When the Real Thing Hits

“There is no greater joy than that of feeling oneself a creator.
The triumph of life is expressed by creation.”
–Henri Bergson, philosopher

In Issue #131

When the Real Thing Hits
by Krista Jones

In the spring of 2002, I received the phone call I had been waiting on for months. My first offer to write a full direct mail promotion.

My dream was beginning to come true! I celebrated the moment.

About 15 minutes later, the celebration ended as it struck me that this was not an exercise. This promotion was for real. And I had two and a half weeks to write a persuasive sales package about a vitamin supplement that I knew absolutely nothing about. I wondered if I would be able to pull it off like a pro.

Long story short, I managed to create a winning promotion. But not without also creating a lot of stress for myself.

Of course, I’m not the only copywriter who has had mixed feelings when working under a deadline for the first time. If you have yet to find yourself in that position, this essay is for you.

Today, I’m sharing what I wish someone had shared with me back on that spring day. I’m going to walk you through how I approach writing a promotion from the day it lands on my desk until the day it’s due three weeks later. And perhaps with this outline to reference, you’ll feel a little less tension than I did when your lucky day arrives.

Here we go:

Phase 1: Research (4-7 days)
 This is the immersion phase. I study everything I can get hold of. I review everything my client provides me a few times over. And I read articles, study competitors’ websites and promotions, visit online forums, interview experts, and read books on the subject I’m writing about.

By the time I’m finished, I have stacks of highlighted paper with dozens of post-it notes, a couple of dog-eared books, and a tablet that is nearly full with handwritten notes.

I should warn you that although my research rarely takes more than seven days, it can take considerably longer. If you’re working in a market that changes quickly, such as financial or health, your research can take as long as two weeks.

Phase 2: Assimilation (1-2 days)
I give my mind a bit of a break after my research is complete. Sometimes I take a day off. Others I take two. Then, with a fresh mind, I go back through my notes, books, promotions, and printed materials to re-immerse my mind in all that is my product.

Next, I write a two-three page document that identifies the unique selling proposition, big idea, big promise, benefits, and the three biggest benefits so that I have all of those sales ideas in one place. I spend the rest of the day thinking and getting clear on what I want to say in the promotion.

Phase 3: Writing (3-5 days)
The next day it’s finally time to write. First up, headlines. As many as possible. When I’ve exhausted my ideas, I switch to other projects for the rest of the day.

The next morning, I go to work on the lead. The lead is a critical part of the promotion so it can take me a few hours to draft—depending on how clear my thinking is.

When I finish the lead, I go back over my headlines—adding new ones, deleting bad ones, and revising the rest.

I use the next two or three days to draft the rest of the letter, envelope teasers, order form, lift note, and anything else that is needed for the promotion.

Phase 4: Re-Writing/Revising (5-7 days)
Some people can get by on one or two revisions before their copy is ready to go. Not me. I have to revise my copy three to five times before I’m comfortable with it. On my last round of revisions, I have someone read everything out loud to me so I can hear problem spots where the copy still needs to be polished into a shine.

Finishing the draft at least five days before the copy is due allows me the breathing room I need to deliver the best product I can to the client.

There you have it—a guideline for creating a promotion from Day One to your deadline. So stop worrying and continue the celebration. Cheers!

Editor’s Note: Even though I’m a scientist by education, I struggle with research when it comes to my copywriting projects. Why? I don’t know where to look to come up with breakthrough ideas. And I’m not the only one with this problem. So Monica and I found a research expert to create a step-by-step program for taking the “search” out of research. Stay tuned, we’ll be revealing more on the program very soon…)

Resource Referral: Inside the Copywriter’s Den

Although I just laid out my approach to writing promotions, every copywriter has his or her own nuances for writing copy. That’s why I enjoy reading Monthly Copywriting Genius (MCG). It lets me get inside the head of masterful copywriters and learn the steps they took to create a masterpiece.

If you’ve ever seen the television show “Inside the Actors Studio” where James Lipton interviews top Hollywood actors and actresses in front of a room full of acting students, you get the idea of what’s behind MCG.

If you like learning from other people’s successes, nothing compares to MCG. Check it out today.

Reader Feedback: Know Who Your Clients Are

The following message came in response to a CP article about finding and then doing the type of work that you want:

“Thanks for another thought provoking and reassuring article. Way back (5 years ago!!!) when I struck out on my own as a copy writer, the best advice I ever got was from a veteran copywriter who told me, "Know who your clients are." I didn’t quite get what he meant at the time, but over the years I’ve realized that there are some people and businesses who constitute our market, and some who never will (or never should anyway) in a million years. I’ve taken on my share of dog assignments, too, that my heart told me to pass on but my wallet said yes to. Both my heart and my wallet ended up regretting them, because for all the appeal the money seems to have at the beginning, it never seems to be enough to compensate for all the energy spent.

The instinct, especially for people starting out, is to never say no. This sounds like a good business philosophy, but it actually isn’t. You need to say no to the wrong kind of clients so that you have energy to do the best job possible for the right kind.”

Mike

That leaves nothing more to say. Thanks for sharing, Mike.