Guaranteed Car Lend

Five Sections Of Your Copy Guaranteed To Get Read
By Karon Thackston

Only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest
will simply be scanned. I'm sure you've heard the statistic
before. It's nothing new. While it might sound frightening or
frustrating, it's a fact of copywriting life. So what do you do
next? Give up? What difference does it make if only about 20%
will be read anyway?

It makes a world of difference. Especially if you understand
that there are some sections of your copy that are practically
guaranteed to get read. If you know what these are and work to
reinforce them, you'll see your conversions increase
dramatically whether your copy is geared toward online or
offline promotions.

HEADLINES

Headlines have always been and will always be the most
important section in any copy. They are the first thing to get
read and have the greatest impact on whether any of the other
copy gets read. Those stories you've seen floating around the
Internet about marketers who have made minute changes to a
headline and tripled their conversion rates are true. It
happens all the time. In fact, it's happened to me.

Headlines and sub-headlines can guide your visitors to read
deeper into your copy. If you set up a structure of
progressive headlines
(http://www.marketingwords.com/articles/articles_progressheadlines.html),
you'll have a better shot getting your point across. Pay a lot
of attention to your headline. It's the powerhouse of your
copy.

CAPTIONS

Captions started with newspaper journalists. When they would
run a picture with a story, they would add a few words
underneath to explain what or who the picture was of. People
got into the habit of looking for the captions in order to
relate the importance of the image with the information they
were receiving. This still holds true. Captions in
advertising pieces are highly read. Don't waste the space!

FIRST SENTENCES

When you scan something -- an article, a book, a newspaper, a
magazine, a website -- what do you read? Almost everyone reads
the first sentence of each paragraph. These sentences are
vitally important in order to get your potential customers
interested enough to keep reading. If you create exceptional
first sentences, one of two things will happen. One: The
prospect will be more likely to continue reading the copy.
Two: The first sentences in each paragraph will be enough to
convince him/her to buy.

FIRST IN BULLETED LIST

Just as with the first sentence in each paragraph, people also
almost always read the first entry in a bulleted list. If it
hits home, they might keep reading. But, knowing that you have
their attention for at least one second, always make sure your
first bullet point is extremely powerful and enticing.

PS's

Writing a direct mail or Web sales letter? The PS is another
hot spot. Take advantage of this real estate. Repeat offers,
remind readers of bonuses, reinforce guarantees or recap
limited-time offers. This section is the final pitch before
your reader either acts or trashes your copy so make it count.

Have you noticed something about these five sections? Why do
you think they are virtually guaranteed to get read in any
piece of copy? They are unusual. They are limited. They
stand out. They are eye-catching.

You only have a limited number of headlines and sub-heads in
copy. They are almost always offset by bolding or underlining
so they easily catch the eye of the reader. Captions only
appear when there are images. They do not appear all
throughout the copy. First sentences are also rare. Only one
sentence in each paragraph can be the first one. This tells
the reader to keep going or jump to another section that might
be of more interest. First entries in bulleted lists are
unusually formatted and catch the eye of the reader. PS's?
There's only one, and since it's the last thing on the page,
most often, it stands out too.

These rare elements give you five guaranteed shots at building
curiosity, promoting benefits, generating interest and closing
sales. If you haven't done it before, now is the time to
review your copy to be sure you're making the most out of these
opportunities.

© 2005
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

About the Author: Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro
who specializes in SEO copy. Learn how to write SEO copy that
impresses the engines and your visitors at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Get more tips on
incorporating keyphrases into your copy with Karon’s latest
e-report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without
Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)” at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

Source: http://www.isnare.com