“You’re such a good writer.”
How many times have you heard that from family and friends?
More than likely, those words provided the encouragement you needed to make the decision to become a copywriter.
But, here’s a common problem many aspiring writers face. While your writing is good, the sales letters you’ve written just aren’t generating the kind of sales your client expected.
Frustrated, you worry your client will start to lose faith in your copywriting skills.
Well, hang in there, because I’m going to give you a solution to your problem.
First, let me say that, in most instances, the reason your copy isn’t generating sales has nothing to do with your writing skills.
In my many years as a Copy Chief, I’ve reviewed copy from writers at every level of their craft.
Something I see often from writers still early in their career is that their writing is good. Really good. In fact, I’d be one of those people saying, “You’re such a good writer.” But, there is something missing.
So, if the writing isn’t the problem … what is?
It usually comes down to one thing: The Big Idea. You see, the secret to being a great copywriter is knowing how to spot a good idea … one that grabs the prospect’s attention. The Big Idea is the central theme of your sales promotion. And it’s the very thing up-and-coming copywriters struggle with the most.
The good news is, it’s a solvable problem. Granted, it takes time to get good at coming up with Big Ideas. It doesn’t happen overnight. Like anything you pursue, it takes practice and experience.
But you can give yourself a boost by following a few proven methods to identify a great Big Idea.
Big Idea Method #1
Read… and Then Read Some More
Most copywriters I’ve met—and certainly the really successful ones—are curious by nature. That’s another way of saying they’re well-read. If you want to become a great copywriter, start by being a reader.
You don’t have to read just books, although I do recommend you read at least one a month. Aim to read a wide range of things, including current events, magazines, and trade publications in your particular niche. Make sure you read promotions from companies in your niche, as well.
Find a few favorite websites with good content and read those posts regularly. Including a few oddball websites is useful, too. Jedd Canty, Copy Chief for Money Map Press, whose promotions have brought in multimillions in sales, would tell you to get on RSS feeds. Because your time as a copywriter is so valuable, he says it’s better to have information coming to you, rather than your having to hunt it down.
Big Idea Method #2:
Rabbit Holes Turn Up Unusual Stuff
As you read so many different sources of information, you’re bound to find something that piques your interest. That may lead you in a different direction altogether, and that’s okay. Because, when you’re hunting for a good idea, going down what might seem like a “rabbit hole of research” may be the very thing that gives you a kernel of an idea you can flesh out to become a Big Idea.
As one of the Co-Founders of AWAI, the late Don Mahoney once said to me about coming up with a Big Idea, “They start as a little nugget. And you know it when you see it.”
Big Idea Method #3:
Does It Stop You in Your Tracks?
All Big Ideas have one thing in common — they stop you in your tracks.
We’re exposed to so many ads in a single day, that a Big Idea will jump out at you. President of the Marketing Firm Yankelovich, Jay Walker-Smith says we’ve gone from seeing about 500 ads per day back in the 70s to around 5,000 today. With so much competition, the only thing that cuts through the noise is a Big Idea. Think about the ads you’ve taken the time to read. What caused you to pause and read more?
It wasn’t the writing… the idea itself is what resonated with you. As you sit down to write your sales letter, ask yourself if the idea is strong enough to stop someone from their normal activity and get them reading. Or, as Joe Schriefer, the Copy Chief for Agora Publishing, which has gone from around $45 million in sales to over $150 million under his guidance, says, ask yourself is this idea different … unusual … intriguing?
These three methods will help you become good at coming up with the Big Idea. But, there’s one more thing you can do to help yourself differentiate a Big Idea from regular ideas…
Big Idea Method #4
The Immediate Mental Picture.
When a Big Idea is before you, it automatically forces your brain to create a mental picture of what’s happening.
Let’s take the famous End of America promo written by Mike Palmer for Stansberry Research and Associates (S&A). It brought in hundreds of thousands of paid subscribers and cemented S&A’s place as one of the world’s best-known financial publishers.
Say the words End of America to yourself. What kind of picture pops into your head? Whatever it is, it’s probably not a good one. But, just the mere fact you created a mental picture is a signal this is something Big.
Of course, the promo was written several years ago. But the mental pictures people created back then were enough to spur them into action. For S&A, that meant buying a subscription to their newsletter. Although the promotion has aged over the years, you’re still able to create a mental picture today. That shows the power and strength of Big Ideas.
Now that you know the clues to spotting a Big Idea, it’s time for you to put them to use. And rest assured, your friends and family are right. You’re a good writer. You just need to give yourself more time working on Big Ideas.