I’m Sparticalus! Article Writing Warrior

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I am getting closer to fixing all of the glitches on my web-site and my New Year’s Resolution is to search for the Writing Hero inside… I’ve been so busy on all of the techy learning of late (lots of it), that I have lost touch with my creative side, so I am writing my wee heart out today. The meat of so many topics I want to talk about here have been idling in files for too long!

So as creative writing is on my mind this last few days, I thought I would share some of my own research on article writing and branding… If you are interested in the concept of ‘My Story Marketing’, then this is for you… Here are some brilliant examples of my very own “My Story” Ultimate “Template” Intros. Straight from my personal swipe file… (Hey! Nothing new under the sun and the internet is full of thievery!… OK OK I can’t help it, I’m from Liverpool!…OK Actually…It’s all in the name of sharing knowledge! I’m giving back though, aren’t I?!)

One of the most challenging aspects of creating any ad or sales letter is “transitioning” a prospect from the sexy headline through the intro and into the body of your story and outro to your “Pay Here” Button. Let me tell you, this process is critical to salesmanship. After all, if you don’t follow up your carefully thought out headline with a compelling opening paragraph, there’s a good chance you’re leaving money on the table as a result. Your tale has to keep interest, right through to the end where your reader finally concludes they have to act on what you tell them…

I call the following “hanging introductions“. Because they leave the reader “hanging”…… for more information.

They’re little teasers. They tickle the taste-buds to entice you in. You’ll notice the best writers are constantly doing this. “Teasing” you, leading you on. Just opening the door a crack so you “just have” to peek in and step through (or read on) to find out more. Don’t we all just hate not knowing what happened next!

Here’s a handful of fill-in-the-blank opening lines templates.

“Two years from now you could be (good thing: like working from home and spending time with your family). Or you could be (bad thing: stuck in the same old 9-5 rut). The choice is yours.”

This helps the reader do what in NLP circles is referred to as forward pacing. It also gently suggests that if the reader doesn’t gain the help of your service, then they could miss out on a significant benefit.

If you’ve ever wanted to (benefit: like “escape the MLM roundabout”) then this will be the most important message you ever read.

Positions the letter powerfully upfront with a compelling benefit. You’ll notice this one used A LOT.

“Quite frankly, membership in Greatest MLM Company Ever is not for everyone.”

“This is a great exclusive opening.”

(Do you qualify? Are you good enough for this opportunity? Are you one of the special ones?)

This reverses the normal sales process. Interestingly, American Express had this as their ‘control’ (winning sales letter) for years and let’s face it, they have the budget to do the kind of research to find out how the psychology works here!

“If you are thinking of investing in a network marketing business — Don’t!”

Ever wondered whether a purchase is the right decision for you or not? What would you do if you read this in a letter? Would it encourage you to want to know “why not?” and read the next paragraph?

“It was the winter of 2007. I was slumped at my computer and the world as I knew it was crashing down round me.”

This is a good opening for a My Story about — for example — how your shares fell during the recent global financial crisis. We all relate to stories of personal pain and misery…And don’t we want to know what pulled them through, or if they did?

“My name is . I’m an (ex-plumber/housewife/home business owner). I’m not a professional ad writer. But what I have to share with you is so extraordinary and so powerful, I decided I had to write to you about it. So bear with me a some here…”

Once again, you are showing your vulnerability and building trust with your audience. And this opening also breaks down the reader’s resistance, so they’ll at least listen to what you have to say. (For those of you shuddering here…persuasion can take many forms… perhaps the next one is more for you.)

“Have you ever wondered why __________________?”

“Have you ever wondered why some network marketers seem to sponsor more people without even trying while others follow their upline’s advice to the letter but still seem to get nowhere?”

“Would you like __________________?”

“Would you like to join a group of network marketing millionaires who use the premier sales and marketing system on the planet?”

“Did you know ______________________________?”

“Let me ask you a question ______________________________?”

egLet me ask you a question: Do you ever hear yourself say, “I wish I could get on top of all the bills and have more time to spend with the children?”
(This is a personal favourite of mine…Combine it with a huge contrast to a person’s situation, but which is entirely possible and you are onto a winner. Another combination is to take a historical or contemporary example to illustrate where a person could be, if things were different for them.)

“Now here’s a common question I get from people… How do you harness the obvious revenue-generating benefits of the internet – without spending a fortune in money and years of time in trial and error mode?”

Milly, Mo and daughter, Mel, were facing a dilemma common to many network marketers / entrepreneurs / business owners. They had a great product on their hands. It had universal appeal. But they were having trouble launching it into the marketplace.”

“It’s a conversation I’ve had time and time again.
Me: Do you make money in your current network marketing company?
Disillusioned MLM business owner: It’s a little hard to say.
Me: How do you mean?
Disillusioned MLM business owner: Well, the phone doesn’t ring, but of course it does take a while to build a business and my upline says I just have to keep cold calling. It’s a numbers game after all.
Me: Yeah. Right. Good luck with that.”

“If it’s done well, Google Advertising can be an extremely cost effective way of attracting new customers to your business.
However, done poorly, this is one sure way to waste large amounts of money in a scarily short period!”

“Go on: admit it… Most landing pages provided by network marketing companies make you yawn so hard you fear your jaw’s about to snap!
You know, the ubiquitous picture of the board, standing rigidly to attention. The bland letter from the CEO, explaining his company’s “revolutionary” policy of putting its customers first. The picture of corporate headquarters, complete with a fleet of trucks, apparently hijacked by the Olympic precision parking team! Fortunately, there’s no law that says your website has to be a printed alternative to Rohypnol. If you follow the simple steps outlined in this article, you can deftly transform it into a super salesperson for your organisation.”

(This approach always makes me laugh! And laughter is a great way to engage your audience… )

“Let me make a prediction. Two years from now you could be (good thing: like working from home and spending time with your family). Or you could be (bad thing: stuck in the same old 9-5 rut with colleagues driving you nuts). The choice is yours.”

This is an extension to number one. Careful with this one it’s a little self righteous sounding. Still, everyone is interested in what’s going to happen in the future. After all, that’s why psychics are so popular. So when you have some useful insight into what will happen in the future, why not leverage off our human behavioural need to know drivers.

So there you have it. Some different ways you can open an article, email, letter, video or paragraph or chapter or page or My Story. All are proven to work. Mix and match these in your own sales letters and ads. And remember, give the opening paragraph and headline in your ad the attention it deserves, because it’s one of the most important elements of your promotion.

Want to learn more from the Master Marketers in copywriting? Keep copies of articles and ads which appeal to you in a file. Swipe from the net to your heart’s content!

Most importantly of all…Invest in your own copywriting marketing training; Checkout Magnetic Sponsoring Products, such as The Copywriter’s Guild or drop back here sometime soon for more on my favourite subject!

Hey, whilst you’re being educated and entertained here, how’s about sharing some of your own favourite one-liners / links to cool copy in the comments box here. If it’s entertaining, I’ll link to you!

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