Condensed notes from "Cashvertising" by Drew Whitman

Headline

• Does it feature your product’s biggest benefit? (The #1 most important rule)

60% of people will read the headline only. Shorter is better, but not always best (3 word headlines get the highest readership (87%) , but 13+ word headlines will still get 77% IF it’s effective in showing the products biggest benefit)

1. Start by making a list of all the benefits your products or service offers
2. Rank them in order of importance to your customer
3. List the benefit you feel is the strongest selling point as #1
4. Use this in your headline and/or your opening sentence

• Is it a real grabber? Does it elicit an emotional response?
• Does it use any of the 22 Psychologically Potent Headline Starters? (p.99)

There are 4 important qualities that a good headline may possess. They are 1. Self-Interest, 2. News, 3. Curiosity, 4. Quick, easy-way. ~ John Caples

The 22 Headline Starters

Free, New, At Last, This, Announcing, Warning!, Just Released, Now, Here’s, These, Which Of, Finally, Look, Presenting, Introducing, How, Amazing, Do You, Would You, Can You, If You, Starting Today

• Is it larger than your body copy and in bold?
• Is it powerful enough to get people to read your copy?
• Does it make some kind of offer?
• Is The Headline Set In Initial Caps? (Like This) Use ALL CAPS for headlines less than 5 words
• Is it in quotes? - Can boost readershop 25%

Body Copy: First Sentence

•  Are you using one of the 12 body copy jump starters? (p.101)

1. Continue the Thought in the Headline
2. Ask a Question
3. Quote a Respected Authority
4. Give’Em a Free Taste
5. Challenge Them to Prove It Works (Quote something within the product, a snippet that will massively benefit them)
6. Start with a Story of Scepticism
7. Tell Them What Others are Saying (Bandwagon Effect)
8. Play Reporter
9. Get Personal with You, You, You
10. Tell a Dramatic Story
11. Give Super Detailed Specifics (Be as specific as possible to what is inside the product)
12. Lure Them with a Very Short First Sentence

• Does it naturally flow from the headline?
• Does it get right into the benefits for the reader, instead of bragging about the company?
• Does it also force them to read the second sentence?
• Is you one of the first few words?

Body Copy: General

• Does it focus on how the reader will benefit?
• Does it tell them why they should buy from you rather than someone else who offers the same service?
• If your product or services are exciting, does your ad sound exciting?
• Does it progress in a logical, methodical way?

1. Get attention
2. Stimulate interest
3. Build desire
4. Offer proof
5. Ask for action

• Are you trying to sell one product at a time?
• Do you use selling subheadings to break up long copy blocks to make them easier on the eye?
• Is the copy colourful, sprinkled with power visual adjectives where appropriate?

🔴 Make lots of money!

✅ Rake in $2,750 weekly!

🔴 Juicy red apples.

✅ Mouth watering, sugar-sweet, hand-picked apples!

🔴 Drink cleaner water.

✅ Enjoy pure, crystal-clear, glacier-fresh water!

• Is it believable? Not overblown or ridiculous
• Is it respectful to the reader and not insulting his or her intelligence?
• Is it emotional? Does it create emotion (positive or negative) ?
• Do you use the principle of extreme specificity?
• Are your words, sentences, and paragraphs short? Simple words?
• Is your typeface simple and easy to understand (Serif or Arial)
• Do you tell your reader what you want them to do in a super simple way?
• Do you outright ask for the sale?
• Did you set a deadline, if appropriate? (Most of the time it is)
• If you have a lot of benefits to offer, do you list them in bullet or numbered form?
• Do you have testimonials?
• Is your business name and phone number large and instantly noticeable?
• Did you include your logo?
• Did you give directions, maps or landmarks? (If they need to go to a physical location?)
• Did you key (give a unique reference) to your ad to better track responses?

Layout and Design

• Did a professional designer produce your ad?
• Is your headline big and bold?
• Is the headline broken at the right words?
• Is the ad easy to read? Is there a focus? (The eye should naturally be pulled to certain areas first, not jump around)
• Is there sufficient white space? Did you wrap it in white?
• Did you indent your paragraphs?

An indented paragraph looks like this, where you would hit tab on the first word.

• Is the number of separate elements kept to a minimum?
• Did you use art which is relevant to your sales message?
• Did you use a minimum number of type styles? No more than 3
• Did you feature a picture of a person looking at you? One of the most powerful ways to grab people’s attention