Ever wondered how waiters can remember long orders in their heads… But forget them the moment they’re delivered to the table? It’s due to the “Zeigarnik Effect”… A principle you can harness in your copywriting. It works like this… The brain has an uncanny ability to store information that’s incomplete or unresolved… But it forgets […]
Give Your Hero a Flaw
He wasn’t always the world’s most powerful superhero… There was a time when his popularity took a dip. Fans had lost interest. He was too perfect. Too boring. Too stale. Nobody thought he’d ever lose. And so, people stopped wanting to hear about his tales. So you know what the writers did? They created Kryptonite. […]
Give Your Stories a Ticking Clock to Raise the Stakes and Build Momentum
It would be “like killing Tony Soprano.” Series suicide, in other words. No, I’m not talking about the ending of the Sopranos… I’m talking about the show “24”. Because when it was suggested to one of “24’s” writers that they remove the pounding timer… His verdict was they may as well put a bullet through […]
Conflict Makes Heroes More Human
Seeing his parents shot dead in front of him wasn’t enough. He still had to endure years of nightmares and wracking guilt… He had to train himself to a near superhuman level… And prowl the mean city streets looking for trouble… Before he could become one of the world’s most popular superheroes… BATMAN. Because here’s […]
7 Powerful Ways to Trigger Imagination
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein. Imagination is arguably the most powerful tool in our toolbox. Because when you can trigger positive images, feelings and hopes in your reader’s mind of the salvation that awaits with your product… just watch those conversions fly. So what’s the best way […]
12 Point Checklist for Copy Reviews
What’s the best way to attract clients? To endlessly send cold emails until you get flagged as spam? Or to handpick 10 clients you REALLY want to write for… And then share ideas on how they can improve their conversions and moolah? My advice would be the latter. Sure, this strategy always has the risk […]
How Rolex Turned an Inferior Product into a Hot Seller
In the late 60s, Rolex was nothing special. They were just another watchmaker. But then something happened that flipped the watch market upside down. Seiko unveiled the Astron – the world’s first “quartz clock” wristwatch. All of a sudden Rolex’s watches looked dated. Basic. Even cheap. Rolex knew they had to do something fast… something […]
3 Ways to Thrive During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Shock. Fear. Disbelief. Denial…. And now gradual acceptance. No doubt about it… the coronavirus outbreak has held us on one heck of a rollercoaster ride the last few weeks. And a ride we’re not getting off any time soon. We’re in for months (if not years) of economic turmoil, social unrest and uncertainty. Some say […]
What the World’s Highest Paid TV Star Can Teach Copywriters About Persuasion
Can you guess who’s the world’s highest paid TV star of all time? No, it’s not Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. Nope, it’s not Dr. Phil. It’s not even Simon Cowell or Ellen DeGeneres (despite both banking a bumper $75 mill each). Coming in waaaay ahead is TV’s ‘Queen of Media’ Oprah Winfrey. By the […]
Ever tried the “Columbo close”?
This post is based on Mark Joyner’s presentation “Trump Cards of Persuasion” at Project Persuasion Goes Dark 3.0. Ever tried the “Columbo Close”? This is where you’re reaching the end of your sales letter… your prospect is wavering… and you hit them with “Just one more thing”. A final killer benefit that obliterates their resistance. […]