Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
The Bourdain Structure: See stuff › Talk about how it made you feel › Be honest It’s storytelling, simplified.
Eddie Shleyner • Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
This storytelling technique has a name: “In Medias Res.” Latin for “in the middle of things,” it drops the audience into a problem, a climactic moment, an argument or a fight or a revelation—some integral event involving the main character—without preamble. This does two things: One, it creates tension, drama. Two, it makes the audience curious.
Eddie Shleyner • Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
simplifying your language doesn’t simplify your message: Accessible writing can still be profound. “I try to write using ordinary words and simple sentences,” said essayist Paul Graham. “That kind of writing is easier to read, and the easier something is to read, the more deeply readers will engage with it. The less energy they expend on your prose
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- Explain the consequences of inaction: People jog to pleasure, but we sprint from pain. Indeed, we are all far more driven to avoid discomfort and suffering than to acquire satisfaction and delight.
Eddie Shleyner • Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
When you make a claim, put a “condition” on it. A condition makes it clear your claim is not a 100 percent certainty. A condition is language designed to ground your claim, making it more feasible—believable—because belief garners trust, and trust compels action.
Eddie Shleyner • Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
He used a seven-step formula to outline his copy. This formula is now called “Bob Stone’s Gem.” It’s simple: Benefit: begin with your strongest benefit. Expansion: expand on your strongest benefit. Positive: explain what the prospect will get. Proof: prove the value with past experience. Negative: explain the consequences of inaction. Summary: sum
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Two, he described the setting, creating a picture, a moment in time. “To achieve a bond of intimacy and immediacy in your letters,” Halbert said, “describe where you are and what you are doing as you are writing the letter.”
Eddie Shleyner • Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
Copywriter Gary Halbert often did two things to quickly connect with The Reader: One, he dated the copy, as though writing in a journal or diary, leading with the date and time.
Eddie Shleyner • Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter
To avoid this folly, especially when you’re writing a first draft, try following a couple of rules: One, don’t stop writing until it’s done. Two, don’t start editing until it’s done.