The following copywriting techniques come from copywriting expert Bond Halbert and his book “The Halbert Copywriting Method Part III” . These five proven methods will improve your persuasive power.
1. Make the text easy to read
One of the goals of copywriting is to entice your prospects to read every word of your ad, email, or social media post. However, if you write a email spread across two large paragraphs with little to no formatting, it becomes difficult to read . And if that's the case, most people won't read it.
The author refers to a concept he calls “providing relief for the eyes .” For him, “without this, you’ll lose everyone who doesn’t have OCD .” Make the text engaging and easy to look at rather than something boring and long.
The reader shouldn't think they're reading. The idea is to make them so captivated by your content that they only realize what they're doing once they've already picked up the phone to call you.
2. Write as if your prospect is in a hurry to leave
Everyone is busy and in a hurry. Therefore, according to Bond, “once readers think they know everything they need to know, they start looking for a good place to stop reading” or listening.
This is why the author recommends writing (or speaking) as if your reader needed to urinate . This will help you eliminate all the nonsense prospect 's interest or will distract them from your message.
“Every word must earn its place.”
3. Streamline your content
Avoid overly long paragraphs, complicated sentences, or cumbersome vocabulary. Instead of using words like "advantageous," for example, use simpler words like "useful ." As soon as you use a word that someone doesn't understand or that is difficult to read, they are likely to skip your content.
You must also ensure that your text is exciting and full of enthusiasm .
“Give readers the same level of emphasis in print as when you speak to them.”
This energy will be transferred to the reader and influence them toward the objective of your message . Maintain enthusiasm by keeping your paragraphs short. Long paragraphs tend to take longer to deliver value. The longer it takes to deliver your message, the less people will respond .
4. Create a fear of not knowing
As soon as the reader receives a file, they begin looking for a place to stop reading or listening . In the author's words, "they will continue reading if they think there might be information coming that will make their life better."
In copywriting, it's important to ensure the prospect never has the opportunity to disengage from the conversation . They should feel compelled to read or pay attention, for fear of missing out on something beneficial.
“Never give them the opportunity to feel safe if they stop reading.”
For example, mention the benefits of listening or reading more before revealing what you're offering. This will increase the likelihood that your prospect will be engaged until the end .
5. Show empathy
You need to understand what your prospects want most and why in order to persuade them. According to the expert, “great copywriters understand people .” Effective copywriters and prospectors are those who know what attracts and repels prospects . Therefore, you must choose your words carefully.
For example, the words "teach" and "learn" sound like work. These are words that people secretly dislike. The average person doesn't want to read something they have to learn. These words can seem unappealing and potential customers to lose interest .
“We humans prefer simple tasks to learning professional techniques, and we prefer a quick fix to a plan of attack.”
Engage your prospect with attractive content rather than putting them off with a seemingly difficult process. For example, the phrase "let me share a secret with you..." is better than "I'm going to teach you how to..." .
“You want the reader to be so engrossed in the reading that they forget everything that is happening around them.”
Now that you know what persuasive content is and you know six new ways to immediately boost your results, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and put these tips to the test! You'll be pleased with the results.
With Magileads , you will have the opportunity to put all these good copywriting practices into action through your BtoB prospecting campaigns.
