So you want to be a Copywriter?

Then it may surprise you to know that much more Important than the Writing itself...

is How you *Lead* your Copy.

Here are 6 Proven Leads that you can use to turn your Words into Boatloads of Money

[Thread]

Background:

This thread is a summary of Great Leads.

Unlike most copywriting books which only cover writing techniques

Great Leads teaches you how to come up with the right lead for your prospect and your product.

People who are new to Copywriting mistakenly think that the money is made in improving the writing.

Copywriters who make big money know that it is the Lead that does the heavy lifting.

Once you get the Lead right

the copy writes itself.

2 Things before you dive into Leads

1. Rule of One

Before we dive into the 6 specific leads to use in your copy, understand that each successful marketing promotion follows the rule of one:

One great idea
One core emotion
One captivating story
One single, desirable benefit
One inevitable response

2. "What does your customer already know?"

This is the key question which determines the kind of lead you will use in your copy

Your customer falls on an awareness spectrum ranging from most aware (hot) to least aware (cold)

Where they sit on this spectrum determines the lead

1. Offer Lead

These are the easiest to write because the customer knows what your product is & what you're selling.

Formula for structuring offer Leads:

- Focus on the most emotionally compelling detail of your offer

- Highlight the most valuable benefit of offer

- Elaborate on that same deal-benefit in the lead that follows

- At some point, include a compelling “reason why” you’re offering that deal

Offer leads are easy to write because all you have to do is get to the point,

like this cigar ad.

2. Promise Lead

Promise leads are for customers who are mostly aware of what your product does.

They work best when you HIGHLIGHT the product's core benefit and connect it with the customer's core desire.

What kind of promises you ask?

BENEFIT DRIVEN

Like these examples

3. Problem-Solution Lead

These leads are for prospects who know they have a BIG PROBLEM but aren't aware of the solution yet.

Key here is to figure out what's keeping your prospect up at night and using that to start your copy.

Then, it is just a matter of leading them...

to the solution (YOUR PRODUCT!)

Spend some time demonstrating to your prospect that you feel her pain.

One she feels that you understand her problems, and her need for a solution, she'll be ready to hear your solutions....

Solutions which come through YOUR PRODUCT

4. Secret Lead

If you buy info-products, chances are you've seen secret leads a dozen times.

Next to story leads, secret leads are the most universal and useful.

“The secret lead really connects to a deep instinct in people to feel that there are secrets to things”

Formula for Secret leads:

Secret is intriguing and beneficial
It's introduced in the headline
It is not disclosed during the lead
As the letter progresses, more clues are given

Secret leads are powerful because they explain a deeply rooted belief among consumers...

the belief that there are secrets to things.

If you want to master secret leads, sign up to some @agorafinancial newsletters and study their sales letters.

5. Proclamation Lead

These are indirect leads which aim to capture a prospect's interest through curiosity before selling them.

Like story leads, proclamations leads come off as normal news stories.

4 Rules for Successful Proclamation leads:

-Make the proclamation bold, not reasonable
-Make a promise
- The subject must be relevant
- Return to the proclamation at close

Secret to Proclamation Leads?

Find interesting facts and relate to your product

6. Story Lead

Story leads create the best performing ads of all time because they keep prospects emotionally involved in your copy.

They are powerful because they convey key information in a way that's EASY TO REMEMBER

Secret to Writing Story Leads:

The Golden Thread
- Imagine product at one end of a thread and prospect's heart on the other.
- Every element of product must connect with both prospect and product
- Connection must be taut, if not you lose the sale.

Story leads are the most powerful of the 6 Leads.

They work because they allow the reader to experience an event viscerally

Every copywriter understands mindset of his prospect: he wants to buy but he doesn't want to be sold.

Story leads are brilliant because if done well, the prospect forgets he is even reading an ad

Here are some famous story leads.

One of them even generated $2billion worth of sales in the time that it ran (can you guess which?)

All of them can be found on http://swiped.co