Web copy that's intended to sell or generate leads needs to quickly reach out and grab attention and build rapport with a target audience. You can connect with your audience more effectively if you understand something about how people process information, and how they think.
Every one of us is constantly sorting, distorting, and generalizing what we perceive, just to stay sane.
As a result, different people see the world differently. You probably want to appeal to as many of them within your target market as possible. Here are three simple tips you can use when it comes to editing your web copy.
1 - An idea can be made to appeal to more people if it is expressed in both a positive (moving toward), and a negative (moving away from) fashion.
Look how it's done in this famous lead..."TWO YEARS FROM NOW, your business could easily be worth 2.5 to 25 times what it's worth today...Or you could fall into the list of business also-rans... " Some people are motivated by the desire for gain, and others by the fear of loss. With a statement like this, it doesn't matter which, you're speaking their language either way.
Another great example of this is in the life insurance industry. Rather than try to force a square peg into a round whole, the insurance companies came up with the idea of "cash value". Now the sales pitch could be reframed to appeal to both types of people. Those that moved toward pleasure could be sold on the idea of early retirement, and those that moved away from pain could be sold on the more traditional idea of income protection.
2 - The second idea is internal versus external frame of reference. Some people do things because they see others doing them. Some people want to relate things to their own experience. The former is impressed by testimonials and success stories, while the latter is moved by deductive reasoning, analogy, and metaphor. You can see this requires two very different kinds of selling.
Here's another way to look at internal versus external orientation. The internally directed person values a sense of achievement while the externally directed person values recognition. Two sides to the same coin.
So you might say in your copy, "Picture the smiles of appreciation your family will reward you with when they begin to enjoy the new lifestyle this knowledge can afford you. Imagine the sense of achievement, and how confident you'll become!"
The first sentence appeals to an external bias, while the second one targets an internal bias.
3 - And the third tip is to use phrases that appeal to multiple modes of perception in your copy. Like everyone else, you perceive the world with a bias toward seeing (visual), hearing (auditory), or feeling (kinesthetic). Naturally your copy will reflect this bias. By going back through it and editing it to include all three biases, you will connect with more readers.
I am a very visual person, so I might write something like, " You've got a clear view of it in your mind's eye now, don't you? Suddenly, it appears you'll make your decision." I might go back and edit this passage to include a mix of the modalities. Perhaps..."This is really resonating (auditory) with you now isn't it? You've grasped (kinesthetic) all of the important points and you can see (visual) your choice."
By understanding people's patterns of perception, and how they view the world, you can make more of them feel comfortable when they arrive at your website. Your sales message will click with more buyers, and you'll see more sales!
". . . anywhere is the center of the world." Black Elk, Sioux Medicine Man
Copyright 2005 Daniel Levis
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel & world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to co author "Million Dollar Online Advertising Strategies ? From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!", a tribute to the late, great Robert Collier.
Let the legendary Robert Collier show you how to write words that sell... Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters!
http://www.Advertising-Online -Strategies.com/ad-strategies.html
AP - Attorney General Michael Mukasey, the no-nonsense ally in President Bush's war on terror, was hospitalized Thursday after he collapsed during a late-night speech and lost consciousness.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama plans to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after Thanksgiving, a new milestone for a former first lady and a convergence of two political forces who contested mightily for the presidency.
AP - Most Asian markets rebounded Friday after days of sharp declines in stocks around the world as investors scooped up battered financial and technology shares.
AP - The $25 billion rescue plan for the auto industry, desperately sought by Detroit's beleaguered Big Three, collapsed Thursday as Congress drew the line at one more bailout and Democrats said they wouldn't even consider it until the companies produced a convincing plan for rebuilding their once-mighty industry.
AP - A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of five Algerians held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the continued detention of a sixth in a major blow to the Bush administration's strategy to keep terror suspects locked up without charges.
AP - An agency director improperly used state computers to find personal information on "Joe the Plumber," a government watchdog said in a report released Thursday.
AP - Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.
AP - Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers know exactly how to beat the Cincinnati Bengals — with or without Chad Ocho Cinco.
Reuters - Signs of distress in the global economy mounted, with shares in U.S. bank Citigroup Inc plunging on fears about its future, oil prices falling and the future of U.S. automakers hanging in the balance.
Reuters - Retired Marine Gen. James Jones emerged as a leading contender for White House national security adviser as President-elect Barack Obama worked on Thursday to assemble his foreign policy team.
Reuters - Democratic congressional leaders, seeking to salvage a bailout of the Big Three automakers, demanded executives provide a business survival plan in exchange for their support of up to $25 billion in loans.
Reuters - Iraqi forces shut streets in Baghdad and placed snipers on rooftops on Friday before a protest by followers of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr against a pact allowing U.S. troops to remain for three more years.
Reuters - Citigroup Inc lost more than one-quarter of its market value on growing worries over whether it has enough capital to withstand billions of dollars of potential losses and despite new support from its largest individual investor.
Reuters - Verizon Wireless said on Thursday that some employees had gained unauthorized access and viewed a personal cell phone account held by President-elect Barack Obama that is now inactive.
Reuters - U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey was "conscious, conversant and alert" at a local Washington hospital after collapsing while delivering a national security speech at a hotel, the U.S. Justice Department said late on Thursday.
Reuters - George W. Bush makes his last scheduled trip abroad as U.S. president on Friday, heading to an Asia-Pacific summit where he will seek support for global financial reform and hold talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program.
AFP - The UN Security Council approved an extra 3,000 peacekeeping troops to help end conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fresh fighting erupted earlier in the day.
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