PPC Classroom Live – Copywriting

Mike Morgan, the premier copywriter, gave a great presentation on writing copy for ads, landing pages and just plain good writing.  As a veteran of 25 years of broadcast television, I can appreciate the importance of good content and great copy.  It is easier said than done and Mike gave a good look at what it takes.

Internet marketing is not effective without great communication and persuasion.  You need to know what your customer is looking for, what they want and learn how to address that need as directly and clearly as you can.

Mike pointed out that there are eight “elite” needs, aspirations, motivations we all share.  These can form the basis for crafting a headline, subheadline, call to action and ad copy.  He described them as follows:

1. Survival–we all have the need to survive, enjoy life and look for life extension opportunities.  So this is one emotion with strong aspirational pull.

2. Enjoyment of food and drink—this draws on survival and goes to the deeper need to eat and drink to maintain both physical and mental health.

3.  Freedom from fear and pain–this appeals to all forms of fear both physical and psychological. Pain , whether it’s back pain or depression, is also a great motivator for action.

4.  Sexual companionship–is there anyone that doubts that the sex drive in not a primal factor in motivating behavior?

5.  Comfortable living conditions–this speaks to the need for a safe haven and an environment where we feel safe, wanted and relevant.  A place that recognizes our value.

6.  Superiority, winning, keeping up with the Jones–we are all competitive animals aware of our relative position in the grand scheme of things and always looking for an edge to keeps us ahead of the crowd.

7.  Care and Protection of Loved Ones–this addresses the very instinct of protecting our inner circle from all harm.  It dates from the cave days and is another primal instinct that has a very strong pull.

8.  Social Approval–we all want recognition and rewards for our work.  Ego plays a big role here.  Having your self worth validated is something we all aspire to and will seek when we can.

The presentation was filled with more advice on how to work a routine and how to select the right wording.  Mike showed how you want to define the tension that motivates desire.  This leads to a need to take action to satisfy the need.  This process is done through great copy that has relevance, clarity, connects with the prospect and validates that prospects experience. Validation means the action is something that appears entirely doable to the person reading the copy.

By the way, Mike pointed out that you want to write 7th grade copy. No fancy words, or long sentences, use simple copy and make it short and to the point.

There are several approaches that work well.  “Saving money”, “the big promise”, “the money back guarantee”, the “how to” and the “tell a story” are but some of the formats that are tried and true.

If you follow some of these points, or if you take a course with Mike to learn some of the basics, then copywriting does not have to be the dreaded task it is for many who fear writing.

It was a very compelling presentation on the importance of copywriting and writing in general, something that often falls by the wayside in all the noise, yet something that you cannot ignore if you want to succeed online.

Hope this was useful.

May Your Travels Be Prosperous.