Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
August 26, 2008
Issue #488
Man, I really goofed!
I mean, I recently made a DUMB mistake – and it cost me over a thousand bucks!
But thanks to knowing an amazing secret, I was able to recoup my loss and even save face.
What’s the secret?
Knowing the POWER of the written letter!
Here’s what happened …
I made plans to fly to Washington, D.C to pick up Alexis, Paris and Elliott – my nieces and nephew so they can spend some of their summer vacation with my family.
I would fly up early Tuesday morning, meet their folks at the airport, scoop up the kiddies and fly back to Atlanta the same afternoon. Simple, right?
Well … not really. Turns out I made a big mistake – and I didn’t find out about it until the very last minute.
But wait.
The theme of this article is the power of a letter. So, let me allow the letter tell you what happened …
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
July 29, 2008
Issue #469
I love bullets!
They’re fun - and easy to write once you get the hang of ‘em!
In this issue, I’m going to show you some of my secrets for writing powerful, strong and kick-butt bullets! Once you learn my tricks, feel free to start using them immediately. You’ll see how your copy just POPS, flows and takes off!
An easy way to create momentum in your copy:
Faster than a speeding (you know the rest) …
In case you’re not sure what I’m blabbering about, here’s how I define a bullet:
"A mini headline followed by strong supporting sentence aimed to tease and entice your prospect."
Bullets help you create momentum in your copy. And since most people scan instead of read - bullets can help you quickly drive home the points you want your prospect to remember.
I love working for clients like Boardroom, Rodale and Frank Cawood & Associates. These guys really appreciate the value of bullets. In fact, for their style of copy - bullets are KING! Here’s how I tackle writing a sales letter for them:
When I read their book, I turn every interesting fact or "fascination" I discover into a bullet. By the time I’m finished with the book, I’ve usually written well over 100 bullets.
Then I break up the bullets in groups of 10 to 15 … add a few paragraphs of copy … drop in another 10 to 15 bullets … do that for several more times … add a few subheads … and voila - my letter practically writes itself!
Here are five ways to give your bullets a powerful punch. And take a look at the examples for each. They’re actual bullets I wrote for a Boardroom Bottom Line Health promo:
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
June 24, 2008
Issue #444
Right now, I’m about to get naked.
Yep, I’m stripping down and revealing one of my deepest, most darkest secrets.
Many of my closest friends (and even my husband and family) don’t even know what I’m about to tell you. Are you ready? Can you handle it? Ok, here it is …
I am petrified of writing copy.
Phew! There I said it. Did the world end? Wait — let me open my eyes to peek and see … nope, it’s still here. I guess it’s safe to continue.
Are you surprised that a million-dollar copywriter who writes scores of controls (a dozen so far this year – and it’s only June!)…
… Makes millions of dollars for her clients …
… Writes copywriting books (three so far!)…
… Publishes a copywriting e-zine called of all things, CopyStar …
… And appears as a guest speaker at prestigious copywriting conferences (including Clayton’s!)…
… Would be a scaredy cat when it comes to copywriting?
Well, it’s true.
When I start a copywriting project, the negative tapes (or CDs for the under-30 crowd) start playing:
“What are you doing? You’ve bitten off more than you can chew! They’re gonna find out you’re a fake this time! You suck!”
Yikes! Pretty scary stuff.
I’ve often contemplated taking the royalties from one of my controls to hire a full-time shrink!
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
June 12, 2008
Issue #437
While I’m researching a project, I’m always on the lookout for “the big idea” … “the hook” … or for you English teachers out there – “the theme” – for my package.
One way I hone in on my big idea is to answer this simple, yet powerful question:
So what?
In other words, what’s so great about your product? What makes it unique … desirable … and a MUST HAVE – RIGHT NOW? Usually when I can answer that question, I’ve found my big idea.
For example …
A few years ago, when I was researching a Co enzyme Q10 product, I discovered statin drugs drain your Coq10 levels. And CoQ10 is especially critical for your heart. So people taking statin drugs to prevent heart problems were actually DROPPING DEAD from heart attacks!
Kapow! Now, that’s what I call an answer to a “So what”!
This became my big idea which led to this headline:
“The shocking truth about
cholesterol-lowering drugs”
Rob Davis, one of my all-time favorite designers, came up with a cover where you see the soles of a man’s shoes while he’s lying on the floor. It was a brilliant design – and the package KICKED BUTT!
Sometimes you gotta dig really deep to find a powerful big idea. Last year, I worked on a product called “DIM” – a natural hormone balancing nutrient.
There was all kind of great scientific research on this product. So I thought I would go with that angle. But …
… then I started reading the testimonials.
There was one emotion that just kept rising to the surface: Fear.
These folks were scared to death of hormones. They didn’t understand what they were or why their bodies were out of whack.
Aha!
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
May 15, 2008
Issue #418
Whooda thunk that when I was squeezing out my four little puppies, I was actually creating a copywriting empire? Certainly not me!
But one by one, my kids have somehow fallen into this crazy biz. Maybe it was the “Pick the Control” games where I would lay out my test panels on the floor and have them guess which was the new control – and reward the winner with a prize …
… Maybe it was the “how does this sound” questions as I read my copy out loud for their feedback …
… Or maybe it was the many hours spent in my office doing homework, coloring, watching T.V. as I worked on yet another promotion package.
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