How To Write Sales Copy That Sells | 3 Copywriting Tips from Zach Browman

Introduction

In this section, Alex introduces his guest Zach Browman and talks about his background in acting, singing, dating and relationship coaching, and Zen Buddhism.

Meeting Zach

• Alex introduces Zach as his first guest on the show.

• Alex shares how he met Zach at a marketing summit in Vancouver.

Zach's Background

• Zach's background includes training as an actor and singer in New York City, living for 4 years as a Zen Buddhist monk, and turning to online marketing and sales world 10 years ago.

• Zach started writing copy out of necessity for his own business coaching men and women on better dating and relationship skills.

Becoming a Copywriter

In this section, Alex and Zach discuss their experiences becoming copywriters.

Writing Your Own Copy

• Both Alex and Zach started writing copy out of necessity for their own businesses before becoming professional copywriters.

• Practicing writing copy improves your confidence as a copywriter.

The Importance of Experience

• Both Alex and Zach have concerns about people calling themselves copywriters after taking one course without any real experience or paid work.

• Practice makes perfect when it comes to becoming a successful copywriter.

The Three Things to Write Copy That Sells

In this section, Zach shares the three things that are essential to writing copy that sells.

The Three Things

• The first thing is to understand your audience and their pain points.

• The second thing is to have a unique mechanism or solution to solve their problem.

• The third thing is to create urgency and scarcity in your offer.

Understanding Your Audience

• You need to know who your audience is, what they want, and what their pain points are.

• Use surveys, interviews, and research to understand your audience better.

Unique Mechanism

• A unique mechanism is a new or different way of solving a problem that sets you apart from the competition.

• It's important to explain how your unique mechanism works and why it's effective.

Urgency and Scarcity

• Creating urgency and scarcity in your offer can increase conversions.

• Use limited-time offers, bonuses, and other tactics to create urgency and scarcity.

Becoming a Better Copywriter

In this section, the speakers discuss how to become a better copywriter by learning tactics and strategies, practicing writing, and experimenting with good copy practices.

Learning Tactics and Strategies

• Learn the tactics and strategies to improve your copy.

• Practice as much as you can by writing for yourself or friends.

• Selling products that don't have your face on them can free you up to experiment with good copy practices.

Finding Your Niche

• Don't get caught up in everything having to be the flagship program that defines you.

• Freelance writers should play around in different niches to see what resonates with them.

• Knowing your customer makes good copy.

Writing About What Interests You

• Write in an area that interests you because it will define subsequent pieces of copy.

• Personal interest in relationships, sex, and dating has helped one speaker write better copy in those niches.

Three Things You Need for Copy That Sells

• The three things needed for copy that sells are discussed.

The Importance of Promises in Sales Emails

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of promises in sales emails and how to create effective promises that resonate with potential customers.

Creating Effective Promises

• A promise should be based on a benefit that the customer wants.

• Promises come in tiers, but ultimately everyone wants to be happy.

• For example, in the weight loss market, people have beliefs about what will make them lose weight such as increasing metabolism or putting on lean muscle mass.

• The big promise should match the market sophistication level and focus on a singular benefit that appeals to a specific audience.

Market Sophistication Level and Identifying Big Promises

In this section, the speaker talks about market sophistication levels and how they impact identifying big promises.

Market Sophistication Levels

• Market sophistication levels refer to how advanced and saturated a particular market is.

• For example, weight loss is an extremely advanced and sophisticated market because it has been around for so long.

• It's important to pay attention to market sophistication levels when creating big promises because what worked before may not work now.

Identifying Big Promises

• When identifying big promises, it's important to focus on a singular benefit that matches the market sophistication level.

• If you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.

• The big promise should be consistent from the ad they click on all the way through to the product or service being sold.

The Glass of Wine Test

In this section, the speaker introduces the "glass of wine test" as a way to understand what your prospects want and how to communicate with them effectively.

Understanding Your Prospect

• The glass of wine test involves imagining your prospect going out for a drink with a friend and discussing what they want in life.

• By listening to their desires and concerns, you can learn how to speak their language and address their needs in your marketing.

• It's important to use simple, concise language that resonates with individuals rather than trying to sound corporate or official.

Examples

• The speaker shares an example of helping someone write a cover letter by focusing on the hiring manager's desire for someone who can take care of things without needing constant supervision.

• Another example is given about a company that helps high visibility individuals differentiate themselves. By simplifying their message to "helping popular people get more popular," they were able to stand out in a crowded market.

Brand Promise

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of having a clear brand promise that differentiates you from competitors.

Allrecipes vs. Epicurious

• The speaker uses the example of Allrecipes vs. Epicurious to illustrate how having a clear brand promise can help you stand out in a crowded market.

• Allrecipes' brand promise is being the recipe site for everyday cooks who want quick and easy meal ideas.

• Epicurious' brand promise is being the recipe site for food enthusiasts who are looking for more complex recipes and culinary inspiration.

Key Takeaways

• Having a clear brand promise helps you differentiate yourself from competitors and attract the right audience.

• Your brand promise should be simple, concise, and focused on addressing your target audience's needs and desires.

The Two Most Important Things Every Piece of Copy Needs

In this section, the speaker discusses the two most important things that every piece of copy needs.

The Big Singular Promise

• A good piece of copy needs a big singular promise.

• It can be difficult to know what that is if it's a new market for you.

• You might have to test a few promises and see what people click on.

Believability

• Most of the work in copywriting is believability.

• If people believe your promise, there would be no need for copy.

• Overcoming objections is one way to increase believability.

The Importance of Believability in Copywriting

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of believability in copywriting and provides techniques for increasing it.

Overcoming Objections

• Accessing consumer data from clients or businesses can help identify why people haven't purchased from you.

• This information can be used to overcome objections throughout your copy.

Techniques for Increasing Believability

• One technique for increasing believability is overcoming objections.

• Another technique that works well in saturated or sophisticated markets is discussed in Breakthrough Advertising.

Mechanisms and Believability

In this section, the speaker discusses mechanisms and how they can be used to increase believability in personal development and marketing. The speaker emphasizes the importance of specificity in promises and niching down to stand out from competitors.

Using Mechanisms to Stand Out

• Different diets have different mechanisms, but even those become saturated with a thousand variations.

• Toothpaste companies use mechanisms to differentiate their products from others that promise similar benefits.

• Niche the method or mechanism if you don't want to niche your audience or benefit.

Specific Promises Increase Credibility

• Specific promises are more credible than broad ones.

• People look for help with their specific problems, so it's important to niche down on all fronts.

Telling Stories Increases Believability

• Positioning yourself as an accidental discovery or telling stories of clients can increase believability.

• We're wired to draw conclusions from stories, making them a powerful tool for increasing believability.

The Importance of Believability

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of believability in marketing and copywriting. He talks about how people respond well to stories and ancient wisdom, and how confirming existing beliefs can increase believability. He also emphasizes the importance of being honest with oneself about buying behavior.

Ancient Wisdom and Storytelling

• People respond well to stories and ancient philosophies.

• Confirming existing beliefs is a way to increase believability.

• An appeal to science and scientific research works for some markets, while others prefer ancient wisdom.

Honesty About Buying Behavior

• It's important to be honest with oneself about buying behavior.

• Pay attention to one's own irrationality when in a state of wanting to buy something.

Endorsements and Testimonials

In this section, the speaker talks about endorsements and testimonials as a way to increase believability. He shares his personal experience with endorsements when he was writing copy for dating sites.

Personal Experience with Endorsements

• The speaker had a positive experience with an endorsement from someone he knew and trusted.

• Endorsements can make a difference in whether or not someone buys something.

Using Authority, Credibility, and Stories

In this section, the speaker discusses using authority, credibility, and stories as ways to build one's case in marketing. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and authenticity in today's market.

Building One's Case with Authority, Credibility, and Stories

• Using authority, credibility, and stories can help build one's case in marketing.

• Transparency and authenticity are important in today's market.

Demonstrating Products

In this section, the speaker talks about demonstrating products as a way to increase believability. He emphasizes the importance of finding a new benefit or mechanism to demonstrate if one cannot find a new hook.

Demonstrating Products

• Demonstrating products can be an effective way to increase believability.

• Finding a new benefit or mechanism can help make a product more compelling.

Direct Sales vs Branding

In this section, the speaker talks about the difference between direct sales and branding.

Direct Sales

• Most of what the speaker does is direct sales.

• The process involves someone clicking on the website, going through a sales letter, and buying at the end.

• This starts the relationship.

Branding

• Branding is less about colors for your website and logo.

• It's more about delivering results for someone to establish believability.

• If you've already delivered results for someone, it increases their trust in you.

Believability in Branding

In this section, the speaker discusses how believability plays a crucial role in branding.

Establishing Believability

• One way to increase believability early on in a relationship with a prospect is to admit a flaw or something that isn't perfect about you or your products.

• Admitting something negative immediately increases believability and trust.

• Addressing skepticism by encouraging prospects to think for themselves also helps establish believability.

Market Sophistication and Believability

In this section, the speaker talks about market sophistication and how it affects believability.

Market Sophistication

• Not every market is ready for difficult solutions like P90X.

• People get into trouble when they try to sell something that's not believable yet because the market hasn't caught up yet.

Believability

• You don’t want to have it be completely contrary to what you’re trying to sell.

• Admitting flaws can help increase believability but avoid saying "I'm a shitty copywriter but join my coaching program."

• Other markets are still selling easy solutions because it's still believable.

Attention

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of getting and maintaining attention.

Getting Attention

• Promise and believability are important but you also need to get their attention.

• You have to not only get their attention in the beginning but continue to re-engage their attention throughout.

Attention and Retention in Copywriting

In this section, the speakers discuss the importance of attention and retention in copywriting. They talk about how people's tolerance for crappy content has decreased due to the increase in easily available options out there. They also discuss how great copy is written in such a way that every sentence forces you to have to read or listen to the next sentence.

The Importance of Hooking Attention

• Street performing is equivalent to hooking people's attention.

• People's attention spans have not gotten shorter, but their tolerance for crappy content has decreased.

• You need to hook attention constantly by using teasing and future pacing.

The Netflix Effect

• The increase in easily available options out there with the simultaneous decrease in people's tolerance of crappy content is known as the Netflix effect.

• Great copy can still make people watch 20 or 45-minute video sales letters if it can keep their attention.

Storytelling Techniques

• The speakers discuss different storytelling techniques used in movies and screenwriting courses.

• Great copy is written in such a way that every sentence forces you to have to read or listen to the next sentence.

Promise and Believability

• Promise and believability come into what hooks people's attention.

• A new promise or some combination of promise and believability can be used for headlines.

Ethical Issues with Teasing

• Teasing without delivering on promises is an unethical way to start a relationship with customers.

• Some people make money by teasing and not delivering, but it creates jaded customers in the long run.

Adding Value First

In this section, the speaker talks about how to use sales tactics authentically and ethically while delivering value in advance.

Authentic Sales Tactics

• Use sales tactics authentically and ethically.

• The mission of any piece of sales copy is to add value first.

• Be honest about what you are offering.

Building Authenticity

• Be upfront with your audience about your business.

• Offer valuable content even if someone can't afford to buy a program.

Copywriting Training

• The speaker offers a free copywriting training on Zoom or something similar.

• The audience can comment below on what they are most interested in learning about, such as hooking attention, creating brand promise, believability, emails, landing pages, squeeze pages or specific types of copy.

• Copy psychology is an interesting topic that the speaker loves discussing.

Applying Theory

• Applying theory requires knowing how to apply it using tactics and examples.

Upcoming Training

In this section, the speaker talks about an upcoming training and how to sign up for it.

Joining the Training

• The speaker invites viewers to join their upcoming training.

• To sign up for the training, viewers should click on the link in the description.

• The speaker asks viewers to leave feedback in the comments section about what they are interested in learning.

• Once viewers provide feedback, the speaker will hop on a call with them.

Logistics of the Training

• The training will be conducted online since Zach lives on Vancouver Island.

• The duration of the call is one hour.

Conclusion

In this section, the speakers conclude their video and thank their audience for watching.

Ending Remarks

• The speakers thank their audience for watching.

• They encourage viewers to check back next week for a new copywriting tutorial.

End of Video

This section marks the end of the video.

Closing Statement

• One of the speakers says "Bye" as a closing statement.