The Lessons from Copywriting

"A bit of 'secrecy' grabs the reader's attention and keeps them engaged. It also helps to create a sense of mystery or interest that entices them to keep reading and learn more about what you have to offer......Curiosity and intrigue can also be used to challenge a reader's assumptions or beliefs about a particular subject. By tapping into their natural desire for knowledge or new solution, you can create a stronger push towards your offer." - Brandon Speaks

Brandon Speaks is a Copywriter. I asked him 5 questions about copywriting and how the principles from copywriting can be used in other areas, in a multidisciplinary manner.

1. What do you consider ‘beauty’ in your field of work?

The art of influencing others through words and ideas could be considered "beauty" in copywriting.

The use of persuasive language and psychological triggers can be a powerful tool for connecting with the reader on a deeper level and getting them to take action.

The beauty of persuasion lies in the ability to create a connection between the reader and the outcome your product or service promises to deliver, and leading them in a way that inspires action.

Whether it's by tapping into their fears, hopes, or frustrations, the goal is always to create a sense of urgency and empower the reader with a sense of agency.

When done well, this can create an experience for the reader that is both enjoyable and helps fulfill their desired outcome.

2. What principles from copywriting can be applied to other fields?

Testing and refining: Copywriting is often based on data and testing to see what works best. The same approach can be applied to other fields by constantly experimenting, collecting data, and refining your approach based on what you learn.

This can be applied to education, engineering, or even dating, where you want to continually improve your results and achieve better outcomes. By adopting a data-driven approach, you can make informed decisions and improve your process based on what works best. This can lead to better outcomes and more successful results overall.

3. What small things make a big difference in copywriting?

Keeping a swipe file, especially for email. It's pretty easy to identify who the top players in a given niche are. Once you have these, set up a separate email, and get on their list.

This will be your go-to place for ideas and give you great examples to work from. Of course, never swipe someone's copy word-for-word. You're looking for ideas here, both what topics they're writing about and how it's presented.

4. What is the biggest misconception or the biggest mistake that people make about copywriting?

Spending a lot of time and/or money on courses and books. These aren't the best, or even an effective way to learn copy.

You'll pick up far more by reading good copy in the wild. Improving at copy is a game of inputs. So spend your time reading and taking notes on actual sales letters, VSLs, emails, etc.

The more *good* copy you're exposed to, the quicker you'll begin to recognize the patterns that make up a solid sales argument.

Following a logical structure and being able to tap into the audience's emotional triggers is far more important than what words are on the page.

4.1 How do you tap into a person’s emotional triggers?

In financial copy we talk about using the four big emotions - New, Easy, Safe, and Big. These were coined by Kyle Milligan who also worked at Agora Financial.

Basically, for any opportunity to be successful, you need to address all four of these emotions. In practice, you can often lean on a couple.

Your offer should be something the reader has never seen before or at least perceives as New, and something they can only get from you. No one likes hard work, wants to think, or wants to struggle with anything too complicated. Your solution must be Easy - as close to done-for-you as possible. Most people are risk-averse, especially when it comes to investing their savings. Make your opportunity feel Safe by adding in things like testimonials, case studies, and examples from the news, etc. where the promised result can already be seen in action. Last, the opportunity needs to be Big if you want to excite the reader and move them to take action. We're not going for 1% improvements here. You want the reader to think, "wow, that could be life-changing." The actual words you use are not so important. How you phrase it is up to you and what you are offering, but every successful sales argument will hit these basic "emotions" from many different angles, over and over throughout a sales letter.

5. Which single concept from copywriting deserves to be more widely known?

Probably the importance of curiosity and intrigue in marketing. Having marketing content that is valuable on its own is good, but you don't want to risk boring the reader with too much education at first.

A bit of 'secrecy' grabs the reader's attention and keeps them engaged. It also helps to create a sense of mystery or interest that entices them to keep reading and learn more about what you have to offer.

By giving away just enough detail to arouse their curiosity, you can hold their interest longer, which increases the chance that they will make a purchase, sign up for your service, or fill out a form.

Curiosity and intrigue can also be used to challenge a reader's assumptions or beliefs about a particular subject. By tapping into their natural desire for knowledge or new solution, you can create a stronger push towards your offer.