Copywriter Success Story

Below is an email chain for starting a copywriter success story.

Nigel posted a question in the comments on how to come over as sincere when writing about a free report. I asked Nigel to send over the material he had written so I could give a more specific answer.

Read the advice I gave Nigel and see if you agree with his final comment “this hands-on transformation really brings it to life!”

I’ve copied in our exact conversation (with Nigel’s agreement) so you get the full benefit of this real life example.

First Email to Me

The problem I have right now is a section in a free report I’m generating specifically for a business website (so each is tailored) that explains why I’m giving it away free. I believe the report will be valuable to the business owner, and my aim is to be engaged for further investigation and development work, and I’m really struggling to sound sincere.

Any help would be gratefully received!

First Response from Me

Sounding – and being – sincere is one of the most difficult things to achieve for copywriter success. I think it would be more helpful for you if I could see what you’ve written so far.

Second Email to Me

Below is the text I’m struggling with to become a copywriter success. The text “goal of the website” is swapped for the recipient’s actual goal using a document property, so doesn’t make sense until this is plugged in.

Please feel free to use the before & after how you see fit.

“Why is this Report Free? I’ve met a number of disappointed website owners since 2011 when I started developing websites and web based applications for business owners. Generally they were happy with their websites, but revenue wasn’t increasing as a result. Some were problems with the website, such as graphics instead of text, but many require straightforward changes and activities to increase the number and quality of visitors viewing the website.

Once you have an increased number of visitors you can turn your attention to improving the number that goal of the website.

Business owners, like you, may be frustrated with their website, but I was frustrated too. Websites are branded as “not working” and the fastest growing marketing medium is abandoned. I’m saddened when this happens, because the business owner is missing out and only because someone hasn’t taken a few minutes out of the business owner’s busy day to explain how to make it work effectively.

By providing this report free I would like you to engage my services to turn your website into an efficient marketing tool that works tirelessly to generate additional income for you. I don’t want to start again and build a new website, I want to nurture your existing website, which you have invested money into, to be a valued part of a businesses marketing strategy, step by step.

But this report has no obligation to use my services. If you want to pass it to your web designers to make changes that’s fine with me, I’m pleased that it has been of value, but I do ask that the contents of this report aren’t made public (to be honest you don’t want your competitors getting wind of improvements you make in any case).”

Second Response from Me.
Start to Copywriter Success Tips

May I clarify a couple of things?

Has anyone read / reviewed your report?
Has anyone read AND used the info in your report?
Has anyone read AND used the info BUT NOT spent any money with you?

And if you’ve answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions would the people concerned be willing to act as a ‘case-study’? It is the most powerful way to show you are sincere and really do want to help – regardless of whether or not you get business. This really helps with your copywriter success.

Third Email to Me

The answer to all of these is no as I’m still putting the report and the whole process together, but I’m trialling the whole process with a photographer this week (who has a website that seems invisible to the search engines, due to trying to cut costs by sharing hosting) and an Au Pair agency in October. If all goes as well as expected I’ll be using both of these as case studies.

Third Response from Me

OK – the next best thing for your copywriter success, is to have a ‘professional opinion’.  Someone who understands how web sites should work who is willing to review your report and give their expert opinion/endorsement.

Also you could tell the story of websites you’ve looked at previously and how you’ve tweaked and developed them into a more productive marketing tool for your clients. And then explain how that acted as a catalyst for writing the report.

Say it is impossible for you to take on everyone who needs your expert help but you want everyone to realize what they could achieve – with just a few changes.  And your report helps them – and their web-masters – do that.  If they don’t have a web-master tell them you might be able to fit them in – but you can’t be certain of doing so – this creates scarcity – and I’m sure is true; after all I’m guessing you couldn’t handle thousands of clients if they all asked at once?

Looking at what you’ve written below I think you’re explaining things well – but I suggest you make your writing more active for future copywriter success.

E.g.  instead of:

“Business owners, like you, may be frustrated with their website, but I was frustrated too.”

you could write…

“Frustrated with your website? You’re not the only one! 83% of business owners I talk to despair of ever getting any business through the web. It’s criminal – they’re missing out on the greatest marketing tool of the 21st Century! And that depresses me because….”

I’ve highlighted the active verbs… does that give you some ideas?

BTW – if you quote a percentage in your copy don’t use rounded numbers like 80% or 95% because they don’t really ring true.  Do a calculation and go for odd percentages – even something like 68.3% – it comes over as a more believable figure.

And more customer focused…

Take a look at how many times I, we and us appears in your text.  Can you re-write the sentences from your visitors’ point of view?

“I don’t want to start again and build a new website, I want to nurture your existing website, which you have invested money into, to be a valued part of a businesses marketing strategy, step by step. “

For copywriter success, instead write…

“You’ve already invested heavily in your website so you don’t want that scrapped; thrown on the rubbish heap, do you? The good news is it can be nurtured and built into an extremely valuable element of your overall business marketing strategy – that’s a better proposition isn’t it?

And this report shows you how.

Of course, if you’d rather not do the work yourself – and for most business owners it makes more economic sense to have it done by an expert – I’d be happy to check if we have spare capacity to carry out the changes for you. “

Including the ‘do you?’ and ‘isn’t it?’ questions gets your reader nodding in agreement.

Fourth Email to Me

This is just brilliant!

This hands-on transformation really brings it to life.

You’ve hit the nail on the head with response, there’s no way I could handle thousands on my own, nor would I want to as I want to give 100% to the clients I do take on.

That’s really valuable information, a big thank you for taking the time to review it. Now I'm on my way to copywriter success.