Master copywriting formula - revealed!

“How can I write a money-making sales letter from scratch?” - a good friend who recently took a serious interest in copywriting asked me that question. “Should I approach it by using a concrete method or should I just sit down, wait for inspiration and start writing?”

That question made me think. A lot. So much in fact, that it prompted me to plan and write a complete series of blog posts to describe in detail my preferred approach to writing copy. So read along, I’m sure you’ll find the upcoming series quite insightful.

Before we start, I want to clarify that I did not invent this formula. I simply adapted it from advice that I’ve received from too many copywriting courses, books and seminars to list here. I should also make it clear that every copywriter is different, and this process may not work verbatim for you… feel free to try it out and tweak it to fit your particular style and methodology.

Said that, let’s dive right in. Here is the overview of my master copywriting formula:

Research, research, research!
This first step is the single most important one in the entire formula, and yet, it is the most overlooked and utterly ignored one. During this step, gather as much information as you can about the product, the target audience, the competition, the industry, etc. Devote enough time to research and it will feel like your copy is writing itself - it’s easier to write when you have hard facts to prove your claims.

Incubate the data.
Once you’re done with research, you should let your subconscious mind do its part. Some people refer to this process as “sleeping over it”, others call it “the inner genius”. Letting the data incubate in your brain is a surprisingly powerful technique; and all you need to do to put it to work is distract your conscious mind from work for a while.

Go shopping, watch a movie, take a nap, do anything to keep yourself from thinking about the project at hand. When you least expect it, an idea will pop-up in your mind… Maybe it will be a good headline, maybe a new sales hook or even a different way to make the offer irresistible. Whenever it happens, you’ll know it’s time to get back to work.

Now sit down and write!
You’re now ready to start writing. Review your data once more and re-organize it to fit your new idea. Write an outline for your project and start writing it non-stop. Include every single bit of information you consider relevant to the idea, you can edit and take out parts later.

When you’re done writing; stop. Do not edit anything at this point. If possible, don’t even re-read what you just wrote. Just let it sit there because another round of “doing nothing” is up next. If you’re working for a client, do not dare showing him the writing at this point (or you’ll probably get fired on the spot!)

Let the writing marinate.
Shut down the computer and give yourself a pat in the back. The ground work is done. If your schedule allows it, take a couple of days off from work (or at least from this particular project). If you’re on a deadline, try to at least get one night’s sleep before you move on to the next step.

Rewrite and edit.
The more you were able to distance and detach yourself from the project, the easier this next part will be. When you read your copy again, you’ll sometimes feel like someone else wrote it… edit the writing ruthlessly, cut out all the un-necessary parts, add anything you feel is missing and polish the piece as much as you want.

Test & Rewrite.
It’s now time to test the pulling power of your writing in public. Send the letter to a few targeted prospects, measure the results and if possible personally ask for feedback in a case-by-case basis. This will almost always give you a few minor tweaks (or maybe major portions of the letter) to work on and rewrite. Now is also a good time to run your first few A/B tests for major elements (like radically different text layouts, different photos or different headline hooks).

Roll it out!
When the results come in and if you’re happy with them, roll out the letter. Remember to keep a close eye on the results, especially if you’re running A/B tests (which you should).

So there you go, this is the exact copywriting formula I use to write money-making sales letters from scratch. During the next few posts I’ll go over some of the steps in minute detail… so make sure you visit the blog frequently. Ohh, and don’t forget to leave your comments!