Copywriting – The 10 Magic Words

This is post number twelve in my Freelance Writing Guide For New Freelancers. Back in 2006 I did a copywriting workshop with one of the famous copywriters in modern history. His name is David Garfinkel. Tim Erway also happened to be on the same call. Funny enough, after finishing the workshop, I never actually ventured into much copywriting work. I did some jobs for a few clients, but they weren’t huge squeeze pages or sales pages. Although I’m very confident I can pull this off if need be, I haven’t ventured down that particular road just yet.

In reality though copywriting is what fills the pockets of the famous Internet marketers. Without the magic input of a good copywriter, many product launches will simply flop. Despite this, if there is no sufficient list, or the marketer failed to study his target customers needs  accordingly, the best copywriter will not be able to pull you out of the trenches.

A copywriter needs to understand a lot about how the human psyche works. Knowing why people react a certain way and what makes them tick goes a long way in understanding the fine details in a well written copy (text). It also takes a thorough understanding of the sales funnel process and how it all fits together.

The foundation on which most copy’s are built are a the 10 magic words of copywriting. These words have the power to make us grab the credit card and buy in a feeding frenzy. A good copywriter manages you to sell yourself to the product that is presented to you without you even realizing it.

Once you know the magic words, you might be able to identify whether you really need that latest Ebook.

1.) FREE

Free is an extremely powerful word. It catches people’s attention. It makes them curious. But within email messages it can also trip Spam filters, since free is often used by spammers.

If you are thinking of using the word free, don’t use it heavily. Use the free spam score check tool (AWeber has an excellent one too), to see whether your email might be eaten before it arrives at its destination.

2.) You and Your

Marketers should use the word you twice as much than using their own name. When people see the word you, it’s just like a magnet (are you ever tongue tied at a party). Talk about heir benefits and their situation. If we give away a free report, it helps to pass ownership by saying claim your free  “…”. They will already feel like it’s their book before they even have it (Mini courses, bribes, audio) People like different stuff.

3.) Announcing

This is a news word like nr. 4 and 5. It creates interest, intrigue and gets people to take action because they want to be the first to own a product. 4) Introducing

The word introducing is often used in headlines, with Google Adwords and articles. It is a powerful word, since it announces something brand new. Our mentality has us rushing to buy, since we want to be among the first as the first often make a lot of money too, especially if it is with affiliate programs.

5.) New

As seen before, the word new is another attention grabber. Simple but very powerful.

6.) Secret(s)

Secrets evoke thoughts of forbidden knowledge. Knowledge that has only been granted to a few lucky ones and we want in on this knowledge. Why do you think the movie The Secret was such a success?

7.) How to

“How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie was one of the most successful books ever sold. If we start an article or an ad with “how to” it is very powerful. If you search for any information online, “how to” stuff is everywhere. Even though it’s old knowledge, “how to’s” are still selling like hot cakes, because there will always be new people looking for information.

8.) Guarantee

A good copy needs to have a water tight guarantee. It helps in the trust building process between seller and customer as it empowers the customer. Knowing that you can buy something with a backdoor open is very satisfying, especially for people whose credit card is way past the healthy stages.

9.) Magic

Magic is self explanatory. The word magic evokes magic. When we read copy containing the word magic we are allowed to dream and fantasize. We think bigger and the promise of this magic makes us feel good (which is a deciding factor to buy).

10.) Easy

Easy does it. People are always looking for easy. Why else would they ask me questions on how to start a freelance writing career when they can find everything on this blog.

Why bother reading the information when you can ask. Why walk to the shop when we can drive. Why cook a meal when we can eat at the restaurant. In some ways most of us have areas where we are simply too lazy. So we look for fast and easy answers.

If you are a seller, remember this, it sells.

Hot buttons

The following 3 questions get us started very fast when we look for effective copy:

1. Who is the prospect?
2. What is their problem?
3. What am I offering them to solve their problem and fulfill their desires

Copywriting in short is the art of finding people’s hot buttons. The ones that provoke us into buying. Naturally there is a lot more to it but this just about sums it up.

If you are interested in learning more about copywriting, I suggest you study the Gary Halbert Letter.

Monika