The word copywriting is all over the net but it’s often misunderstood. Wikipedia defines copywriting as:

Copywriting is the use of words to promote a person, business, opinion or idea. Although the word copy may be applied to any content intended for printing (as in the body of a newspaper article or book), the term copywriter is generally limited to such promotional situations, regardless of media (as advertisements for print, television, radio or other media). The author of newspaper or magazine copy, for example, is generally called a reporter or writer or a copywriter.

I define copywriting more simply: It’s the act of using words to sell or influence. My expanded definition is still more concise than the Wikipedia version: It’s written persuasion created to make your target audience act in a certain way, such as click, read, buy, or register.

Storytelling is a great copywriting tactic. Stories are entertaining and engage the reader in a more subtle way than the triple-decibel BUY THIS! blast-messages we get hit with everyday.

Long before human beings learned to read and write we used storytelling to transfer knowledge and influence one another. A million years of storytelling has altered our genetic code. It’s now in our DNA to listen to stories, decide what’s important to us and then apply that to our lives.

If you want your audience to associate with your brand, your products and with you, then tell them a story. At a strategic level, it’s not much more complicated than that. 

The best way to get your audience to take action, however, is to include these five key elements in your story:

1. Measurement
2. Comparison
3. Time
4. Uniqueness and
5. Compelling

Measurement: Most people grant numbers more credibility than they do general comments. Whatever it is you do for your clients, using numbers to quantify the benefits will make your claims more believable than claims that lacks numbers.

Comparison: Give your audience before and after examples of the benefits of your product or service. Demonstrating results in a before and after scenario gives your claims perspective.

Time: Similarly, providing a timeframe around your results helps your audience understand the true impact of your product or service, especially if the benefits were produced quickly.

Uniqueness: Since you want to stand out from your competition and have your own brand, it’s important to make your claim as unique as possible. That’s really hard in a web-connected world, but that’s also why it is so critical.

Compelling: The compelling element answers the question: “Who cares?” You may be able to clean reading glasses faster than anyone in your city but I doubt many people will pay for that unique skill.

Steve

Last Tuesday I shared 16 Tip for Business Success from Bob Parsons, CEO and Founder of GoDaddy. Today I'm sharing my list, my keys to success.

1. Make a decision only when it's necessary. Every decision has a right time to be made. Don't rush decision making just because you want to check it off your to-do list. Something important might change between the time you want to make a decision and the time you must make a decision.
2. Be a good listener. Too many leaders (people) stop listening, which means they stop learning. I know you're smart, you wouldn't be Chief-of something-Officer if you weren't, but that doesn't make you infallible. Respect those around you by listening to what they have to say, then select your course of action.
3. Find your passion and pursue it with all your might. Life is more about happiness than your bank account. If you think it's all about the bank account, then you're shallow and probably not a very happy person. Life is short; get happy.
4. Find a career in a growing industry. In a growing industry when they have enough work for one and a half people they hire two people. The result is the quality of work increases, which brings more value to the customer, which makes them happy so they buy more...it's a virtuous cycle. Conversely, in a declining industry when they have enough work for one and a half people they hire one person and work him/her like a mule. If that person sticks around great, if not they bring in another mule. Don't be a mule.
5. Execution is where good ideas go to die. Good ideas are easy. Most of the people I know can rattle off a couple dozen good ideas in minutes. Execution is much harder and, therefore, more valuable. Focus on a few good ideas and learn to execute them well.
6. Nurture your relationships. Success requires other people - supporters, a team, employees, etc. If the relationship is intact you can navigate through rough waters. If you destroy the relationship people will go against their own self interest to undermine your efforts. Life is a journey so take some good people with you.
7. Take measured risks and have faith in yourself. Most of what you plan won't turn out exactly as you envisioned. That's ok. Accept curves in the road as normal and stop fretting over what might have been. Golf teaches us this point well; play the ball where it lies.
8. "There is no such thing as failure; there is only success and quitting." Eleanor Roosevelt said that when she was struggling against considerable odds to establish UNICEF. I think Mike Ditka said, "Until you give up you're always in the process of winning." Good counsel from two very successful people. Refuse to give up.
9. Live within your financial means. Money is not everything but you do need it to survive. A financial cushion can bring you peace of mind, safety and independence. I've never really worried about losing my job because, for most of my life, I've had a financial cushion to fall back on in emergencies.
10. Get over yourself. I know your Momma told you that you were great and I'm sure she's right. However, as a whole the world just doesn't care all that much and an ounce of humility, especially if you're talented, goes a lot farther than a gallon of hubris.
11. Give more and expect less. This is a good way to create balance in your life and avoid resentment. If you only give when you expect to get then you're being small, selfish and immature. Give freely and you will have deep relationships with good people. Be a taker and you will soon find yourself surrounded by takers, all trying to hustle the other. Does that sound like fun to you? It doesn't to me.
12. Avoid toxic people. Enough said.
13. Have (quiet) confidence in your self because if you don't no one else will.
14. Don't enjoy telling or be in a hurry to let someone else know they're wrong. If finding fault in someone else gives you joy then you need to understand why you feel that way. Do you think you're up just because they're down? That's twisted. If someone has a fault or is mistaken about something try to find a non-threatening way to help (coach) them. Who knows, you might find that you are the one in need of coaching...Oh, I get it, that's what you were afraid of in the first place.
15. Wag more; bark less. If you approach others with a kind and loving heart you can discuss anything. If you approach others with an angry or resentful heart then a simple "good morning" can be ill received.
16. If you have to prove you're always right, then you're always wrong. 

Steve

A Headline is an attention getting device. If you think only writers need to know how to write headlines then think again. What is PowerPoint other than a series of Headlines. Please don't tell me you write out your presentation on slides and then read them to the audience? Ugh!

In Sean D'Souza's ebook "Why Do Some Headlines Fail?" he explains the psychology of Headlines as well as their use. Question headlines "beat the living daylights out of statement headlines," according to D'Souza, because questions "irritate the brain."

Similarly, headlines that are "problem based," versus statement based, and headlines with "How To" in them also perform well. The common denominator is these types of headlines are all curiosity based. There's something in the human brain that is attracted to solving problems, discovering truth and digging deeper that compels us to investigate these types of headlines.

D'Souza's ebook is a lighthearted, short read with several valuable tips. Click here to download: Why Do Some Headlines Fail?

Enjoy.

Steve