarantee – You will allow the customer to exchange or receive a refund for
the life of the product/service.
Limited Time Guarantee – You will allow the customer to exchange or receive a refund
for a specified period of time (maybe 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, etc.).
Lifetime Full Warranty – You will repair or replace the product at any time during the
product’s life.
Limited Full Warranty – You will repair or replace the product at any time during the
specified time frame.
Limited Parts Warranty – This could also be a limited labor warranty. Basically, this is a
statement that lets the customer know you will repair or replace the parts only (or
whatever you choose to warrant) for either life or a specified length of time. The
customer would have to pay for any labor charges.
Some other common phrases that give assurance to customers are:
• Money-back
• Risk-free
• No hassle
• Full assurance
• Complete satisfaction
• Returns accepted
If there is a way for you to offer warranties and guarantees on your products and/or services, you
will find that it helps to increase sales by offering most buyers the assurance they need to take
the risk.
Power Point #4 - Stop Selling - Start Solving
How many times have you heard the old adage, “The customer doesn’t want a drill. He wants a
hole in his wall?” While I may disagree with parts of that phrase, one thing is for sure… if you
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want to increase your advertising effectiveness, you have to stop selling what YOU want the
customer to buy and start solving his problems.
What exactly does that mean? For starters, it means finding out who your customers are and
what challenges they face. It also means that your ad copy, your tag line, your Web site design,
your brochure, your customer service plan and your support system need to all work in concert to
provide the solutions to those challenges.
The most effective advertising pieces don’t sell… they fulfill. They don’t talk about the
company… they talk about the customer. They don’t push price… they provide solutions.
When you focus on the customer in your advertising copy, when you get inside the mind of your
customer and speak to emotional needs, you will see greater results.
Here are 9 tips for creating copy that does not sell… but provides a solution.
1. Talk TO customers, not ABOUT the company. Yes, you have to mention your
company name, so they’ll know who you are. But the majority of your copy should speak
to the customer and his/her needs. Not: “ABC Web Site Designers has been in
business for 13 years. We do great work. Our clients think this or that. We provide
design, java, and cgi. Our customer service can’t be beat. ABC is the best and you
should use us.”
2. Use “you” and “your” and write as if only one person were reading your ad or
Web site. Make your copy personal.
3. Get Real! Use real-life examples in your copy. Reach your customers on their level
by identifying with them. Instead of something like, “You can get more organized and
stay that way,” say “You’ll be able to find your keys in 5 minutes or less and never again
wonder if you or your spouse is supposed to pick up the kids today.”
4. Get emotional! Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too!
Bring out their frustration, their anger, their greed. Whatever the situation calls for, use
those emotions in your copy. Example: “After you throw the plunger across the room
and SCREAM… call ABC Plumbing.”
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5. Benefits, benefits, benefits. I know we’ve gone over this, but you simply must fill
your copy with benefits. Always answer the question, “So what?”
6. Show them they’ll get results. Tell your customers what life will be like AFTER your
product or service solves all their problems. By showing them that they will get their
desired end results, you make a very persuasive argument for your product.
7. Be their friend. Let your copy portray you as “easy-to-like.” Show your customers
that you’re their friend who is willing and able to help instead of just another business
who wants them to buy.
8. Tell a story. Let them know about your own personal experiences, or those of
someone you know well. Get them involved with your product/service.
9. Create a “solution providing” bulleted list. This is one of the most popular ways of
offering a solution, one step at a time. Remember Lesson Six about features vs.
benefits? Use the benefits of your product or service to show how you give your
customers the solutions they need.
For example, with the site copy for this course (see http://www.copywritingcourse.com), I took
individual elements from each chapter of the book to make up the bulleted list you see in the
copy.
Here’s a short part of that list:
• The 4 personalities of your customers and how each responds to your copy. This is
from Lesson Two about the DISC Model. There are 4 personalities covered in that lesson.
• How to choose between long and short copy (long is NOT always better). From
Lesson Three.
• The 6 proven headline styles and how to write each of them. Lesson Four.
• 19 words that make your headline POP! Also from Lesson Four.
• The 7 steps for turning features into sales-generating benefits. From Lesson Five.
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You get the idea. By showing the benefits within a bulleted list, you get more impact and draw
more attention to them. This is an excellent way to use “solution selling” within your copy.
When you put the focus on the people with the money… the people who keep your business up
and going, you can work wonders with your copy. You’ll see your sales improve if you just quit
selling and start solving!
Power Point #5 - Writing To Fit Your Brand
When you mention the word “branding,” most people automatically think of USP (unique selling
proposition). The overall – and incorrect – perception of a brand is that it simply consists of the
statement you use to define what you do. Slap your USP on every advertising piece that goes
out the door and – ta-da – you’re branded! Not even close.
Your brand is created from every single thing you do within your business. Your brand is the all-
encompassing collection of business principles, business strategy, sales, customer relations,
appearance, attitude, products, services, advertising, copywriting, Web site design, brochures…
your entire company.
In order to create a brand that has “staying power,” it must go several levels deep. Consider the
Walt Disney Company for a moment. What comes to mind when you think of Walt Disney? Most
likely Mickey is first, maybe animated movies, then family-oriented, wholesome, quality, etc. Is all
of that just a USP? Definitely not!
When you phone the Walt Disney Company, you are greeted by a professional, friendly, helpful
person. When you visit one of the Walt Disney World locations, the staff is attentive; the facility is
clean; the environment is family-oriented, and the accommodations are first class.
What is the end result of all this work? Trust. Customers learn that they’ll get what they expect
every time. They trust what you offer. Customers have faith in it. They depend on it.
How would Disney be portrayed if all the graphics on their Web site or in their brochures depicted
this wholesome image but the copy was screaming…
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“This is THE biggest, baddest vacation spot you’ve ever been to in your life!
Smokin’ rides, outrageous food, and awesome accommodations! Man… nobody
kicks harder, stronger, or faster than Walt Disney World. You’ll have a blast!”
The copy doesn’t exactly live up to the brand, does it?
In order to write to fit your brand, you must take into consideration the entire image you want to
portray. Give some thought to the customer, the overall “appearance” of the company, and the
persona being represented.
It’s funny to me how companies spend thousands of dollars to develop a brand only to wreck it
when they create their advertising campaigns. They pour over colors, fonts, logo designs, Web
site creation, brochure layout, USPs and target-audience analyses. But then, when it’s time to
bring their messages to the public, it all falls apart.
Case in point: a local technical college in my town has recently begun to run a television
campaign. This institution previously had an image of providing cutting-edge training for
technically based vocations. They had spent the last several years touting how high-tech their
facilities are, and how leading edge their curriculums are. That’s why I can’t imagine what
happened during the production of this ad.
The background music is slow and rather classical. The pictures are of smiling students carrying
books, and of one of the oldest buildings on the campus. The copy did do its job.
The copy mentioned how the workplace was changing and becoming more advanced day-by-
day. It talked about how even the simplest of jobs now require at least some technological
“know-how.” But the clash between the copy and the imagery was painfully obvious.
What would I have done differently? I would have chosen each element with the express
purpose of supporting the brand. The music would have been more upbeat and modern. The
images would have been of students working at computers, or in engineering labs. The closing
shot would not have been one of the oldest, stodgiest buildings on campus, but one of the new
stucco and glass buildings they added two years ago.
The end result *could* have been an ad that completely portrayed the innovative and advanced
curriculums offered by this technology-based school. The copy, the visuals and the music all
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working in harmony would bring about a much larger response, and would also reinforce the
brand this institution has worked so hard to create.
When you create advertising pieces, look for the branding aspects of each, individual element.
As you work through the process, ask yourself these questions:
• What identity am I attempting to portray?

• Do the graphics reinforce that identity?
• Does the music support my brand?
• Is the copy descriptive of aspects related to the brand?
• Do the colors fall in line with how I want to be viewed?
• Is the medium itself appropriate to my brand?
When the final product (whether it be a piece for TV, or your Web site) is completed, show it to
several people who are unfamiliar with your organization. Ask them to describe the “essence” of
your business based on this one piece. If your combination is put together right, they’ll be able to
do just that.
When you play close attention to each element, you’ll have a powerful end result. When
everything works in concert, you will have a much more beneficial campaign that works to
contribute to your branding efforts rather than destroy them.
When writing for your brand, ponder these questions:
1. What do I want to be known for?
2. What do I want others to say about my company?
3. What is the essence of the organization?
4. What types of customers am I targeting?
5. When you say the name of my business, what words do others respond with?
Let’s use Wal-Mart discount stores as another example:
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Wal-Mart (as you most likely know) sells at low prices every day. These low-décor (almost
warehouse-like) stores cater to the average person who is looking to save money on name-brand
items. What if Wal-Mart decided to run an ad with the following copy?
“Superior selection of the most prominent manufacturers’ goods combined with a

pricing structure that supports budget constraints equals an environment
congruent with saving money.”
It DOES say what Wal-Mart offers. But it’s way too “high strung” for the target group and the rest
of the corporate/brand image. I agree that Wal-Mart’s choice of “Low Prices… Always” fits their
brand best.
Before you begin to write, give due consideration to the brand you’ll be portraying and be sure to
write your copy to fit the brand, the customer and the image.
Power Point #6 - The Purpose Of Your Page
Once you get your visitors’ attention, you’ll want to give them what they came for… information.
You’ll want to decide what the primary purpose of your page is and take every measure to lead
your visitors to fulfill that purpose.
Always, ALWAYS remember the following:

Decide the purpose of your page and
construct all of your copy around it.
For example, if you are writing for a retail-shopping site, your purpose for the index (home) page
is going to be to get visitors to shop throughout the site. Therefore, you’ll want to make use of
language that will encourage visitors to click on the product pages. You might show a photo of
your latest spring blouses with a short description and a caption that states: “Click here now for
colors & sizes,” or “Just visit our Women’s section to order” (and give a convenient link within the
copy to the appropriate section).
Next, each of the product-related pages is going to be focused on getting customers to buy those
products. Use language here including “Add to cart,” “Buy two and save,” or “Order now.”
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You would be amazed at how many retail sites I have seen that go on and on about the product
without ever giving the customer a chance to buy the darn thing! Keep your focus – remember
the purpose of each page and incorporate it into your copy.
What about a site that offers services? They, too, need to focus on the purpose of each page. A
Real Estate Agent might have a site that talks about the area her listings are in, the price ranges
of the houses and so on. But she’ll also want to include – over and over again – how site visitors
can arrange a showing of the homes they see on her site.
Her phone numbers and contact information will need to be everywhere. She’ll also want to
continually make reference to how visitors actually view the houses found on her site. After all,
nobody would buy a house without actually seeing it – so that is the key to her closings, and the
focus of her site.
======================
Lesson Eight Assignments
1. For your particular product or service, should you offer something free?
2. What will you offer as your freebie? Why?
3. What type of “demonstration” would work best for your product or service? Why?
4. Create a sample testimonial that would satisfy the three elements mentioned in this chapter.
5. Complete the following: Most effective advertising pieces don’t sell, they _____________.
They don’t talk about the company… they talk about the _________. They don’t push price…
they provide ___________.
6. Below is an actual piece of copy I pulled off the Web. (I changed the company name so I
won’t get sued!) Edit this piece of copy so that it talks to the customer instead of about the
company.
ABC Web Site Design and Promotion, Inc. is fast becoming known as the High Valley's
best Web site marketer. We have spent the past five years learning how search engines
work and how they rank sites. We can improve your site’s ranking on the top search
engines, which account for 93.7% of all World Wide Web searches.
7. Now, go back and add some benefits and end results to the same piece of copy.
8. Create a bulleted list outlining the benefits given in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution of the
United States of America:
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We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
9. Write the beginning of a piece of copy (just a headline and a few paragraphs) for a sale that
Wal-Mart discount stores is having. For now, just focus on the branding aspects of the copy.
10. Write another piece of copy for sales incentives that Mercedes automobile manufacturer is
offering. (Remember to keep the brands in mind when writing.)
11. Complete the following: Decide the __________________ of your page and construct all of
your copy around it.
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Eight!
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Lesson Nine: A.I.D.A. and the Buying Process
There is an old acronym that most copywriters live by. It’s A.I.D.A. It originally came from the
direct mail industry and was used when creating long sales copy and sales letters. (You know,
the kind you get from Publisher’s Clearinghouse or Reader’s Digest sweepstakes.) However, it
was discovered several years ago that this little jewel could be used for almost any length or type
of copy.
What is A.I.D.A? What does it stand for? How does it work?
You might have heard the phrase before. A.I.D.A. stands for:
• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Action
Each is a step in the copywriting process. Amazingly enough, each walks readers through
various steps in the buying process from grabbing their attention to closing the sale. You
remember the buying process from college marketing class, don’t you?
• Need/Want Recognition
• Information Search
• Evaluation
• Purchase
• Cognitive Dissonance (Post Purchase Anxiety)
Since A.I.D.A. is based on the buying process, you’ll want to understand what every consumer
goes through before making a purchase. That way, you can see how A.I.D.A. can directly
influence your reader’s buying behavior.
Depending on the “risk” involved with the purchase (high dollar amount, big time investment,
etc.), the process can go slowly or very quickly. Think of it from your own perspective.
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When you buy a pack of gum or a soft drink, it takes less than a second (most times) to make the
decision and the purchase. When you buy a new television, it takes longer to get from
“need/want recognition” to the “purchase” stage. Buying a house or new car takes even longer.
Let’s look at each step in both the processes to see how they fit into the copy you will be writing.
For this example, so that we can get as detailed as possible, we’ll be writing long copy that
speaks to the “average” woman who is high in Stability on the DISC Behavioral Model.
Buying Process A.I.D.A

Need/Want Recognition A = Attention
The consumer is pregnant and is focused The attention section is normally defined as
on buying items for her baby-to-be. the headline and the first paragraph. It
Because of the news, parenting magazine focuses on getting the customers’
articles and so on, our mother understands attention, making known the need, and
that she needs a car seat to ensure the holding the buyers’ attention, so they will
safety of her child. She “recognizes the continue to read the copy.
need” for the product or service. However,
our product works in conjunction with a car You can gain their attention in a variety of
seat. It is something the mother may have ways. Just as I mentioned when
no idea about… something she has not yet discussing headlines, you can:
recognized a need or want for.
• Solve a problem
In order to sell our product, we have to • Use a statistic
create a need/want for it. • State a quote
• Ask a question
Needs are normally based on one of the • Create a mystery
levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that • Take an opposing view
include: • Make a connection
• Give an end result
• Physiological – basic needs such
• Provide a comparison
as food, shelter and clothing.
• Offer a discount or freebie
• Safety
• Love and Belonging You can also focus on emotions. The most
• Esteem common emotions felt during the buying
• Self-actualization – Self- process are directly related to Maslow’s
improvement, self-discovery, etc.
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hierarchy. They include:
• Fear
• Guilt
• Flattery
• Exclusivity
• Greed
• Anger
See how the headline and opening paragraph below fulfill the need/want recognition and attention
steps of the buying and copywriting process:
Over 70% Of Infant Fatalities Are Caused By

Incorrect Car Seat Installation…
How Will You Ensure YOUR Child’s Safety?
No parent should suffer through the torment of losing a child. Especially

when that loss is completely preventable. Yet, most parents don’t take the
time to properly install their child’s safety seat – putting them at tremendous
risk of serious injury or even death.
Now there is a new tool that is proven to install child safety seats properly
and safely each and every time. You never have to worry about your child
being at risk while riding in your car again. This tool is 100% effective and is
proven to work by some of the most prominent authorities in the industry.
-----------------------
If you were the parent of a young child who rides in a car seat, that headline and copy would
definitely get your attention. As you can tell, it’s based on using a statistic, asking a question, and
the emotion of fear.
Can you see how it grabs the parent’s attention? How it created a need? Do you notice how it
holds attention as it walks through the first paragraph? Then what happens? It merges into
building the parent’s interest and creating a desire for additional information (the next steps in
both processes).
What questions are you asking at this point? Maybe, “What is this product,” “How does it work,”
“Who has tested it” and “How can I get one?”
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This is exactly what you want your “Attention” and “Need Recognition” sections to accomplish.
You want it to grab the readers and get them emotionally involved with your copy. You want
them to ask mental questions and be ready to read on. Let’s continue.

Information Search I = Interest
During the information search, our mother- Once you’ve captured your customers’
to-be will collect the details she needs to attention, it’s time to build their interest.
expand her knowledge, relieve any
anxieties, boost her confidence and make Have you ever seen a little kid tempting his
her feel good about her future purchase. sister with a cookie? How does he do it?
With a smirk-ish grin, he holds up the
Traditionally, the longer people spend cookie and waves it from side to side to get
investigating your product/service, the his sister’s attention. Most of the time he’ll
more likely they are to buy. Why? be licking his lips or rubbing his tummy or
Because they are showing interest (the making some other motion that lets her
next phase in the A.I.D.A equation). know he has something she wants.
Also, the more personal contact they have Meanwhile, what is the sister doing? She’s
with a representative – the more they feel getting more and more interested in that
they “know” the product/service – the more cookie and wondering how she can get
likely they are to buy. one!
Information searches vary from men to The same thing is happening with your
women, and within the DISC profile copy. You grab the readers’ attention by
categories. waving something in front of them (like a
powerful headline and copy) and then you
Dominance and Influence types will make get them wondering how they can get what
quicker decisions than those of Steadiness you have.
and Compliance.
Since we now have their attention, let’s
Historically, women will take longer to buy whet their whistle a bit more to help build
a product or service that’s new to them their interest. Let’s rub our tummies and
than men will. lick our lips so the customer knows our
offer is out of this world!
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This is what we had to start with:
Over 70% Of Infant Fatalities Are Caused By

Incorrect Safety Seat Installation…
How Will You Ensure YOUR Child’s Safety?
No parent should suffer through the torment of losing a child or having one
critically injured. Just imagine how heartbreaking it would be to have a
serious accident and hear the paramedics tell you, “This could have been
prevented if the safety seat was installed correctly.”
Yet, most parents don’t take the extra measures to properly install their
child’s safety seat – putting them at tremendous risk of serious injury or even
death.
Now there is a new tool that is proven to install child safety seats properly
and safely each and every time. You never have to worry about your child
being at risk while riding in your car again. This portable tool is 100%
effective and is proven to work by some of the most prominent authorities in
the industry.
Let’s now insert a testimonial to further build their interest.
“I guess I’m just one of those people who didn’t really think about it. I was
horrified to find out that my baby had been riding in an unsafe car seat for
over a year. If we had been in an accident – even a minor one – my child
would have definitely been injured. Sure Seat is the best investment I’ve
made. I recently went to a safety seat inspection and passed with flying
colors! I feel like I’ve done everything I can to protect my precious child from
harm.” – June Cleaver, www.leaveittobeaver.non
Let’s move on by giving a subhead, some benefits and tugging on those heartstrings a bit more.
You Can Rest Easy Knowing Your Car Seat WILL

Protect Your Child In Case Of An Accident… Guaranteed!
According to the Child Safety Seat Association, most parents aren’t even
aware that their child’s safety seat is – in fact – UNsafe! The most common
responses the association hears when conducting safety seat inspections are,
“I would never have asked about that” and “I thought I had it in right!”
If so many parents are improperly installing child seats, it’s obvious that the
manufacturer’s instructions are not very clear. Don’t put your child’s life at
risk. Do it right – the first time, every time!
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Now, with the help of Sure Seat, your child can be 100% safe in your car
every time they buckle up.
This amazing new tool gives you the confidence that your child is protected
while riding in the car by:
• quickly installing the car seat for you with the click of one button.
• accurately adjusting pressure points and seat belts to the weight of your child.
• safely securing the seat so it is completely stable.
• ensuring your child’s complete safety while riding in the car seat.
• providing peace of mind that no harm will come to your child as a result of
faulty child seat installation.
• offering portability so – regardless of which car your child is in – you know the
safety seat IS safe.
“All my friends have been raving about Sure Seat so when I found out I was
pregnant, the first thing I put on my shower registry was a Sure Seat! I’ve
talked with a LOT of safety professionals, and they all agree that this is the
only fail-safe way to properly install a child car seat and protect infants and
young children.” – Marion Cunningham, richiesmom@yourhost.non
See how it’s moving along? Can you feel the intensity building as we list benefit after benefit? As
a parent, is your interest piquing to know how to get one and how much it is? Good! That’s
what’s supposed to happen. Also notice how the copy focuses on benefits instead of features.
As of yet, there has been no mention of how this gizmo actually works.
In addition, we’re giving lots of information. We’re fulfilling the desire to collect details about
products and services during the Information Search stage of the buying process.
Our next task is to build a desire to buy so that in the Evaluation stage of the buying process, our
product or service will come out on top. Building desire often begins to happen in the Interest
stage because when you increase readers’ interest you also increase their desire.

Evaluation D = Desire
During the Evaluation stage, our mom will The desire section brings out those
decide what features/benefits are important emotions that say, “I HAVE to have this!”
to her. She will begin to weigh the Remember the little kid waving a cookie in
information we provide against that of our front of his sister? He was tempting her at
competition. If there are any absolutes – first… then letting her know how good it
for example, if she had limited space, if tastes to make her mouth water… then
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matching a color were a factor, if she was what does he do? Usually, in real life, he
on a limited budget and only had X dollars yells, “You can’t have one!” But we’re
to spend, etc. – those would also come into going in the opposite direction. We’re
play in the Evaluation stage. going to yell, “You CAN have one!”
In the Desire section of our copy, we’re

going to drive the point home with both
information and emotional twists that will
reinforce the “need/want” for our product.
Let’s continue…
“If Every Parent In The World Owned A Sure Seat

Device, Infant Deaths Would Drastically Drop.”
– Car Seat Magazine
As you know, Car Seat Magazine is THE consumer advocate in the infant and
child seat industry. They don’t give recommendations or praise without
offering solid proof that new and innovative technology is truly something
that will help small children.
Sure Seat is proud to have an endorsement from Car Seat Magazine!
A Sure Seat device is both innovative and practical. It offers the latest
technology backed with years of testing in qualified, independent labs. But, if
you’re like most parents, you want to see it in action before using it with
YOUR child. And we can’t blame you for that.
Simply click here to watch a flash presentation that will show you just
how simple and effective Sure Seat really is.
You might have visited a safety seat installation checkpoint in your area.
Good for you! You can rest assured that your car seat is properly installed…
for now. But what happens when you have to move the seat to another
vehicle? When you install it there – with different seat belts, seat sizes, and
make of car, how do you know it will be safe? It will be if you use Sure Seat!
Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out such a simple and inexpensive tool
could have saved your child from serious injury or death. Don’t be one of
those parents who said, “I thought I did it right.”
You CAN Be Absolutely, Positively Sure
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Your Child Is Safe for Only $29.97

No matter where you go, no matter what vehicle you’re in, regardless of how
often you move your child’s car seat… be certain it’s right every time.
Since our target audience includes women buyers within the Steadiness category of the DISC
model, we can be sure that we’ve provided exceptional information to boost their desire.
We’ve included proof from a major industry magazine that this product works. It is acclaimed as
the “latest technology in child safety,” but is also known for having “years of testing” behind it.
Our mom has been through a flash demonstration to actually show her how Sure Seat operates
and protects her child.
She can feel herself ready to click the “Order Now” button. But what’s holding her back? Believe
it or not, most customers need to be told to buy. They have to be led to action. And that’s the
last letter in the A.I.D.A. equation, and the last step in the buying process.

Purchase A = Action
During the Purchase stage of the buying When you bring customers to the point of
process, our mom will be ready to make buying, be sure to follow through. Give
her move. She’ll have completed her them those final reasons to buy. Back that
investigation and be ready to buy. up with a reassuring guarantee or
warranty. Use the power of FREE, if
applicable, and then close the sale.
Because we’re dealing with someone in the

Steadiness category of the DISC model,
we’ll have to give an incentive to act now.
Remember – those in the Steadiness and
Compliance categories are normally slow
buyers. We need to give them a mild
“push.”
So, now let’s conclude the copy and turn our shopper into a buyer.
Try Sure Seat today absolutely risk free!
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Order your Sure Seat right now for only $29.97 and try it out for 30 full days.
If you don’t find it too quickly, easily, and – most importantly – safely to
install your child’s car seat, we’ll refund 100% of your purchase price
immediately.
When you order now, you’ll receive a special bonus!
Car Seat Magazine is allowing us to offer a FREE 6-month subscription with

every purchase of Sure Seat. However, they did say this offer would be
withdrawn at a date of their choosing, so now is the time to act.
Even if you decide Sure Seat is not right for you, keep the 6-month FREE
subscription to Car Seat Magazine as our gift.
You’ll sleep better knowing you’ve made the most important investment you
can make for the safety of your child.
ORDER NOW
See how it all comes together? It follows the natural buying process that most consumers have.
Step-by-step, you work through getting their attention, building their interest, increasing their
desire to buy and putting them into action. It all corresponds with their need recognition,
information search, evaluation and purchase decision.
A.I.D.A. and the buying process make up an excellent blueprint for working up your copy.
However, if you’ll think back to the chart of the buying process steps, you’ll remember that there
are FIVE stages to buying and only FOUR sections of A.I.D.A. The last stage in the buying
process is formally referred to as “Cognitive Dissonance” or buyer’s regret. This is where your
guarantee and/or warranty may come into play.
Buying Process Copywriting

Cognitive Dissonance (Buyer’s Regret) Guarantee/Warranty
Oftentimes, after a major purchase or the By offering a guarantee for our product, we
purchase of something unfamiliar to us, we help give our new mom the confidence she
experience Buyer’s Regret — the anxiety needs to invest in something designed to
that we may not have made the best protect her child.
decision. The concern that we’ll be “stuck”
with a product/service we aren’t happy By knowing that she’ll be able to return the
with. Sure Seat for a full refund, should it not live
up to her expectations, she is much more
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This feeling can be overcome within your likely to purchase. She has a course of
copy by offering a guarantee and/or action if she suffers from Buyer’s Regret.
warranty. (See Lesson Eight.)
Let me show you the difference understanding the buying process and where your customers are
within it can make. Here’s another copywriting makeover.
We’ve already established that, when you begin to write copy for any product or service, there are
a few things you have to take into
consideration. The first is always your
target audience: whom you’ll be writing to.
Finding out about the needs and wants of
the audience members, their
communication styles, their lifestyles and a
multitude of other elements are “musts”
before writing one word of copy.
But something most people neglect is

giving due attention to the buying process as a whole and where your target audience is within
their own process. Understanding this can, oftentimes, make or break the success of your copy.
When AEwebworks (an online, dating-site software developer) approached me about rewriting
their website copy, it became immediately apparent that their copy could benefit from paying
some due diligence to the buying processes of their customers.
The Problems
My primary concerns with the copywriting on this site included the lack of synergy within the copy,
the use of testimonials and the lack of focus on the target customer’s buying process.
You can view the old copy in PDF form at this link:
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/AEWebWorks-Original.pdf
When I first read the copy, it felt as though I was being pitched to from all sides. The headline
spoke to someone thinking of entering the online dating site industry. The body copy did not
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support that headline; rather it spoke to someone who had already made the decision to launch
or improve a dating site.
The use of testimonials at the bottom of the home page posed a challenge for two reasons. The
first was the sheer location. The design of the site was such that it appeared nothing fell “below
the fold” (what was first seen when the home page loaded onto a browser). The second
challenge was that many of the testimonials were from people asking questions or stating they
were considering trying the dating software… not actual customers attesting to the benefits they’d
personally experienced.
In addition, while the information included in the body copy was good, the information given on
the home page needed to outline why AEwebworks was better than the competition. In its
present state, it did not. That meant finding those aspects of buying dating software that were
most important to the customer and highlighting them within the copy.
The Solution
As always, I started the project by gaining a good understanding of who the target customers
were, what they wanted, their fears, their likes, their dislikes and anything else I could discover.
After a good bit of research, and after reading the completed target audience analysis from
AEwebworks, I felt I had a good understanding of those I would be writing to.
In order to combat the lack of synergy within the copy and the lack of focus on the target
customer’s buying process, I created a plan. From my research I found that installation, upgrade
policies and support were the three most common gripes buyers had about dating software.
I decided to make overcoming those obstacles the focal point of the copy instead of the actual
features and benefits.
That may sound like an odd choice, but that’s where recognition of the buying process comes in.
Considering that the majority of visitors to the site had already made the decision to launch a new
site or had chosen to upgrade an existing site, they were already well versed in the features of
dating-site software and their associated benefits. Yes… the benefits did need to be mentioned;
however, other issues proved to be more pressing to this particular group of customers.
The use of testimonials on the home page was easily corrected by simply deleting the ones that
did not directly apply to actual users of the software. I chose two for use within the copy and
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suggested that, as AEwebworks gets more testimonials, they create an entire page that visitors
can read.
The plan was in place. Now “all” I had to do was write the copy.
The Rewrite
After finding the revelation that most of those who were shopping for online dating software were
already familiar with the features (and the associated benefits) of the software, I decided that
focusing on those elements would simply make AEwebworks sound like every other developer of
dating scripts. That would definitely not get the results I was looking for.
My probing uncovered that almost all dating software customers have three primary concerns:
installation, upgrade policies and support. It just so happened that AEwebworks had phenomenal
offers for each of these.
The headline was changed from:
“Get into Internet dating business with reliable, effective and profitable online
dating software”
to
“Customizable, Full Featured Dating Software Complete With Free Installation,

Lifetime Upgrades & Outstanding Support”
The new headline highlighted three extremely valuable benefits to the visitor.
The body copy began by making an emotional connection with the customer. It recognized the
frustration the customer faced when trying to choose between the different dating software
programs and dating scripts.
The copy then continued to connect by stating the fact that AEwebworks developed their software
with the help of their clients by listening to their complaints, needs and wants. It also merged
quickly into a section that offered firm, proven solutions to the dating site owners’ most pressing
problems.
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As the customers continued to read, they found out about specific benefits of buying software
from AEwebworks as opposed to other developers. And - of course - scattered throughout the
page were links to the ordering section of the site.
You can view the current copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/AEWebWorks-new.pdf
The Results
I always find it best to let the client handle this part. To quote, “I wanted to tell you the good
news! We have record high sales for the last two weeks... about 70% higher than our next best-
selling two-week period ever!”
“Overall, running our site got much easier after adding your copy because people ask fewer
questions about where to find information... they are able to sort it out for themselves from the
site copy. We previously had about 5-10 e-mails a day on average from prospective customers;
now we get AT LEAST 15 A DAY! WOW!! So, in short, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
GREAT WORK!"
Another happy ending!
================
Lesson Nine Assignments
1. Rework the Sure Seat copy into shorter form AND redirect the focus to sell to those with a high
Dominance style on the DISC Model who are in the purchase phase of the buying process.
TIP: Remember what we covered in Lesson Two!
2. Using the A.I.D.A. formula, write a one-page piece of copy aimed toward women high in
Influence. The product is Forever Bloom, an artificial flower that is “planted” in your yard.
Flowers will not fade for five years. They look just like “real” flowers, but without any care or
maintenance. Use your imagination. Have fun with it!
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Nine!
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Lesson Ten: Search Engine Optimization – Copy Is Crucial
Let me tell you a secret. When I first began my online business, I honestly thought that the
moment I uploaded my Web site to the host it would magically appear on every search engine in
existence. Some of you are giggling. Others are saying, “You mean it doesn’t?”
I’ve learned that quite the contrary is true. You have to fight for your position with the engines. It
isn’t like your local telephone directory that lists your business phone number as soon as it is
assigned to you by the phone company.
Your pages have to be optimized for the search engines. Each engine has the prerogative to
accept or reject your site's pages.
The very foundation of your rankings begins with your text (copy). That text is then magnified
with a page title and various tags. Keywords within the copy and within various links, however,
are the Keys to the City. They are what will ultimately get you the positioning you want.
In one way, search engines do operate in a similar fashion to your telephone directory. They both
list companies by category. When you got your business telephone number, you were probably
asked what category you wanted to be listed under in the phone company’s directory. If your
business is dog grooming, you could feasibly be listed under “dogs,” “pets,” “pet groomer,” “pet
care” or a number of other categories. Search engines use much the same logic. Rather than
categories, however, they use keywords.
Now… before we go any further, let me give you some advice.
A Warning About SEO Copywriting
Some site owners discover the wonders of search engine optimization and make the choice to
pursue the coveted top 10 spots with a vengeance. What happens next is usually a whirlwind of
site revisions that oftentimes has a damaging effect. Without even realizing it, site owners
sacrifice one vital element of Web success to save another.
Two things must be in place for your site to prosper. First, you must have traffic - qualified traffic.
Second, you must have copy that provides the solutions your visitors are looking for and causes
them to act in the fashion you want them to act. While search engines provide the first, they have
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absolutely nothing to do with whether your site makes sales. Your copy should be designed to
engage the customer and handle this part of the task.
However, when people get too carried away with search engine optimization, they sometimes
neglect their visitors. All copywriting efforts start moving in the direction of pleasing the spiders
and bots. The customer winds up as an afterthought.
Balance Is A Must
In order to create or revise site copy that is mutually appealing to the engines and your site
visitors, you must take the needs of both into consideration. That means creating a delicate
balance that serves the mechanical search engine spiders and bots and the human
prospects/customers.
What does each of these groups want? What is the best way to work the needs of both into your
copywriting?
It all starts with your keywords.
Creating A Keyword Plan
Keywords should be one of your primary thoughts when it comes to SEO copywriting. More
times than not, they will have a great impact on the direction your page takes. And rightfully so.
If you’ve done your keyword research correctly, you’ll have found those phrases that your
customers are actually searching for. That means they want the information that goes along with
the keyphrases, too. See how this all falls into place? The customer is dictating what search
terms you use and then the search terms will, in turn, help bring in the customers. For that
reason, you’ll want to know what keywords/phrases you’re going to use before you begin writing.
Let me give you an example.
Let’s pretend you are about to write copy for an independent automobile dealership in your area.
You might immediately begin to think about creating copy that mentions the large inventory; the
exceptional, friendly service; and the convenient, extended hours. However, just then you
discover that the most searched on keyphrases are “auto bad debt financing” and “used car trade
in.” These are the topics that interest Web surfers. That means your page about inventory and
customer service is going to have to take a radical turn toward trade-ins and financing if you plan
to give the visitor what s/he wants.
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Before you begin writing SEO copy, create a list of available keyphrases and then compare it to
the pages you want to offer on your site. Does it match up? Are there highly searched
keyphrases that are left out? You might want to consider creating pages that provide the
information these keyphrases deal with and that also provide valuable information for your
visitors. After all, if lots of people are searching on that term, there is obviously a need for
someone to provide the associated information. Don’t try to force keyphrases that just don’t fit
into pages you want to create.
My best advice in this area is to choose your keyphrases and then stop and think about how you
will actually use those phrases within your copy. Mentally create sentences in your head using
the keyphrases. Do the phrases flow in the copy? Is it hard to picture yourself using those
phrases in your text? For example, let's say a highly searched keyphrase you are considering is
"real estate agents in North Florida." Stop and think of five sentences you could use that phrase
in. Is it easy to use? Does it make sense? Are you having a difficult time using the phrase?
You'll need to come up with a plan for practical use before you commit to the phrases you've
researched.
Let your human visitors lead you, and they, in turn, will help you get great positioning.
Using Keyphrases In Your Copy
Once you’ve decided which keyphrases you’ll use and have determined the direction each page
will take, it’s time to begin writing. Again, keep both your goals in mind: writing to suit the spiders
and writing to suit your human visitors.
Because there are so many variables when it comes to SEO copywriting, you have to pick and
choose which ones you use and when. You also have to remember your site visitors. You don’t
want copy that sounds forced or stiff. What you want is copy that reads very naturally.
Yes, you’ll hear about SEO copywriting techniques that say you should place keyphrases
everywhere you possibly can. The more the better. The higher the “keyword density,” the higher
your rankings. I strongly disagree. (Keyword density is the ratio between keywords and other
words within any given page of copy.)
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Shoving keyphrases into every place they can possibly fit is not smart… it’s annoying! The
search engines don’t rank you higher for having keyphrases dropped in between every other
word, and your visitors get frustrated at reading copy that sounds ridiculous.
Many people in the SEO industry swear you have to have a certain level of keyword density.
They brag that there is a secret keyword density magic formula that will guarantee proper
optimization for any page. That might make sense to some, but, I’m sorry to say, the mystery…
the magic… is more like a myth.
I have a guess as to where these magic formulas come from. Someone brags to their friend that
they got #1 ranking for a particular keyphrase. The friend studiously looks over the site and starts
taking notes. “He used this phrase eight times in a 500-word piece of copy. He put the keywords
in here and there and over here, too. That means you have to put keyphrases in these places and
reach a keyword density of 1.6% in order to get a #1 ranking.” Not so! Let me explain why
keyword density formulas don’t fly.
Copywriting Is One Piece of the Search Engine Optimization Formula
Copywriting, in my opinion and the opinions of respected search engine optimizers, is 1/3 of the
puzzle, but there are other pieces to the puzzle, too. What about coding and linking? Those are
two extremely important factors that also come into play.
*IF* copywriting were the sole factor, then maybe - just maybe - keyword density formulas might
be a reality instead of a fable. But alas… it isn’t.
Keyword Density Formulas Are Unproven
Go to any search engine. Type in your primary keyphrase. Look at the results that fall into the
number one through five slots. Do they all have the same keyword density? No. Some have
higher levels; some have lower levels.
If keyword density formulas were carved in stone, every single site in the top 10 would have the
same keyword saturation levels. But alas… they don’t.
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All Keyphrases Aren’t Created Equal
Think about the competitiveness of the various keyphrases on the Internet. You have some, like
“search engine marketing,” that are exceptionally competitive. Then there are others, like “sushi
restaurant in Charlotte, NC,” that aren’t. You have to account for how many other sites you’ll be
battling with when you write search engine copy.
Positioning of Keyphrases
In addition to the number of times a keyphrase is used, you need to pay attention to *where* your
keyphrases are used. While it has not been proven, to my knowledge, it is strongly suspected that
keyphrases that have special formatting carry additional weight. By special formatting I mean
bold, italics, in bulleted lists, in <H> tags, etc.
Again, go to your favorite search engine and type in a keyphrase. If formatting and positioning
were a carved-in-stone rule, all the sites in the top 10 would be using these tactics. But alas…
they aren’t.
Why the Myths?
I understand why people want formulas. Having hard and fast rules to follow means, if you apply
the formula, you know you’ve done the job right and you can’t fail. The problem is there isn’t just
one right way to create search engine copy. There are as many ways to write SEO copy as there
are sites on the Web.
Am I holding back? Am I trying to protect my highly classified industry copywriting secrets? Not
at all. In fact, go to my site at http://www.marketingwords.com. Visit the portfolio section. If I had
a fiercely protected secret that I was holding out on, all the sites with SEO copy in my portfolio
would have the same keyword density. But alas… they don’t.
Here’s one example of extremely poor SEO copy. I’ll bet, if you try hard, you can figure out the
primary keyphrase being used here. <sarcastic grin>
Custom Silver Jewelry Makers

As custom silver jewelry makers, we design and manufacture custom silver jewelry to your
specifications. This includes custom silver jewelry rings, custom silver jewelry bracelets, custom
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silver jewelry necklaces, custom silver jewelry earrings, and practically any other type of custom
silver jewelry you can think of.
It’s way too much. People don’t talk that way, and they certainly don’t write that way unless they
are trying to achieve high search engine rankings. It’s overwhelming. Even if it would result in
higher rankings (and it won’t), sales would almost certainly suffer just because no customer would
want to read more than two sentences of copy that was written in that fashion.
SEO copywriting is not about keyword density formulas. It's a combination of term weight and
positioning within the page and/or the sentence structure. It is NOT about the sheer volume of
keyphrases you can stuff into a page.
Balance! Always Remember… Balance.
For the purposes of SEO copywriting, you must avoid radical swings toward the customer or in
the opposite direction toward the engines. Focusing solely on one will alienate the other.
Remember to define the needs of both parties you’re trying to gain the attention of (spiders and
visitors), develop a keyword plan before you begin writing and use keyphrases strategically, not
substantially. When you do, you’ll find your SEO copywriting efforts will bring about more fruitful
results.
OK, now where were we? Ahh… choosing keywords/phrases. (Just a note, while I may say
“keywords” sometimes, I always recommend two- or three-word keyphrases.) Back to our
example of the dog-grooming site.
The keyphrases for this site could be:
• dog grooming
• pet grooming
• dog bathing
• grooming and boarding
• or a number of others
Your keywords and phrases need to be those that most people would think of when searching the
Internet for a site such as yours. More importantly, they need to be phrases actually used when
searching on engines. Guessing is dangerous and most often leads to the use of ineffective
keywords.
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Let me recommend WordTracker and Keyword Discovery. These sites have been lifesavers for
me! All you have to do is type in the keywords you think your visitors will use to search for you.
These keyword research sites will provide all the other possibilities that go along with it. Also,
they will give you the exact number of times that each particular word/phrase has previously been
searched for on the Web. No more trying to read minds! This is a paid service, but memberships
are available for as little as one day’s time, costing about $8.00 US. Don’t want to do the
keyword research yourself? Try SEO Research Labs. They'll do the research for you.
Now that you’ve decided on your keywords, where the heck do you put them? As a Web
copywriter, I learned that the words I wrote had a direct bearing on my client’s search engine
success. That meant I had to write a message that was appealing to the target audience,
promoted the product or service AND included the necessary keywords that would get them good
rankings. Whew!
Let me tell you what I’ve found works. These basic guidelines will help you get more mileage out
of your keywords. They are not carved-in-stone "musts," but they will give you a good idea of
where to sprinkle the search terms.
1) Headlines and Subheads - If possible, I try to include keyphrase(s) in the headline

and sub-headlines. If it doesn’t make sense, if it sounds odd, I don’t include them.
2) Body Copy - When it flows, I include keyphrases roughly once or twice per paragraph.
Do I count words? Do I run keyword density ratios? Never! I just eyeball the page to
see if it looks right.
As a matter of fact, let me stray for just a moment to show you how important placing keywords
within your body copy is.
Let me tell you about my experience with getting my Step-By-Step Copywriting Course site
ranked #1 for its chosen keyphrase on Google. Incidentally, it is also ranked #1 with Yahoo, #2
with AOL, #1 with MSN and many others.
In planning for the site, I did some preliminary work. I looked at placing keyphrases within the
page links, but the link names would not have made sense, so I decided not to take that road. I
was able to get the URL with the book name, which may have helped just a bit
(http://www.copywritingcourse.com). Next, I thought about how to use the phrase in the ALT tags
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of the images on the site pages. (Something else that might possibly give an added Brownie
point.)
Finally, I turned my attention to the copy.
I already knew that the copy was the major player of the game. For this reason, I strategically
placed the keyphrase in the title bar of the site, used it in the headline (because it made sense to
do so) and, of course, used it within the body copy.
When all was ready, I submitted the site to the major free engines. (You only need to do this if
you have a brand new site. Submissions of existing sites that have undergone changes are not
necessary.) The first submission took place on March 20th. My site finally hit the search engine
results pages on May 8th – some seven weeks later.
I typed in “copywriting course” and – low and behold – it was #1 on Google and #1 on Yahoo!
What’s so amazing about this? I used NO description tag or keyword tag! I had forgotten all
about them. When I went back to the site to view the source code – I found no tags. (Go ahead
and take a look… you won’t find them either.)
While META tags are beneficial (especially the title tag), they are not the only factor at play.
Search engine compatible copywriting plays a much more important role than any other “trick” in
the book.
OK, now back to our lesson on how to get keyphrases into your copy.
3) Natural Language - This I do EVERY time I write… I focus on natural language. If the
copy sounds forced or stiff after including keyphrases, I scrap it and start over. Read
your copy out loud. If it sounds stupid or redundant to you, it will sound stupid and
redundant to your site visitor. Don’t compromise the flow of natural language for the sake
of search engines. What good will number one rankings do if - as soon as visitors get to
your home page - they click away because the copy is so awful? All the number one
spots in the world won’t pay your grocery bill. You ultimately have to have sales and that
means winning over your human visitors.
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4) Special Formatting - If possible, I try to include keyphrase(s) in bold, italic, bulleted

lists or in other text that is specially formatted. If it doesn’t make sense, if it looks funny
or sounds odd, I don’t include them.
5) META Tags. What are META tags? They are a portion of your HTML code that
controls the site description, the site title and the list of keywords you’ve chosen. Don’t
panic because I mentioned HTML. There is no actual “coding” involved. Just a little
typing.
Whether you’re using FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Go Live or any other site design
program, there is a tab (usually at the bottom of the screen) that takes you to the HTML
code. After you’ve gotten your design finished, save your page and click the HTML tab.
This will bring up a page that contains what looks like garbage. That’s your code. Look
at the very top and find the area that says, “<TITLE>.“ This is where you’ll insert the title
of your page. The site title is what shows up in the blue bar of the browser screen. For
our dog grooming business, we’ll take out anything that is already in the title section
(leaving the <TITLE> in place) and type the title as “<TITLE> Top notch dog grooming
and boarding for your special K-9 kid.</TITLE>”
Notice it doesn’t include the name of the grooming company. It includes a very short
- and enticing - description of the business, including keywords. Why worry about
enticing the site visitor with your title? Because it's the first thing your visitor will see in
the search results, so it needs to be inviting.
Now, we’ll do something similar for the tags that are labeled “<meta name="keywords"
content=” and “<meta name="description" content=”
While the keyword tag is rarely used by search engines these days, most of the time, I
still fill it in. In the keywords area, simply type in the keyphrases you've chosen to use. It
doesn't matter if you use a comma or a space between the phrases. I, personally, use a
comma just because it's easier for me to read.
For the site description, we’ll type in a short, attention-getting sentence. This is most
likely what your visitors will see when they search for your company and the listings
appear on the screen. It can normally be 25 words or less (some gauge it at 250
characters or less). This also must include your keywords. Something along the lines of
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“Dog grooming and bathing. Our dog groomers take exceptional care of the special pet in
your life.” Notice it gives an advantage for using your service (you take care of the pet),
as well as using three of your keywords.
HINT: You can include a different site title, description and keywords for each individual
page of your site if you choose to. I recommend doing this.
6) ALT Tags. What are ALT tags? Those are the little descriptions that appear when
you point your mouse at a photo or graphic on a Web page. Usually, Web design
programs have a resource box that pops up when working on photos or graphics. Look
for the section in the resource box labeled “alt.” This is where you type your tag.
If we added a photo of a dog wagging his tail, we could include an ALT tag that says,
“Dog grooming for the special pet in your life” or another phrase that includes our
keywords. Because ALT tags consist of words, the search engines can read them just
like they read your META tags and copy. When they read the keywords within the tag, it
increases your keyword usage. While search engines are placing less and less weight on
ALT tags, it is still a good idea to fill in these fields.
CAUTION: Your ALT tags must be relevant to the graphic. Placing an ALT tag with just
a list of keywords/phrases is considered keyword stuffing and is frowned upon.
In addition to these guidelines, I also want to share a few frequently asked questions and their
answers.
1. “Do the keyphrases have to be used exactly?” Most often, yes. While engines are
capable of pulling out words that don’t fall in line one behind the other, your rankings will be better
if you use the keyphrase exactly as it is searched for. With that said, it is also my
recommendation that - in addition to using the phrases "as-is" - you also use the individual words.
For example, if the phrase you use is “copywriting course,” you could write copy that includes the
following:
This is the most effective way to learn copywriting. Within the pages of this course
you’ll find…
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Granted, the engines can recognize both words even though they do not follow one another.
However, all the sites that do use the keyphrase exactly how it is being searched for (i.e.,
“copywriting course”) may rank higher than you.
Your phrase would be better used in this way:
Within the pages of this copywriting course, you’ll find the most effective strategies for
writing high-response copy…
Then also use the word "copywriting" and the word "course" individually from time to time.
2. “Do I use plural or singular phrases?” It depends. Most often people will search using
plural words (i.e., used lawn mowers, big screen televisions, etc.). However, check your
WordTracker report to see if the singular or plural phrase is most often used for your specific
instance.
3. “Do capital letters count?” They used to, but not any longer. You can feel free to use
capitals or lower-case versions of your keyphrases.
4. “How many keyphrases do I use on a page?” Personally, I like to keep it at three or less.
When you are trying to work with four or more keyphrases, it gets too complicated and the
chances of losing the natural language flow get greater.
Remember the copywriting makeovers we saw in Lesson Seven that pertained to incorporating
emotions and the buying process? Those were actually search engine optimized copywriting
projects. Let’s revisit one of those sites and see how the search engine ranking challenges were
overcome in addition to the copywriting challenges.
Remember AEwebworks? This was the company

that needed to focus more on the buying process
of its customers. It also was having quite a
challenge with search engine rankings. You’ve
already read the gist of the makeover in Lesson
Seven, but here I want to focus on the SEO aspect
of the copywriting.
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The Problems
My primary concerns with the copywriting on this site included the lack of synergy within the copy,
the use of testimonials, the lack of focus on the target customer’s buying process and the inability
for the copy to support the search engine goals of AEwebworks. In its present state, the copy
contained few mentions of keyphrases.
You can view the old copy in PDF form at this link:
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/AEWebWorks-Original.pdf.
Also, I needed to focus the home page copy on only two or three keyphrases and increase
keyword saturation for those phrases. This also meant creating a copy strategy that would allow
me to use the keyphrases effectively without making the text sound stiff.
That left me with overcoming the inability of the current copy to support the search engine goals
of the site. I suggested AEwebworks review their keyword choices to be sure they were targeting
the ones most likely to bring in qualified customers. After a review, they provided me with a
revised list to choose from.
I selected three keyphrases for each page in order to allow an adequate level of both keyword
saturation and natural language. For the home page, the terms “dating software,” “online dating
software” and “dating script” were used.
AEwebworks was in foul shape as far as search engine rankings were concerned. I had to pay
particular attention to creating copy that impressed the search engines AND their site visitors in
order to help them regain ground with their positioning and sales efforts.
The Rewrite
The headline was changed from:
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“Get into Internet dating business with reliable, effective and profitable online
dating software”
to
“Customizable, Full Featured Dating Software Complete With Free Installation,

Lifetime Upgrades & Outstanding Support”
The new headline highlighted three extremely valuable benefits to the visitor and also included
one of the chosen keyphrases.
In addition to the emotional connection and the problem-solving aspects of the copy, it was also
search engine optimized (SEO). You’ll notice the subtle use of keyphrases throughout the copy.
Enough to promote good search engine rankings, but not so much that the copy is “stiff” or
“forced.”
Every other word is *not* a keyword. The copy has a natural flow to it, yet it is fully optimized to
do its job where rankings are concerned.
You can view the current copy here: http://www.aewebworks.com.
The Results
I always find it best to let the client handle this part. To quote, “I wanted to tell you the good
news! It looks like our rankings are improving. We are back in Google and traffic has doubled.
We have record high sales for the last two weeks... about 70% higher than our next best-selling
two-week period ever!”
“Overall, running our site got much easier after adding your copy because people ask fewer
questions about where to find information... they are able to sort it out for themselves from the
site copy. We previously had about 5-10 e-mails a day on average from prospective customers;
now we get AT LEAST 15 A DAY! WOW!! So, in short, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
GREAT WORK!"
They are now back in play on Google and also have exceptional rankings with other important
engines like Yahoo, MSN and AltaVista.
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Here are some other real-life examples of search engine optimized (SEO) copy.
Feel free to visit this site and see how everything came together. You can find it at:
http://www.colorado-retaining-walls.com/.
Their primary keyphrases were “retaining walls” and “retaining wall.” What do you notice about
“how” the keyphrases are used? One instance is below the banner of the site but above the logo.
It looks to be part of the graphic design, but it’s really text.
Throughout the copy, I’ve inserted “retaining wall(s)” in place of words like: it, one, they, etc.
Look at this paragraph:
Retaining walls have long been a fundamental

element in commercial and home construction.
And there’s no wonder why. They can
transform a generic backyard into an elegant
courtyard. They also add strength and appeal
to any commercial design.
Instead of putting “generic” words into the copy, I’ve included our keyphrases. Here’s how it
appears on the site:
Retaining walls have long been a

fundamental element in commercial and home
construction. And there’s no wonder why. A
landscape retaining wall can transform a
generic backyard into an elegant courtyard. A
structural retaining wall adds strength and
appeal to any commercial design.
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What else do you notice? There’s a table with headings that includes keyphrases. This is
one of my favorite ways to incorporate them into the copy.
Create a table with “teaser” copy about the services or products on the site. You’ll need to label
your table with keyword-rich titles. Then include a brief description (that also uses keywords)
underneath the header.
Residential Commercial
Retaining Walls Retaining Walls
Landscape retaining
walls make an excellent Structural retaining
focal point in your yard. walls offer foundational
The beauty and flexibility support as well as
that block and timber interest to almost any
retaining walls offer commercial project.
can add dimension, Choose from block or
depth, and wonder to timber retaining walls.
any outdoor setting.
More information about
More information on structural retaining
landscape retaining walls.
walls.
Bobcat and excavation
Bobcat and excavation services also available.
services also available.
You can also use this strategy with bulleted lists. On this lapel pin site, you can see how
keyphrases were incorporated into a list. (They selected “lapel pins,” “employee recognition
awards,” “promotional products” and “softball trading pins” as a few of their keyphrases.)
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• Employee Recognition Awards - Employees take great pride in wearing

lapel pins that show their achievements, and they will treasure employee
recognition awards that they can frequently show to others.
• Product Branding - Promote your brand with reproductions of your logo or
company name on custom lapel pins.
• Promotional Products - Lapel pins make exceptional promotional products
because they look great, are created quickly, and are very affordable.
• Trade Show or Convention Giveaways - You'll make quite a lasting
impression and collect countless leads when you exchange a custom lapel pin
for a prospect's business card!
• Baseball and Softball Trading Pins - Lapel pin trading among baseball and
softball teams has dramatically grown in popularity… be sure to support your
team with custom-created softball and baseball trading pins.
• and dozens of other uses
Notice how each phrase that is used as a “title” in the list is also used within the description of the
link? It practically guarantees at least two more keyphrases per instance.
Another strategy I love is finishing sentences with keyphrases. Rather than saying:
“Free artwork and design”
say,
“FREE artwork and design of your lapel pins.”
Instead of:
“14-day guaranteed delivery time”
say,
“14-day guaranteed delivery time of your custom lapel pins.”
Lastly, when you get in a pinch, you can always opt to divide your keyphrase between sentences.
Yes, the phrase will still remain in the same order, but not within the same sentence.
Here’s an example of what I mean.
“… and these make beautiful adornments for your lapel. Pins

are a touching and creative gift…”
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See how that works? The phrase remains in tact, but it is spread across two sentences.
These are just a few creative ways to get your keyphrases into your copy while still having it
sound natural and inviting to your site visitor. Having SEO copy does NOT mean that it has to
sound “forced.”
Just keep in mind, while keywords aren’t the sole factor to obtaining high search engine rankings,
they are the predominant factor. By placing them in these strategic areas, you will increase your
chances of being found on the ‘Net.
Additional ways to incorporate keyphrases into your copy without destroying the flow can be
found in my special report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of
Your Copy).”
Special Copywriting Considerations for PPC Ads
Mark Twain once said, “If I would have had time, I would have written a shorter letter.” His point
being? It takes much more thought and time to write a short, concise piece than a long one. It’s
true, too!
Think about it. How hard is it to get your point across in a very limited amount of time or space?
Ever tried to write copy for a postcard mailing? How about a 30-second radio commercial? How
do you tell customers everything you want them to know in just a few words? Truth is… you
don’t.
PPC (pay-per-click) copy has some special considerations just as other forms of short copy do.
The first (and most important) is that it isn’t meant to make the sale. Then why do you write it?
To drive traffic to your site!
PPC copy plays an important role in the advertising process. It can be used as a lead generation
tool, an announcement, a teaser to build interest and in lots of other ways. PPC copy is simply
meant to lead to other means of closing a sale (the same as your organic or free search engine
listings do).
In order to write effective PPC copy, you’ll need to keep a few considerations in mind. Let’s start
with the example of a Google AdWords ad, and I’ll show you what I mean.
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AdWords Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Ads
There are two primary factors to succeeding at Google AdWords. The first is getting the right
keywords. The second is writing little tiny ads. Neither is all that easy, but they can both be
done.
Let’s go through the process together, and I’ll show you a few tricks of the trade that have brought
me AdWords click-through rates (CTR) of 7.1% and 8.0%.
Step One – You would be very wise to either use a benefit or an end result in your headline. In
order to do this, you’ll have to be aware of the difference between features and benefits. Start by
making a list, just as we did in Lesson Six. I’ll use the example of an online shoe store.
Here are a few features:
• huge inventory
• wide selection of sizes
• discounted prices
• free shipping
And here are the benefits associated with those features:
• hundreds of styles to choose from

• hard-to-find sizes in stock
• save money
• free shipping
Step Two – Know what your customers are looking for. YOU may feel that one benefit outweighs
another. However, your customer might feel differently. Be sure you understand what is
important to your customer before writing your headline and your ad. You have no room to
waste.
Step Three – Work in your keywords. If you’ve used Overture pay-per-click engine before, you
know that there is a greater click-through rate on search results that use the exact keyphrase the
surfer types in. The same holds true for Google’s AdWords program.
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While the following have by no means been researched, we’ll assume that some optimum
keywords for our shoe store are: “women’s shoes” and “sandals.” We’ll want to include these in
our ads.
Step Four – Start big and narrow it down. Begin by writing a few sentences or a paragraph
about what you’d like your customer to know. Perhaps:
You’ll find everything you’re looking for in one place! Hundreds of styles to choose from
including hard-to-find sizes in stock. You’ll save lots of money because our regular prices
are far below that of other stores. Plus shipping is always free – regardless of the amount
of your purchase. Check out our excellent selection of women’s shoes and sandals.
Now, go back and take out every word that does not absolutely need to be there. You probably
came up with something like this:
Everything in one place! Hundreds of styles, hard-to-find sizes. Prices far below other
stores. Free shipping. Women’s shoes and sandals.
That’s a LOT smaller and still gets the point across. However, it is still too long for AdWords.
Your headline must be less than 25 characters (including spaces). Your copy can only be 35
characters per line. (You get two lines for copy.) Now is the time to begin rearranging words to
create an ad that will match Google’s guidelines, include your keywords, and draw a crowd to
your site.
Here are a couple I came up with:
100s of Styles-Low Prices

Big savings on women’s shoes. Plus
free shipping! All sizes in stock.
Discount Women’s Sandals

Latest styles at deep discounts.
All sizes in stock. Free Shipping!
Step Five – Test, test, test! Put them up and give them a go. See what happens. Believe me,
Google will notify you quickly if your ads aren’t performing. Those that get lower than a .05%
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click-through rate are immediately “disapproved.” You are notified that your ad has been pulled
and that you need to make changes.
Use the information in the AdWords campaign section to track the results. I’ve heard countless
tales of those who have changed one little word and gone from a 0.07% CTR to a 5.0% CTR. If
your ad is pulled, make simple changes to start with. Swapping out the word “savings” for
“discount” or “big” for “huge” can be all it takes to catapult you to the top of the list.
Consider what will grab your customer’s attention and get him/her curious. The “call-to-action” for
PPC ads is always aimed at triggering the customer to want more information.
Qualifying Visitors Through Your PPC Ad Copy
Comparison shoppers are the mortal enemy of pay-per-click (PPC) advertisers. When you're
paying each time someone clicks your AdWords (or other PPC) ad, the last thing you want is a
person determined to visit every site to find the best price, the closest location or the most secure
guarantee. But, with many categories of products or services, it's bound to happen. There is a
way to eliminate many of the lookers, however.
When you qualify your AdWords leads, you can reduce the CTR of browsers and help direct only
those most interested in your offer to your site. How is it done? By inserting text that will
purposely eliminate arbitrary visitors.
Qualifying Your PPC Leads
Purposely eliminating visitors sounds like an awful thing to do, doesn't it? Perhaps, until you
consider the fact that - once these visitors got to your site and found out the details of your offer -
they'd most likely leave anyway.
Why not save yourself a click (and the money associated with that click!) and prevent the visitor
from running up your monthly AdWords bill? This is exactly what Steve Jackson of Conversion
Chronicles and I discussed awhile back. Since that discussion, I've come up with a process that
will allow you to easily write pre-qualifying ads when you use these simple steps.
Step One
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Outline the specifications of your offer. Be precise. List all the details of the offer, the price,
length of time, physical location, size, etc. For example, say you have luxury cruise packages
available. You'd want to list the details, such as packages depart from New York City and go to
several destinations in Mexico including Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán from December
5-15 for a cost of $2500 per person.
Step Two
Go back and highlight anything that would be a deal breaker. This is a luxury cruise, so the cost
of $2500 per person might be too much for most people. Quite often, cruisers are looking for the
best deal possible.
Also, the cruise only leaves from New York City. The additional airfare cost might not be
something your site visitors want to add to the cost of their trip. Or, it may be inconvenient to
depart from New York City.
What about the dates? These cruises are only available on the dates of December 5-15. Your
site visitors may not be able to take a holiday during that time.
Does the visitor want to sail to the locations on the itinerary? Maybe they've already been to
Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán and are looking for a cruise to Cabo San Lucas.
Are there other factors that might force shoppers to decline the offer and move to another site? If
so, list them here.
Step Three
Now, decide which bits of information you want to include in your AdWords ads. You'll want to
test and track to see which combination of details bring the lowest click-through rates along with
the highest conversions. For example, your ad might read:
Luxury Mexico Cruise 12/5

Tour tropical Cozumel, Puerto
Vallarta & more. Leave NYC. $2500pp
www.whatever.com
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That would give a lot of information that would keep unqualified visitors from clicking through to
your site (and running up your AdWords bill). At the same time, the use of words like "luxury" and
"tropical" help searchers visualize their wonderful vacations.
Another example could be a special shipment of microwave ovens. Let's go through the steps
once again.
Step One
The specifications include: convection/microwave combination, built-in with light and vent
features, 1200 watts, white, $900, available on the Internet only.
Step Two
Any of these could be used to weed out visitors. Someone may not want the convection feature.
They want a countertop microwave rather than a built-in model. Twelve-hundred watts may be
more powerful (and larger) than the visitor needs. Their kitchen may have stainless steel or black
appliances, not white. Lastly, $900 could be more than they have budgeted for a microwave.
Step Three
Again, you'll want to test and track to see which tidbits of information work best to bring qualified
leads, reduce CTR and costs, and improve conversions.
Your ad might look like this:
Powerful Convec/Microwave
Special purchase. Attractive range
built-in with 1200w. Only $900.
www.whatever.com
Rather than using generic terms to describe high cost or frequently compared PPC items, get as
specific as you can with "disqualifying" copy. By weeding out those who would likely take one
look and leave, you can save yourself a lot of money in AdWords expenses while increasing
conversions.
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TIP: Be very, VERY sure that your support copy is ready to go when you run PPC ads. For
instance, I once had a client approach me about writing copy for a PPC campaign he wanted to
run. As we went through the process of his customers’ most desired behaviors, I discovered that
he wanted readers to visit his Web site to get the additional information they needed in order to
purchase. However, his Web site was hardly set up to sell anything to anybody.
While the PPC ads were fully capable of generating leads for the client, the support information
he had prepared was in desperate shape! He would have seen little return on his investment –
not because the PPC ads didn’t do their jobs – but because the “landing page” of his site was
simply awful.
Whether you’re asking readers of PPC copy to call, click or come by, be sure your support staff or
information is ready, willing and able to handle the job.
Lastly, when you write PPC copy, remember to stay focused. As I’ve said, there is not enough
room to sell the customers within your copy, but there IS enough room to pique their interest.
Use the limited space you have to punch up the biggest benefits or end results your customers
are looking for, and you’ll see bigger returns on your investment.
================
Lesson Ten Assignments
1. Use WordTracker to research some effective keywords for:
• a marketing-consultant firm
• a used-car dealership
• an office-supply store
• a Web site-design company
2. Create a set of META tags (title, keywords and description) for the Web site-design company.
3. Develop ALT tags for the following graphics on the Web site-design company’s site:
• their logo
• a picture of someone sitting at a computer
• a starburst that states, “we guarantee our work”
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4. Write a three-column table (title and descriptions) for the Web site-design company focusing on
the keyphrases “Web site design,” “graphic design” and “Web site maintenance.”
5. Write a pay-per-click search engine ad (using Google’s AdWords guidelines) for Toyota
automobile’s Prius hybrid car. (See http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/prius/index.html for
details.) Google AdWord ads can have a headline of 25 characters long and (2) additional lines
that are up to 35 characters long.
Feel free to insert limited-time offers in your copy if you want.
Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Ten!
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Final Exam!
This is it! You’ve completed the course, and you’re ready to “graduate.” I’ll give you your final
assignment in just a minute. As you prepare to complete it, remember the following that we’ve
covered:
Lesson One
First Who is the perfect customer (not necessarily your existing customer) to buy your
product or service?
Second What problems do these people face that your product or service can solve?
Third What end result is your target audience looking for from your product/service?
Fourth What demographic information do you know about your target customer? (sex,
age, education, income, etc.)
Lesson Two
DISC = Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance. Which one does your customer fall into?
(Could be a combination of all four.)
Lesson Three
Is your audience made up of primarily men or women? (Could be both.)
Lesson Four
Which length of copy would work best for your reader?

How can you write to please everybody? (Or almost everybody?)
Can you segment your audience/copy?
Lesson Five
Your headline MUST grab their attention.
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Lesson Six
Features vs. Benefits – “So what?” “So what?” “So what?”
Lesson Seven
Answer the call from your target customers. Feel their pain. Use emotions to bring them to a
point-of-purchase.
Lesson Eight
Make an applicable FREE offer if appropriate.

Offer a demo (case study, free trial, flash presentation) and/or testimonials.
Give a guarantee or warranty.
The most effective advertising pieces don’t sell… they fulfill. They don’t talk about the
company… they talk about the customer. They don’t push price… they provide solutions.
Before you begin to write, give due consideration to the brand you’ll be portraying and be sure to
write your copy to fit the brand, the customer and the image.
Lesson Nine
Attention Need Recognition

Interest Information
Desire Evaluation
Action Purchase
Buyer’s Regret
Lesson Ten
Need better search engine rankings? Include keywords and phrases in your META tags, ALT
tags, URL and copy.
I've also included some worksheets that you might find helpful. You'll see them below.
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Final Exam Assignment
You only have one assignment for your final exam.
Write search engine optimized sales copy for a Web site. Here’s the info on your customer and
product:
Product:
Home security system with one special feature. This system works rather like the “fenceless
fence” that is used for dogs. It surrounds your home and property with an electronic field so that
no one can come anywhere near your house without the proper thumbprint code. (This IS a
fictitious product, so don’t worry about the legalities or details of how it works. We’ll assume that
no little children will run into it by accident and be harmed, etc.)
When you leave your property, you simply use a gadget that looks something like a garage-door
opener to active the system. When you arrive home, just click the deactivation button with your
thumb, and you’re free to enter your house.
Use it at night while you sleep, when you’re away… whenever you want to feel totally safe! The
product is called the “House Field.”
Branding:
This company is extremely professional. They have highly trained sales and installation people.
Their customer service is top-notch, and they always put their best foot forward. They are not
interested in portraying an image that makes them appear anything less than 100% up and up.
Keyphrases:
After due research, the keyphrase “home security systems” was chosen for this copy. That
means we get, by default, “home security” and “security systems.” I’ll be using both the plural
and the singular forms of the phrase.
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Customer:
Average, everyday people who want to feel totally safe, and who want to protect themselves, their
children and their belongings. This is a new product to the market. Your audience will be made
up of both men and women, and of those falling into all categories of the DISC model.
The rest is up to you. Use your imagination!
Click here for answers and insights about your Final Exam!
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Final Thoughts
Writing copy is simply another form of communication. The one difference is that you are looking
to solicit a specific response. In order to do that, you must know the person you’re
communicating with very, VERY well and be able to speak to him or her in the way he/she will
most likely respond to. (Precisely why you’ve taken the time to complete this course.)
When you write copy… relax. Don’t focus on the fact that you’re trying to sell. Instead, focus on
how you can help the customer.
Look through some magazines, surf the ‘Net, scan your local newspaper. When you do, pick out
advertising copy that persuades you. Create your own file (copywriters call this a swipe file) of
these pieces for future reference.
No… you don’t want to steal ideas… you want to gain inspiration. Revisit this file often and notice
how and why it:
• got your attention.

• led you through the details.
• brought you to the point of purchase.
• closed the deal.
In addition to your own, personal swipe file… keep an eye and ear open for clues about your
target audience. Take every opportunity you can to get to know them better. Never walked in
their shoes? Maybe it’s time you did. Perhaps you should “be” your customer for a day. You’d
be absolutely amazed at what you would find out!
If you only get two things from this course, I hope it’s these:
#1 You MUST know your target customer inside out.
#2 Most buying decisions are emotional…

your ad copy should be, too!
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Worksheets
SECTION ONE
Target Audience Analysis

In regard to the business, please answer the following questions:
1. What does the company do/provide? What products/services (if any) should be mentioned in
the copy?
2. Are the products/services well established in the marketplace or new?
3. What emotions are associated with the products/services offered? (Possibly greed, freedom,
fear, reassurance, flattery, guilt, anger, exclusivity, etc.)
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4. Is a guarantee/warranty offered? How does it work?
5. What is the preferred method of contact by those who visit the website? (Email, Web form,
phone, etc.)
In relation to the clients, please answer the following questions:
6. Generally speaking, who is the “perfect” client? Describe who they are, what they do, how
much money they make, male/female, job title, lifestyle, hobbies - every way you can think to
describe them.
7. What problems do the customers face that the product/service can solve?
(Example: My clients have a problem finding a reliable SEO company who uses sound
principles to get long-term results instead of cheap tricks that could get their sites banned. My
company solves this problem by…) Do NOT begin your first sentence with “our company…”
Begin it with “the problems my clients face are…”
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8. Why would these clients come to this company as opposed to another who offers the same or
similar products/services? What’s different or better about these products/services?
9. What end results can the clients expect after buying the products/services and/or working with
this company? (Some might say increased profits, more free time, reduced stress, more
efficiency, etc.)
10. Name 6 benefits of the products or services offered. (Example: Low prices, fast service,
close more sales in a shorter period of time, offer more choices, etc.)
1.
2.
3.
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4.
5.
6.
11. Where are the prospective clients in the buying process? Are they trying to decide if they
have a need? Have they starting looking for information in order to compare products/services?
Have they already decided they need a product/service like yours and are narrowing down their
choices?
For the Web Site:
12. What is the purpose of this site? (To sell products, to provide information only, resource site,
etc.)
13. What is the primary way in which the site will make revenue, if applicable? (Sales of
products/services, sales of advertising, memberships, lead generation, etc.)
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14. After a client visits the site, what specifically do you want them to do? (Call for more info,
make a purchase from your site, set up an appointment with you, subscribe to your newsletter,
etc.)
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SECTION TWO
Keyword Selection
Select three keyword phrases for use in the page copy you’ll be writing.
REMEMBER… in addition to choosing keyword phrases that:
• make sense for the overall site

• people are actually searching for and
• will help you meet your goals
you’ll also want to use keyword phrases that:
• make sense for the page they are being used on and
• will work with - not against - the natural flow of the copy.
List Your Keyword Phrase Selections Here:
A._________________________________
B. ________________________________
C. ________________________________
SECTION THREE
Copywriting Plan
15. What is the primary purpose or goal of the page?
16. What action would you most prefer your visitors to take after reading this page?
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17. How will you make an emotional connection with the site visitor?
18. What benefits of using your product/service instead of the competition’s will you include?
19. How can you make the copy customer-focused instead of company-focused?
20. What ideas do you have for including all of the above in your copy? What angles can you
take? What emotional chords can you strike? What connection can you make? Take some time
to brainstorm about content ideas.
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21. What types of headlines/sub-headlines can you use with this target audience?
Some suggestions include:
Solve a problem – I read a great headline on a Web site for custom-written poetry. It said,
“We can solve your gift problem in 1 day for just $15.00.” Wow! If I were in the market for a
gift, I would definitely read the copy. It offered to solve my problem and that caught my
attention. (This is also called a “benefits-oriented” headline.)
State your biggest benefit – We’ll cover features and benefits later. But for now, just know
that answering the question, “So what?” within your headline is a powerful way to get
attention.
Make a connection – Hit a nerve, touch on something that tugs on your customers’
heartstrings. One excellent example of this is the “Feed the Children” commercials. This
organization combines the “stating a statistic” and “making a connection” techniques. They
show you a picture of a starving child and make the statement: “Just 50 cents a day can save
a child’s life.” Pretty compelling!
Show the end results – Similar to the “biggest benefit” technique, showing the end results
lets the customer know what his/her life will be like after buying your product/service. For
example: “In Just 10 Days You’ll Be Slimmer, Healthier, and Full of Energy!”
Show them “How To” do something - Starting your headline with “How To” is almost
always a winning strategy. People love to find out “how to” do everything from baking a cake
to saving for the future. “How To” headlines are always popular.
Create some possible headlines for this copy.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Keyword Plan
Referring back to the Copywriting Plan and your keyword phrase choices, answer the following
questions.
22. Can you include these 3 keyword phrases and still retain the natural flow of language in the
copy?
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23. Will you have enough opportunities to repeat the keyword phrases throughout the copy
without sounding odd?
24. Can you work the keyword phrases into headlines and sub-headlines?
Keep these tips in mind:
A) When possible, I try to include keyphrase(s) in the headline and sub-headlines. If it doesn’t
make sense, if it sounds odd, I don’t include them.
B) When it flows, I include keyphrases roughly once or twice per paragraph. Do I count words?
Do I run keyword density ratios? Never! I just eyeball the page to see if it looks right.
C) This I do EVERY time I write… I focus on natural language. If the copy sounds forced or stiff
after including keyphrases, I scrap it and start over. Read your copy out loud. If it sounds stupid
or redundant to you, it will sound stupid and redundant to your site visitor. Don’t compromise the
flow of natural language for the sake of search engines.
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Lesson One: Answers and Insights
Here are the answers to the questions at the end of Lesson One as *I* would answer them. Of
course, you’ll have to compile your own answers according to your customer-base, but this will
give you a good outline to follow.
Assignment One:
While need recognition is logical, most buying decisions are emotional.
Assignment Two:
Define your perfect customer according to the information given in Lesson One.
Who is your perfect customer? My perfect customers own or are employed by a small- to
medium-sized business. They understand the basic concepts of marketing and know that
copywriting is a skill that requires special training and experience (especially search engine
copywriting).
They further understand the difference between having someone who knows what they’re doing
when writing the copy as opposed to someone who just compiles a list of nuts and bolts. They
know they have to reach their customers on THEIR level in order to succeed.
They also know the importance of promoting and want assistance with writing articles, ezines,
ads, press releases and other types of marketing pieces.
They are upbeat and positive people, with a sense of humor, who like to work productively, and
get the job done.
What problems do these people face that your product or service can solve? They don’t
understand their target audience. They aren’t sure what questions to ask or how to gather
information in order to write to their customers effectively. They don’t feel as though they can
write their own copy (or articles, or press releases, etc.), or they don’t have the time to do it. My
services offer them a solution to their lack of experience in writing and/or their lack of time.
What end result is your target audience looking for from your product/service? Copy that
hits the mark. Whether it is to sell more products/services, to increase ezine subscribers, gain
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more paying members, etc. They will receive copy that touches their specific client and leads
them to the point of purchase.
What demographic information do you know about your target customer? (sex, age,
education, income, etc.) Mine come to me from all walks of life… men, women, single, married,
young, old, rich and poor. THIS is precisely why we have to look elsewhere to gain the majority
of our customer information. Demographics simply are NOT enough.
Assignment Three:
From the information you collected (and in regard to your business/product/service),

create a list of what your customers:
a) struggle with - My customers struggle with communicating their messages in the

most effective way possible. They know what they want to say… they know what they
want to tell the customer… but they lack the knowledge, skill and talent to get the
message across in a way that will cause the customer to respond. They also struggle
with incorporating the needed elements to create effective search engine copy that
doesn’t sound forced or stiff.
b) have on their wish list - More sales! Higher rankings!
c) are mad about - My customers are mad because they’ve been beating their heads
against a wall trying to justify the cost of a professional copywriter. Now that they see the
results, they are mad that they didn’t do it sooner.
d) think is a fabulous improvement - I don’t know if it would be considered an

“improvement,” but my clients love the fact that I am able to tear down the information
they give me and use it to touch a nerve with their customers through the copy I write.
Assignment Four:
Write down five powerful things that would get your target customers’ emotions going in a
good way. This will greatly depend on your specific customer; however, here are a few that
would apply to my customers when it comes to copywriting services.
1. Getting a good result from their copy.
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2. Having sales increase.

3. Having their brand portrayed accurately.
4. Seeing search engine rankings improve.
5. Knowing their copywriting investment is paying off.
Bonus Assignment:
What is the common denominator between your product/service and the people you are
selling to? For me, it’s the fact that they need someone who can write and get results. Whether
it’s a matter of lack of experience or lack of time, they can’t get it done for one reason or another.
They all need someone who reaches their customers on an emotional level.
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Lesson Two: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
Looking back at the target audience analysis from Lesson One, write down which group
(or groups) your target audience most likely falls into. TIP: It IS possible to have an
audience made up of all four! As a professional copywriter, my audience changes with each
new assignment. Let me give you some examples.
If you have a business that sells to a variety of different people from all walks of life, chances are
you’ll be better off to go with copy that suits someone strong in steadiness.
Corporate Coach – Targets corporate officers and

managers. These are primarily high in dominance with
some influence thrown in for good measure. These people
are generally low in stability and in compliance.
Organizational Consultant – This client works with a large

variety of individuals, so we had to take a “middle of the
road” stance with her projects. This means focusing on
those who are high in steadiness.
Attorney’s Association – Attorneys usually have a

combination of dominance with compliance. They are most
often low in influence and steadiness.
Salesperson Development – Definitely influence all the

way!
Assignment Two:
What should the attributes of your copy be if you want to effectively reach your particular
audience? (example: full of pizzazz or levelheaded, high tech vs. tried & true, etc.) I’ll go
through the examples listed above so you can get a good idea of the varieties.
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Corporate Coach – Targets corporate officers and managers. These

are primarily high in dominance with some influence thrown in for good
measure. These people are generally low in stability and in
compliance.
Show results! Those high in dominance want to know what they’ll get
for all their efforts. While they are risk takers, they aren’t likely to take
a “blind risk.” You’ll need to show them that their investment will have
a pay off. To handle the influence side, you’ll need to stay positive,
give compliments and move fast. No long copy for this group.
Organizational Consultant – This client works with a large variety of

individuals, so we had to take a “middle of the road” stance with her
projects. This means focusing on those who are high in steadiness.
This is a long-copy group. They will need to see some sort of

guarantee that your product/service will do what it says, so they will
feel safe making a purchase. They will also take their time making a
buying decision (we’ll learn more about how to deal with that later on).
They are loyal to those they “identify” with, so you’ll have to hit them on
an emotional level especially hard.
Attorney’s Association – Attorneys usually have a combination of

dominance with compliance. They are most often low in influence and
steadiness.
As with the corporate officers above, this group will want to see results.
To make it worse, their “compliance” attributes will lead them to ask for
proof that your product/service works and to demand extremely high
standards of you and your offering. Be prepared to back up everything
you say.
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Salesperson Development – Definitely influence all the way!

Very optimistic and visionary, they see and understand the big
picture. However, because they move so fast, they are likely to
miss the points on how to accomplish what they want. Copy for this
group will need to be delivered in short bursts (they won’t sit still
long enough to read long copy) with great emphasis on how it will
benefit and promote them. They love people and strive for high
social status, so include mentions of how this will help them gain
acceptance and admiration.
General “Undefined” Population - As with the organizational

consultant above, go for the steadiness types. This is a long-copy
group. They will need to see some sort of guarantee that your
product/service will do what it says, so they will feel safe making a
purchase. They will also take their time making a buying decision
(we’ll learn more about how to deal with that later on). You’ll have
to walk them through, step-by-step, and show them the benefits,
benefits, benefits. They are loyal to those they “identify” with, so
you’ll have to hit them on an emotional level especially hard.
Assignment Three:
What should you definitely stay away from in order not to lose their attention or interest?
You’ll have to give some thought to this one. This is not specifically spelled out in the course.
However, by having the lists of what each behavioral style DOES like, you should gain a good
understanding of what they don’t like.
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Dominance – Evasive copy that uses metaphors and avoids the

“point.” Copy that has a negative tone. Copy that tells them how
much they need you instead of what results you can promise them.
Influence – These are fast moving, fun-oriented folks, so the copy

you write to suit them should be the same. Long copy won’t cut
here. Stay away from technical lingo and avoid using anything but a
positive and fun tone.
Steadiness – Stay away from features. They mean nothing to this

group. Benefits rule. They are heavy into “So What?” and “What’s In
It For Me?” They are motivated by traditional procedures, so don’t
throw them any curves.
Compliance – Forget the “latest, greatest, high tech” approach.

Don’t even try the “you’ll be the first on your block to own…” line.
They don’t WANT to be first. They want products and services with
a track record of proven success and high standards.
Assignment Four:
What is the most common behavioral style for the population as a whole?
Steadiness
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Lesson Three: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
Go to your local department store (Wal-Mart, Kmart, JCPenney, etc.) and observe the way
men and women shop. Write down your observations. This is always a very interesting
activity for me to do. People are just amazing!
So, what did you notice? Did you see men zipping in and out (except at the electronics
departments)? Did you find that men normally don’t “shop,” they “buy”?
How about the women? Did you find them checking package labels, reading the tags on clothing
and talking with the salespeople?
The way people buy has a great influence on how we, as copywriters, write. If you want to get an
exceptional book on this subject, I recommend Paco Underhill’s Why We Buy.
Assignment Two:
Name the primary differences in how men and women process information when
shopping. Men generally need less information than women to reach a buying decision for
“ordinary” purchases. However, men will need more technical information than women for major
purchases (computers, electronics, cars, etc.). While women will want contact with a sales rep,
men – generally speaking – will not.
Assignment Three:
How can you encourage women – who generally take their time and comparison shop
quite a bit – to purchase now? Take a more conversational approach to your sales copy, offer
“live” support (even if on the Web) so that her questions can be answered immediately and give
her a guarantee, so she feels “safe” with her decision to buy. Offering something free can
influence both men and women to act now.
Assignment Four:
What do you see as a drawback in the fact that men generally have a need and fill it
immediately? How can you overcome this with your copy? This approach to shopping can
be a problem for marketers. While having people move through the buying process quickly is
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often a good thing, if your product or service isn’t the first one they see, you might be passed
over.
Look toward positioning your offer in the direct path of men. Place signs in strategic sections of a
store (in the pathway leading toward the men’s department or to the electronics department).
Online, position important information at the top of Web pages or create graphics to grab his
attention as he reads through your copy. Once you captured his attention, take the time to give
him what he needs… enough information to cover your offer, but with links to get more
information if he decides he needs it.
Assignment Five:
What primary shopping behaviors change when men and women shop online?
• Men spend more time shopping online, and women spend less.
• Women use the Internet to save time, simplify their lives and gather information to make
better decisions.
• Women look for the experience.
• When men shop via the Internet, they tend to give the sites more attention than they would
the products in a physical store.
• Men like to read technical information (online or off) and rarely use online chat features.
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Lesson Four: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
Which length of copy would work best for the following:
A CPA firm who may be interested in a computer system that is

new to the marketplace. There are several reasons why long copy
would work better for this group. They need to see the proven results
and the stability of the computer system; they need the details in order
to make a decision; they’ll seek a demonstration or testimonials in
order to believe you, and – since this is a major investment – they’ll
want more information than usual.
A “Write Your Own Ebook” course for anyone who wants to learn
to write ebooks. Again… long copy would work best here. Because
you would be writing to a group that is undefined (they could be of any
behavioral category), you’ll want to provide as much information and
as many benefits as possible.
A group of salespeople who are thinking of hiring a consultant

who comes highly recommended by others. Short copy without a
doubt. They’ll be in such a rush to get finished reading that they won’t
even see most of the details even if you did provide them. They’ll
want to know about how much fun they will have and how much more
their customers will love and accept them. Show them that the
consultant has the ability to get them to the top of the ranks, and
h ’ll b ld If h i f i h ’ll kf i l
Assignment Two:
Using the four considerations in this lesson, decide which length of copy would work best
for YOUR target group. The four considerations are:
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• Communication Style of Buyer

Steadiness and Compliance will need longer copy.
Dominance and Influence will need shorter copy.
• Man vs. Woman as the primary target audience

Men normally need shorter copy with links for more information while women need longer copy.
• Customer’s Familiarity Level With Your Product/Service

High familiarity (“a household name”) equals shorter copy while new products/services equal
longer copy.
• Price Level of Your Product/Service

High price… longer copy. Low price… shorter copy.
Assignment Three:
Can long copy work for those who need/want lots of information AND those who don’t?
How? Yes, if written correctly, long copy can work for everyone. The “trick” is to offer a way out
for those who are turned off by long copy. Give readers an “order now” link to click, so they can
skip the information they don’t need/want and buy immediately. You can also offer links to pop-
up screens that have “bottom line” information for those who like to scan the high points and then
make a quick decision (primarily those in the Dominance and Influence categories).
Assignment Four:
How can segmenting your audience through your copy be beneficial? Many people want to
know how a product/service specifically benefits them. By segmenting your copy to fit the
different parts of your audience, you can give the reader what he/she wants.
Remember the Naturally First Web site example? This site was selling a calcium supplement to
anyone who wanted it. But Naturally First recognized that some of its customers had specific
concerns. They added sections to the bottom of their Web site that gave information to women,
athletes, pet owners, parents and more.
Real Estate Agents could incorporate “buyer,” “seller” and “business” sections into their sites or
brochure copy to address the specific needs of all.
Janitorial service providers could segment their audience into “commercial” and “residential.”
Software developers might be able to segment their audience by “personal” and “business” users.
The list goes on and on.
By segmenting your audience, you create a wonderful opportunity to narrow your attention span
down to one specific group of customers. This lets those particular site visitors know you
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recognize them as having special needs/wants. By segmenting, you also are able to present the
precise information that this one group of customers needs which, in turn, increases the likelihood
that they will buy.
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Lesson Five: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
Which of the types of headlines would work well for those who fall into the:
Compliance behavioral style? Definitely using a statistic would be one great idea.
Compliance folks love data. Providing the greatest benefit would work super (as it would for all
the types). Solving a problem, showing end results, making a comparison and showing “How To”
would work well as would asking a question. Piquing curiosity, stating a quote and offering a
freebie would be my last choices because they would likely be viewed as “fluff.” Taking an
opposing viewpoint may work well, but be careful not to insinuate a conflict.
How about Dominance? Stating a benefit or showing the end results would definitely
rank #1 and #2 with this group because Dominance types are results-oriented. Next would come
solving a problem and asking a question. I would not use a statistic as my first choice, nor would
I use the pique curiosity approach, making a connection or offering a freebie. They would likely
qualify these as “fluff.” Taking an opposing viewpoint would work well for this group, but I would
choose this type of headline after benefits or end results. I would never use a “How To” headline
on a group made up of those high in Dominance because they don’t care how something gets
made/done as long as it does.
Influence? Influence types like to have fun, so my first choice would be either stating a
fun quote (or using a twist of a quote) or making a connection, followed by stating the biggest
benefit, asking a question and piquing curiosity. Solving a problem could work well; however, I
would never use a statistic unless it was formatted specifically to fit their ‘personality.’ An
opposing viewpoint could work well if done in a “light” fashion. Discounts and freebies would go
over well with this group as would “How To” headlines.
Steadiness? The biggest benefit is by far the #1 choice for this group. They love
benefits, along with proof that something will work, or they’ll be compensated. Next… “How To,”
solve a problem, ask a question, use a statistic, state a quote. The curiosity headline would work
well, too, as would making a connection. Comparisons would not do as well as the others.
Assignment Two:
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Which would work better for men? Solving a problem would work well for men because that’s
their primary buying function. Statistics would work well as men generally like technical
information. Stating a quote, stating the biggest benefit, showing the end result and giving a
discount or freebie would also do well with men as would “How To.”
Women? For women, the following would work well: solve a problem, state a quote, ask a
question, create a mystery, biggest benefit, opposing viewpoint, make a connection, end results,
show comparison, discount/freebie and “How To.” My top choices would be: ask a question,
biggest benefit (dealing with how the product/service will make her feel), opposing viewpoint and
comparison (because women love to compare), discount/freebie and “How To.”
Assignment Three:
Look over a few advertising pieces or Web sites and find two examples of headlines that
personally get your attention. Why do they appeal to you? One that I saw said, “Advertising
Secrets I Learned From the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner Man.” That was funny and got me thinking…
what in the world could a vacuum cleaner salesperson teach me about advertising?
Another one I found was “Bifocals? Just think of it as upgrading your contacts.” A nice twist on a
common saying with a little humor and a little comfort added in.
Assignment Four:
Keeping all your target customer information in mind, write one headline for each of the
previous approaches: solve a problem, state a statistic, use a quote, ask a question,
create a mystery, biggest benefit, opposing viewpoint, making a connection, showing end
results, making a comparison, offer a discount or freebie and “how to.” My target customer
is someone who needs to have advertising copy, search engine copy, ezine articles, press
releases or other promotional material written so here are my headlines:
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Problem: Put An End To Wasted Advertising Dollars Now
Statistic: Over 78% Of All Advertising Money Spent Is A Waste
Quote: A Carefully Crafted Word Is Worth A Thousand Pictures
Question: Would You Rather Have Persecution or Praise After

Your Next Ad Campaign?
Mystery: Copywriting Pros Have One Carefully Guarded Secret
Benefit: Attract More Customers & Keep Them For Life!
Opposing Viewpoint: Copywriting Is NOT All There Is To

Marketing
Make Connection: Copy Not Pulling? Been There, Done That.

Let Me Show You How To Fix It.
End Results: More Traffic… More Visitors… More Sales!
Comparison: Unlike Other Writers, We Take the Time To

Understand Your Business AND Your Customers
Discount/Freebie: Your Ad Copy Will Pay for Itself or It’s FREE!
“How To”: Discover How To Increase Your Sales and Your

Search Engine Positioning
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Lesson Six: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
What is the difference between a feature and a benefit? A feature is a trait of the product or
service. A car that has rear-window defrost, an oven that is self-cleaning, a Web site host that
offers 24/7 live customer support, etc. A benefit describes the reason why that feature makes a
difference... it answers the questions, “What’s in it for me?” and “So what?”
The car with rear-window defrost is important because it helps you clearly see behind you in
order to drive more safely.
The self-cleaning feature of the oven is important because it saves you the time and energy of
having your head stuck in the oven for an hour.
The customer support is important because it means you’ll get any problems with your site fixed
right away, so you don’t lose business from your site being down.
Assignment Two:
Make a list of the features of your product or service.
A few of the features for my service are:
Targeted copy
Search engine compatible
Emotionally charged
Assignment Three:
Read each feature and ask yourself the question, “So what?” Write down a short answer.
Targeted copy – [So what?] – It is written with the client’s specific audience in mind… it is not
generic.
Search engine compatible – [So what?] – It contains the proper elements in order to boost your
engine rankings.
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Emotionally charged – [So what?] – It makes a personal connection with the client’s audience and
reaches them on their level. It speaks specifically to them.
Assignment Four:
Consider the problems your target customers face and the answers to your “so what”
questions and then create a benefit for each feature.
Targeted copy – [benefit] – Lets your customers know this offer is just for them.
Search engine compatible – [benefit] – Gets you higher rankings with search engines.
Emotionally charged – [benefit] – Engages customers, makes a connection and shows them
precisely why they must have the product or service.
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Lesson Seven: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
In relation to your product or service, make a brief outline of your target customer’s day.
I won’t continue to bore you with tales of my target customer. I’ll use an example of someone
who wants to start an online business. Our product will be a Web site that focuses on providing
good information about online business opportunities. To make it more “real” and more personal,
give your target customer a name and create a story about his/her day. I’ll use Albert as mine.
6:30 a.m. – Albert wakes to the sound of an overly cheerful radio announcer
rambling about what a great day today will be. “Yeah, right,” he thinks. “Sure it
will!”
As Albert drags himself into the shower, he faces the water and lets it hit directly
on his head in an effort to wake up. “Another day in paradise,” he thinks. “Man,
when am I EVER going to get out of this rat race?”
7:30 a.m. – As Albert is backing out of the driveway, he thinks about what awaits
him at the office. Stacks of paper, coworkers biting each other in the back, rushed
lunches, meeting after meeting. Not exactly how he would like to be spending his
day.
8:00 a.m. – Albert can hardly muster the strength to start his day. He keeps
thinking about having his own business. “But what would I do? What am I good
at? I wish I knew some way to determine what business I would most likely be
successful with.”
12:00 noon – As lunchtime rolls around, Albert decides to spend his hour break
online searching for some clues about his new future as an online entrepreneur.
After surfing for about 30 minutes, he gets disgusted. “Nothing but those stupid
‘stuff envelopes for a million dollars a month’ sites. I’m so sick of scams I could
scream! Is there not some legitimate help for people like me?”
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Get the idea? Can you feel Albert’s frustration? Can you pick out his problems? Are the wheels
rolling in your head about how a product or service could help him?
Assignments Two, Three & Four:
Make a list of the emotions they feel during the course of their day and problems they are
having. In another column of your list, write down how your product/service can solve
their problems. Finally, make a list of the results - how the customers will feel - after they
have used/purchased from you.
With Albert’s example, you can pick out several emotions that are listed below. You’ll also find
the problem-solving examples and end-results <how the customer will feel> examples.
Emotions & Problems Our Product Can Solve End Results

Problems
apathy – hates job Get him excited about searching With so many choices, he’ll
and doesn’t care through all the various opportunities have a new problem…
about it anymore we list. which business to go with!
resentment – feels Give him a way out of the rat race Exhilaration as he
trapped and doesn’t and some hope for his future. investigates the options
like it and opportunities he’s
found.
exhaustion – Add some excitement to his day by
physically and offering some truly promising With this database, Albert
mentally tired of his choices for online businesses. will be more relaxed
“day job” because he won’t feel
trapped anymore – he’ll see
frustration – Give him the solid information he the light at the end of the
aggravated needs to make a choice and get tunnel. He’ll be more
because he can’t started with it. confident knowing that
find the information there IS something (more
he needs than one thing) out there in
cyberspace that he can
discouragement – Provide hope and a brighter outlook. make a living at.
ready to just pack it
in He’ll have everything he
needs all in one place.
Assignment Five:
Create a list of emotions associated with the products or services you are writing about.
This may sound repetitive because you just listed emotions associated with your target customer.
But this time think about the emotions associated with your product/service.
Here are a few examples:
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Product/Service Emotions
Cosmetics Confidence, self-esteem,
harmony, aggressiveness,
excitement
Automobile Freedom, enthusiasm, joy, pride,
recklessness
Computer Awe, humbleness, exhilaration,
anticipation, delight, gratification
Cosmetic Surgery Apprehension, concern,
anticipation, hopefulness
Accounting Services Relief, gratefulness, expectancy,
concern
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Lesson Eight: Answers and Insights

Assignments One & Two:
For your particular product or service, should you offer something free? What will the
offer be? Well, that’s one of those questions where you’ll have to answer it yourself.
Unfortunately, there are some things I can’t tell you about since I don’t specifically know who you
are and what you do. But I will tell you that there are very few businesses that I can think of that
would not benefit from offering a free incentive. Even medical professionals could provide a free
article or report to their patients.
Assignment Three:
What type of “demonstration” would work best for your product or service? Why? This
depends on what you’re offering. Let me give you some guidelines, and you can decide based
on these criteria. (NOTE: Testimonials work well for everyone!)
Demonstration or Flash Case Study Free Trial

Is your product/service Would the “process” be Is your product or service
mechanical? important to the customer? better understood if it is
used?
Is your product/service Do the steps involved in
technical? your service contribute to Can you arrange/afford a
its quality? free trial without much
Is your product/service very trouble or cost?
detailed?
Assignment Four:
Create a sample testimonial that would satisfy the three elements mentioned in this
chapter.
The three elements we mentioned are: provides details, is verifiable and describes the benefits.
Here’s one sample that meets those criteria.
“Viki can be trusted with your Web-design dream! Her talent begins with creativity and skill,
but blossoms as she applies speed, accuracy, professionalism and tenacity. (I almost felt
guilty as she willingly subjected herself to my feeble attempts to describe my vision. She
just kept tweaking the site until it gained my total satisfaction.) I would choose her today
because she provides so much more than simple Web design. It is true that she is
excellent at putting together frames, banners, buttons and HTML codes, but she offers so
much more.”
– Susan James, www.a-real-website.com
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Details? Oh yes! This one goes into the designer’s skills and customer-service abilities.
Verifiable? Uh huh. You can just click the URL and go to the client’s site.
Benefits? Absolutely! Speed, accuracy, professionalism, customer service, goes above and
beyond, etc.
Assignment Five:
Fill in the blanks:
Most effective advertising pieces don’t sell, they fulfill. They don’t talk about the company… they
talk about the customer. They don’t push price… they provide solutions.
Assignment Six:
Below is an actual piece of copy I pulled off the Web. (I changed the company name so I
won’t get sued!) Edit this piece of copy so that it talks to the customer instead of about
the company.
ABC Web Site Design and Promotion, Inc. is fast becoming known as the High Valley's
best Web site marketer. We have spent the past five years learning how search engines
work and how they rank sites. We can improve your site’s ranking on the top search
engines, which account for 93.7% of all World Wide Web searches.
Here’s my new version:
You benefit from the expertise of over five years of search engine
research! Your site will be crafted to meet search engine criteria that will
improve your rankings. Put the High Valley’s best Web site marketing
company to work for you!
Assignment Seven:
Now, go back and add some benefits and end results to the same piece of copy.
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You benefit from the expertise of over five years of search engine research!
Our constant study of how search engines work and how they rank sites means
your business will rank higher than the competition – giving you more visibility to
your customers. Your site will be crafted to meet search engine criteria that will
improve your rankings and ultimately your sales. Put the High Valley’s best
Web site marketing company to work for you and reap the benefits of greater
exposure, more traffic and more profits!
Assignment Eight:
Create a bulleted list outlining the benefits given in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
of the United States of America:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
Here are some things you might have chosen to include in your list. I took a “tongue-in-cheek”
approach to my list.
• Form a practically perfect union – You and your fellow countrymen can work together to
accomplish more in less time. No other country has accomplished this in the history of the
world.
• Establish a true form of justice – Tired of Kings and Queens telling you what to do? No
more “off with his head.” This country will establish a higher form of justice.
• Live your life in domestic tranquility – Better than a vacation to the Bahamas! Just
imagine your entire life lived in complete domestic tranquility.
• You’ll sleep well at night – The USA will provide one of the world’s best defense
organizations to keep you and your family safe from those who want to invade or harm
you.
See the point? While “establish justice” and “insure domestic tranquility” are the features of the
Preamble, the benefits are that we (seriously) don’t have to live under a dictatorship and that we
have provisions to keep our borders safe.
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Assignment Nine:
Write the beginning of a piece of copy (just a headline and a few paragraphs) for a sale
that Wal-Mart discount stores is having. For now, just focus on the branding aspects of
the copy.
Wal-Mart’s prime branding structure is based on low prices… always. They cater to those who
need everyday items and don’t want to pay a lot of money for them. Their stores are “basic” in
layout and design as not to add to their overhead, and thus the customers’ costs.
Wal-Mart’s Low Prices Just Got Even Lower
Now is the time for savings like you’ve never seen before. Thousands
of name-brand items have been drastically reduced - by as much as 75% - in
order to make room for the spring inventory.
Clothes, kitchenware, automotive, shoes, gardening… all departments have slashed

their already low prices. Make your budget go even further during this inventory
clearance sale!
See how this copy speaks in everyday language and focuses on the primary need of the
customer (saving money)? It does not speak over the customer’s head or tiptoe around the fact
that price IS an issue.
Assignment Ten:
Write another piece of copy for sales incentives that Mercedes automobile manufacturer is
offering. (Remember to keep the brands in mind when writing.)
Mercedes is known for quality, luxury automobiles. They cater to those who have little concern
for price, but DO care about their cars’ appointments and dependability. These are normally
upper-income individuals with higher education levels.
A Minivan Good Enough To Bear the Mercedes Name
Living life to its fullest with a young, growing family can be

simpler than you think. The new Mercedes Vaneo adds ease
to your busy life filled with business appointments, soccer
matches and ballet recitals.
With three designs to choose from, the Vaneo offers a wide

variety of diverse and unique features that will exceed your
family’s expectations. All come with environment-friendly
engines. Visit your local Mercedes retailer for a special
previewing of the Vaneo.
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Notice the use of a “higher level” of verbiage here. Rather than soccer “games,” it’s soccer
“matches.” Instead of “Vaneo offers hundreds of options,” we say, “Vaneo offers a wide variety of
diverse and unique features.” The copy also speaks to the interests of this market…
“environment-friendly engines” and “special previewing.”
Assignment Eleven:
Complete the following: Decide the purpose of your page and construct all of your copy around
it.
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Lesson Nine: Answers and Insights

Assignment One:
Rework the Sure Seat copy into shorter form AND redirect the focus to sell to those with a
high Dominance style on the DISC Model who are in the purchase phase of the buying
process.
TIP: Remember what we covered in Lesson Two!
I’ve shortened the copy by about ½ its original length and added a new headline. I’ve also added
some phrasing that would be appealing to Dominance types. I’ve put those words in bold, so you
can easily see them. In addition, I’ve made adjustments to push the reader to go ahead and
make their decision to buy.
See if what you wrote is similar to this.
Innovative “Sure Seat” Guarantees

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According to the Child Safety Seat Association, most parents aren’t even aware
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• providing peace of mind that no harm will come to your child as a result of
faulty child seat installation
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• offering portability so – regardless of which car your child is in – you know the
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Notice that the “new and innovative” types of phrasing were left in, while a lot of the redundant
“reassuring” language was taken out. Dominance types are a quick sell. They don’t require a lot
of convincing. They do, however, want to know that what they are getting is the latest and
greatest.
163
Assignment Two:
Using the A.I.D.A. formula, write a one-page piece of copy aimed toward women high in
Influence. The product is Forever Bloom, an artificial flower that is “planted” in your yard.
Flowers will not fade for five years. They look just like “real” flowers, but without any care
or maintenance. Use your imagination. Have fun with it!
OK… Influence types are fast movers… they make quick decisions… they want to have fun, and
they are visual people. Think about your typical salesperson, and you’ll usually nail the Influence
style right on the head. But… the problem is that we’re writing copy, not designing a full-color
flyer or Web site, so we have to use our best descriptive verbiage to play on the customer’s
senses.
In addition to giving due consideration to our target customer, we’ll need to consider the words
and phrasing from Lesson Two along with the A.I.D.A. formula and the other lessons.
See if you came up with something similar to this:
164
Make Your Neighbors Green

Over Your Rainbow Of Colors
You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood! Everyone will compliment you! Why? Because
you’ll have the most beautiful yard on the block. Others will wonder why the stunning
array of vibrantly colored flowers in your yard never fade or wilt with the heat of the
summer sun.
What IS the secret to a gorgeous yard without any maintenance?

Forever Bloom, of course!
“Nobody knows I use Forever Bloom flowers in my yard. All my family and friends
think I’ve taken a landscaping class! I just smile each time I get a compliment.”
Suzie Christian, suzie@yourhost.com
Forever Bloom is a specially designed artificial flower that looks just as real as a natural
flower. Imagine the brilliant display of electric pinks, warming oranges, enlightening
yellows and royal purples filling every garden spot in your yard. They are so real you’ll
swear you detect a hint of floral fragrance wafting through the breeze. Feel them… the
soft, supple petals are so real to the touch you simply won’t believe they are artificial. And,
best of all, Forever Bloom flowers never need:
• watering
• weeding
• clipping
• pruning
• fertilizing
That means you have a meticulously landscaped yard that will delight your eyes, relax
your soul and give you pride without any work at all!
Order Forever Bloom flowers right now and get Two FREE Forever Bloom Shrubs with
your purchase of $50 or more.
And your order comes with our unconditional 100% money-back guarantee! If you
aren’t completely satisfied, you’ll get a complete and immediate refund of your full
purchase price.
Click here now to view the tremendous selection

of Forever Bloom flowers available for your yard.
Then sit back and enjoy!
165
Lesson Ten: Answers and Insights
Assignment One:
Use WordTracker to research some effective keywords for:
a marketing-consultant firm
According to the search I did, the strongest keyphrase I found in the free search was “small
business marketing consultant.” It is much narrower than “marketing consultant” and has less
competition fighting to get attention under that phrase.
Notice that most people don’t search under just one word. They use phrases and plurals. You
might have seen both keyphrases for “marketing consultant” and “marketing consultants.” The
plural phrase almost always ranks higher.
a used-car dealership
Several great keyphrases came up for this one. I looked at these four in particular: “used cars,”
“buying used cars,” “used cars for sale” and “used car dealers.” Again… notice that all of these
are plural.
an office-supply store
The keyphrases that showed good possibility for this business are: “wholesale office supplies,”
“office supplies” and “discount office supplies.” (This would be, of course, if the terms ‘wholesale’
and ‘discount’ were applicable to the business.)
a Web site-design company
For this business, I have come up with four good keyphrases. They are “web site design
templates,” “web design,” “design web page” and “web page design.”
166
Assignment Two:
Create a set of META tags (title, keywords and description) for the Web site-design
company.
Here are some ideas for tags:
Title: web site design for small businesses

web site design templates that sell
web design services at affordable prices
(TIP: Never use the name of your company unless it includes keywords!)
Keywords: web, site, design, templates, designs, page
(TIP: Be sure to include each word once only.)
Description: Web design and Web site design templates for award-winning results at affordable
prices.
(TIP: Your description is what shows up in the search engine results. It needs to be keyword rich
and enticing to your reader.)
Assignment Three:
Develop ALT tags for the following graphics on the Web site-design company’s site:
their logo – Web site design by ABC Company.

a picture of someone sitting at a computer – Web page design suited to your business needs.
a starburst that states, “we guarantee our work” – Web design templates guaranteed to get
results.
(TIP: The ALT tags need to be applicable to the graphic or photo. Just “stuffing” keywords into
ALT tags runs you the risk of being banned by the search engines.
167
Assignment Four:
Write a three-column table (title and descriptions) for the Web site-design company
focusing on the keyphrases “Web site design,” “graphic design” and “Web site
maintenance.”
Web Site Design Graphic Design Web Site Maintenance

You’ll receive custom Nothing enhances your Web sites are always a
Web site design for site like custom work in progress. If you
only $99 per page, graphic design. don’t know how, or
created specifically with Logos, banners, don’t have time to make
your business in mind. images and more will the changes yourself,
help you stand out in ask about our Web site
the crowd. maintenance plans.
Assignment Five:
Write a pay-per-click search engine ad (using Google’s AdWords guidelines) for Toyota
automobile’s Prius hybrid car. (See
http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/prius/index.html for details.) Google AdWord
ads can have a headline of 25 characters long and (2) additional lines that are up to
35 characters long. Here are two I wrote:
Gas/Electric Powered Car

Environmentally friendly, fuel
efficient hybrid car by Toyota.
90% Cleaner Running Car

Toyota’s Prius is easy on fuel and
the environment. Get details here:
168
Final Exam: Answers and Insights

Target Audience Analysis
I started first by doing a target audience analysis on the customer.
1) Who is the perfect customer? A homeowner who is concerned about the security of his/her
home and property. The perfect buyer would be a family where the parents are both concerned.
Perhaps the mom stays home with the children (work-at-home mom or stay-at-home mom), yet
she has a lot of running around to do. She and the kids are in and out of the home during the day
(going to school, ballet, swim lessons, after-school sporting events, etc.), leaving the house
vulnerable to thieves.
The father works in an office about 40 miles away from the house and would not be able to get
home in time to help should tragedy strike. He is often on-site with clients for hours on end and
not always available via phone.
The children like to play outside, and the mother needs to feel confident that her children are
safe.
2) What problems do these people face that our product/service can solve?
They know the limitations of traditional security systems in that they only protect the house itself
and not the property.
They don’t feel completely secure and need something that works beyond sounding an alarm or
automatically calling the authorities. They want something that stops the problem before it starts.
3) What end result is our target audience looking for from our product/service?
They want peace of mind and a strong sense of safety - when they’re home alone, when they’re
away on vacation, when they are sleeping with small children in the house.
4) What demographic information do we know about our target audience? Not much. This
audience could consist of almost anyone. Most likely, they will have above-average income in
order to afford such a system. They will probably have children and/or valuable belongings they
want to protect. It is also possible that they live in a rural area where police and other authorities
could not immediately get to the scene. Could be men and women.
169
DISC Behavioral Style
Because we know so little about our audience, I’m going to use the DISC style of Steadiness.
This is the style that the majority of the population falls into. I’ll also assume I’ll be pitching to
both men and women. We’ve already stated that this is a new product, so it will require a
“learning curve” and more information than an already acknowledged product.
Emotions Involved
On both the negative and positive sides, the emotions could be:
Fear, safety, security, anxiety, relief, apprehension, well-being, confidence and others.
Long or Short Copy
Since I am using the Steadiness style, and since this is a new product with never before
marketed features, I’ll go with long copy.
Writing To Everybody
I will base this copy on the Steadiness style, but since I’m unsure of exactly who will read it, I’ll
also make provisions for those who prefer less information and shorter copy.
Headline
Again, due to the use of the Steadiness style, I will choose to create a headline that focuses on
the most powerful benefit.
Features vs. Benefits
In order to create such benefits, I’ll go through the seven steps. You may have created different
features than I have. That’s OK. This is an imaginary product, so it will also have made-up
features and benefits. <grin>
170
Feature Benefit
thumbprint activation no codes to remember and no
mis-typed codes that set off
false alarms
remote control activate/deactivate the system
from anywhere within a 10-
mile radius
surrounds your property and robbers/vandals are stopped
house before they ever reach your
yard
electronic field stuns offender and the offender is rendered
alerts you and the authorities unconscious – you are alerted
and the authorities are called
upgrade your existing system no need to totally replace your
existing security system –
upgrade to House Field
activation notice and intercom notification of the system is
included given, so others don’t enter the
property and get shocked… an
intercom system is included,
so visitors can contact you to
gain admission to your
property
zone programming create zones on your property
or in your house, so you can
turn individual sections off or
on
person/pet distinction automatically distinguishes
between people and pets, so
animals are not harmed
connects to other emergency no massive re-wiring of the
equipment in your home house – this system connects
easily with existing smoke and
fire alarms
Now… with those benefits in mind, I’ll create a headline.
With all the various benefits, I think the most powerful one (and the one that is at the core of our
audience’s wish list) is this one: Robbers/vandals are stopped before they ever reach your yard.
That’s what I’ll go with.
“Stop Robbers & Vandals Before

They Ever Reach Your Property”
171
Getting Inside the Mind of the Customer
Next, I need to “get inside” the heads of my customers. I need to spend a few minutes in their
world, so I can see what their fears, wants, needs, struggles, etc. are. I won’t take the space to
list out the “day in the life” scenario I created, but I will give you these highlights:
Morning – wants to awake without the fear of going downstairs to find the TV, computer and
valuables gone and the house torn apart. Wants to go outside without finding the car or other
property missing.
Afternoon – wants to leave the house without fear of coming home to an intruder (especially if
he/she left the house to pick up the kids).
Evening – needs the security of going to bed (with children or pets in the house) knowing that no
uninvited visitor can enter the yard or home.
Free Offer
I decided that a free home inspection would be a good offer. I’ll also include a free emergency
planning kit (for fire emergency and severe weather emergency) that shows them exactly what to
do in those instances.
Demonstration/Testimonial
I will, of course, include a few testimonials within the copy. But in addition to that, I’ll also have a
flash presentation available online that will walk the potential customer step-by-step through the
entire process.
Guarantee/Warranty
Let’s offer both! I’ll include a warranty on the equipment of the system and a lifetime guarantee
that give customers a 100% refund of their original purchase/installation price if the system ever
fails.
172
Don’t Sell – Solve
Keeping both the “day in the life” scenario and the benefits of the House Field in mind, I’ll plan to
write my copy so it doesn’t “sell,” but “solves” problems for customers.
Attention, Interest, Desire, Action & the Buying Process
These will be my guidelines as I write.
Branding
Remember, I stated in the instructions of your final assignment that this company was extremely
customer focused. They are a highly professional group. I’ll keep this in mind when writing so
that the copy supports the brand.
Keywords
“Home security systems” (plural and singular versions).
That’s it! It’s now time to write the actual copy.
173
“Home Security System Stops Intruders

BEFORE They Ever Reach Your Property”
In our world today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the feeling of

safety. Traditional home security systems are becoming obsolete as they
continually send false alarms, and as burglars become more proficient at
disabling them.
This leaves your home, belongings and family at great risk.
The perfect solution would be to create a home security system that prevents
robbers and vandals from ever reaching your property. That’s precisely what the
House Field is designed to do!
A field of protection surrounds

your house AND property.
Now there is an amazing, invisible field that surrounds your entire yard. House
Field home security system works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
year to keep you, your belongings, your children and your pets safe from harm.
This revolutionary system is set up around the parameter of your property. It

never gives the robber or vandal the opportunity to get close to you, your house
or your children.
Just imagine the confidence you’ll feel knowing you have your own, personal
security guard protecting the boundaries of your property. No more waking up in
a cold sweat when you hear a bump in the night. You’ll never have to wonder if
your children are safe. And vacations will be all the more relaxing when you
have the full assurance of knowing House Field has everything under control.
Click here to arrange for a free

demonstration or to order now.
“I was so tired of false alarms that I ended up disconnecting

our old home security system. That didn’t make me feel safe at all.
Now with House Field, I have full control with no more false
alarms. And ALL my property is protected… my house, my car, my
garage… everything!” – Gina Demitry, Atlanta, GA
gina@yourhost.com
Proven technology is
100% guaranteed to stop intruders.
House Field home security system uses invisible fence technology to safely and
174
dependably guard you and your family while keeping burglars at bay.
Because the field surrounds your entire house and yard, robbers never even get
the chance to come near your home, much less break into it.
House Field gives you:
• Thumbprint activation – no codes to remember and no false alarms due

to typing in the incorrect code, like with other home security systems.
• Remote control access – activate/deactivate the system from anywhere
within a 10-mile radius to let in repairmen, delivery persons or guests.
• Peace of mind knowing that this home security system never lets robbers
and delinquents near your home.
• “Stun gun” effect leaving offenders disabled, so they can’t escape
authorities or harm you.
• Zone programming so you can individually turn on or off various sections
of your property.
• Person/pet distinction so no animals will be harmed by your home
security system.
• Integration with your existing smoke/fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Compatibility with your existing home security system – simply upgrade.
• Activation “on” & intercom to alert others that your system is functioning
and allow them to contact you from a safe distance.
“I just can’t tell you how safe I feel with House Field! It is such a
relief to know that robbers can’t even get onto my property… much
less into my house. With 2 small children and a husband that works
nights, that means a LOT to me!” -- Kelly Gentry, Mobile, AL,
kellyg@yourhost.com

Get a good night’s sleep knowing your family, pets and

property are protected by the invisible barrier of a home
security system.
Take a few moments to see House Field in action.

Simply click here to view our online demonstration
of this powerful home security system.
If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us. We’ll gladly rush you a
complete package containing all the information about House Field. There is no
obligation.
When you contact us, ask for your FREE home inspection. We’ll send a highly
skilled home security system representative to review your house and property,
175
your existing systems and your needs. We can then offer you an accurate quote
for installation of the House Field for you and your family.
You’ll also receive a free emergency planning kit (for fire emergency and
severe weather emergencies) that shows you exactly what to do to keep your
family safe. It’s yours to keep even if you choose not to purchase the
amazing House Field home security system.

For as little as $3.00 per day,

your family can be surrounded by safety… guaranteed!
House Field is backed by ABC Security Company, a world leader in home

security systems. We stand behind each and every installation with our 100%
money-back guarantee. Your House Field system comes complete with a 10-
year product warranty. We’ll also offer you a 100% refund of your original
purchase/installation price if the system ever fails.
Our easy credit payment options make House Field affordable for everyone.
Don’t delay any longer. It simply isn’t worth the risk.
Will you and your family be safe tonight?

Be sure of it!
Order Now or contact us for your

FREE home inspection.
176

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The Step-By-Step Copywriting Course

by Karon Thackston © 2002-2007, All Rights Reserved

by Karon Thackston © 2002-2007

Copyright, U.S. Library of Congress 2002-2007, All Rights Reserved.

Copywriting is a powerful skill to have!

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!

Lesson One: THE Most Important (and most overlooked) Aspect

“Whom am I writing to, anyway?”

In one sentence… Get inside the mind of your target audience.

OK, I’ve made my point, I think.

What do you think of when I say “professional parents”?

1. Where are you from?

1. Ask. Devise a survey or questionnaire. Take a week or two to write a list of

TIP: I use Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com) because the software is

b) have on their wish list

c) are mad about and

d) think is a fabulous improvement.

Click here for answers and insights about Lesson One!

Lesson Two: Discover What Copy Type Fits Your Target

Don’t touch that keyboard just yet!

Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Two!

Lesson Three: Guess What? Men and Women Are Different!

Want written information including any Prefer to communicate verbally with a

Need information to be presented in a Can receive information in any order and

Decide to buy quickly. Take several exposures to a

Respond more to facts and figures. Respond more to social influences.

Consider each purchase an investment Make purchases that affect them

Rarely ask for help. Need to ask questions.

3. If you’re writing to a female audience, take a more conversational approach, validate

Men and Women on the Web

Click here for answers and insights about Lesson Three!

Lesson Four: Writing to Please Everybody

• Who your target audience is,

Can it be done? Absolutely!

1. There are commonalities between the sexes. Both need

2. If you know your target audience is primarily made up of one

3. If you’re writing to a female audience, take a more

Long Copy vs. Short Copy

Your Product or Service

• Communication Style of Buyer – Core Steadiness or

NOTE: Segmenting Your Audience

Information Specific To Each Segment

Segmenting On The Web

Ebook Publishing Tools

SEO Research Labs

Order within the next 24 hours and you'll receive ROYALTY-

"How I Turned a Simple Ezine

Date: August 3, 2002

"And to think...it all started from just a simple newsletter..."

But there was just one little problem...

"So What Is 'The Great Ezine Experiment'?"

"So What Is 'The Great Ezine Experiment'?"

My objectives in “The Great Ezine Experiment” were simple:

• Create a unique and desirable newsletter

And guess what…IT WORKED!

In short, you’re stuck.

How do I know it works?

"I've read through your report, 'The Great Ezine

I think this report will be the foundation stone that helps

In fact, I'm 100% certain this is the exact information

To me, you've shown that making a living online can and is

Here's what you'll discover in "The Great Ezine Experiment"...

Plus, you're backed by my now famous...