Copywriting...
How To Write
Motivational Copy That Sells
by Karon
Thackston © 2003
Who
of us hasn't written advertising copy that we thought was great
only to find out it flopped big time? Why? When you wrote it,
it seemed very persuasive. You included lots of benefits and
even gave a money back guarantee. It got YOU up and moving so
why did your customers turn their heads?
The
reason is usually quite simple. They are not you. While one
thing might motivate you and excite you enough to open your
wallet and buy, there are other personality types who respond
to different motivational factors.
If you know the factors, you hold the
key to copywriting success!
There
are several names for the different personality or behavioral
types. Myers-Briggs labels them with letters (E = extrovert,
I = introvert, etc.). Some psychologists label them with types
("A-type" personality, "B-type" personality,
etc.). The DISC model (which I find the easiest to follow) labels
the different personalities with descriptors (Dominance, Influence,
Steadiness, etc.) Regardless of what they're called, I encourage
you to get to know them. Once you decipher the inner workings
of your customers, you can write copy that will motivate each
and every time.
Let's
look at a few of the descriptors used within the DISC model
and I'm sure you'll see what I mean...
Dominance
The
Dominance behavioral style is usually described with the following
attributes:
- high
egos
- problem-solver
- likes
challenges
- drives
hard for results
- positive
- loves
power and authority
- motivated
by direct answers
Influence
The
Influence behavioral style can be described like this:
- socially
and verbally aggressive
- optimistic
- can
see the big picture
- people-oriented
- fast
movers
- motivated
by praise and strokes
Steadiness
Those
who fall into the Steadiness behavioral style usually are described
as:
- loyal
to those they identify with good listener
- patient
- loves
security
- wants
to see benefits
- oriented
towards family activities
- motivated
towards traditional procedures
Compliance
The
last of the four styles is Compliance. These people usually
have the following attributes:
- critical
thinkers
- high
standards
- well
disciplined
- accurate
- motivated
by the right way to proceed
As
you can see, these simple hints already open new doors for copywriting
effectiveness. From what's written above, you are probably getting
some good ideas about how to adjust your copy to fit your target
audience.
For
example, when writing to people with a Dominant behavioral style
you'll want to be direct and to the point, focus on the business
at hand, show them how this will help them get results and offer
a win/win situation.
Influential
people will want to allow time for socialization (so include
some "chit chat" when possible), to have fun, offer
new and innovative ideas, give a way for them to respond quickly
and offer praise and strokes for them making a good decision.
Steadiness types make up the majority of the population. Over
40% of Americans fall into the Steadiness category. These people
need to see a logical approach to your product or service, they
need time for thinking before buying, they want to see how your
solution will benefit them and they need a sense of security
about buying.
This
explains why most copywriters will tell you to write long copy
that is full of benefits and offers a money back guarantee.
However, while this does work for 40% of the population, the
other 60% has an issue with it. This is why I continually
preach that you should know your target audience! If you are
marketing to a group of CEOs (which most definitely fall into
the dominance category) you can't provide long copy... they
simply won't read it. They are looking for the bottom line and
may ask for more details later if they feel they are necessary.
If you have lots of information to provide, you'll have to break
it up into sections to suit a "dominance" type.
It
all boils down to giving the customer what they want. Even in
your copywriting techniques. If you don't, you'll lose the sale
- plain and simple. As an example, I'll tell you about a real
estate agent I once worked with. I was looking for a house and
had specific criteria for the exterior and interior. Rather
than scheduling an appointment with the realtor every other
day to view houses, I wanted to be given the addresses and view
the outside at my own pace. If the outside didn't have specific
features, there was no need for me to see the inside.
One
Realtor emphatically told me, "Mrs. Thackston, that's just
not the way I sell." To which I responded, "That's
a shame... that's the way I buy!" He wouldn't give me what
I wanted and therefore lost the sale.
I
encourage you to learn as much as you can about your target
audience. Their likes, dislikes, personality traits and behavioral
traits. When you do, you'll be able to write motivational copy
that creates a desire to buy.
Which
words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon
show you. Learn to write strategically created copy that
hits a nerve and makes the sale. Boost your search engine
rankings, too! Learn
more here |
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of Your Copy)”.