30 June 2022

Write Better Leads with this (Mostly Unknown) Formula

Every new copywriter learns very quickly that the most important part of any ad – both online and offline – is the headline.

But fewer seem to realize that it’s not just the headline but the first few sentences – the lead – that really determines if enough momentum is created to move the reader through the promotion.

As the prospect reads (or scans) through, we need to foster a sense of excitement – that we can solve their urgent problem, fulfill a burning desire or help them avoid something bad.

That goes behind just writing subjectively “great” copy as described in many copywriting manuals.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned after 20+ years in the business, and having worked with clients in 43 industries, 8 countries and 3 languages, it’s this… clients couldn’t care less if we write “great” copy or not.

They want their problem solved, their burning desire fulfilled, the scary thing on the horizon avoided.

So when I start working on a lead, I don’t particularly care about the copy. Or the offer. Or even the product.

At least not at first. Instead, I focus on something much more important.

The customer.

I try to understand what’s going on in their mind. What’s bugging them right now. Their fears and worries. And what media they’re paying attention to.

I dig deep into their psychology to know them almost as well – or perhaps better in some ways – than they know themselves.

Then I plug all that information into a proven formula as outlined below. Following this process, I’ve been able to sell many millions of dollars across a variety of categories – from financial publishing to legal services to B2B advertising and even luxury real estate in the Caribbean.

In a moment, I’ll go through that process. But first, a quick preface.

I realize that inviting you to “better understand” your customers may seem old hat. And yet, I wouldn’t need to say it if more copywriters actually did it. But they don’t.

This often applies just as much to larger publishers as it does to solopreneurs.

But the fact is, this process doesn’t work so well if you don’t intimately know who you’re selling to.

So with that said, here’s…

The Proven Formula

Step #1. Research the needs, wants and desires of your audience in order to know them as well as they do. Perhaps even better.

There are many resources out there to help you do that. But if you need a place to start, may I suggest the following classic list of probing questions from well-known marketer Dan Kennedy:

What keeps them awake at night, indigestion boiling up their esophagus, eyes open, staring at the ceiling?
What are they afraid of?
What are they angry about? Who are they angry at?
What are their top 3 daily frustrations?
What trends are occurring and will occur in their business or lives?
What do they secretly, ardently desire the most?
Is there a built-in bias to the way they make decisions? (example: engineers = exceptionally analytical)
Do they have their own language?
Who else is selling something similar to them, and how?
Who else has tried selling them something similar and how has the effort failed?

Step #2. Identify the product’s strongest benefit that will trigger an emotional response in the prospect’s mind.

In copywriting 101, we learn the difference between a feature and a benefit:

Think of a puppy. Bring one home and you get a ball of fur with a front-end, a back end, a head, a tail and so on.

But that’s not what you’re buying. You’re buying unconditional love, companionship, maybe a protection animal and so on.

The fact that it has 28 milk teeth means nothing. The breed itself doesn’t mean anything without the benefit of that breed (A Corgi is a natural herder; a Rottweiler is more of a protection animal, Chihuahuas seem to serve no real purpose other than to look cute.)

But here’s the thing… the general benefits also mean nothing if you don’t first put them in terms that create an emotional connection to the target customer.

That begins with looking at the emotional state you’re trying to trigger. That’s unique to each group, however you define it.

So, for example, a family will not (usually) be looking for a protection animal. They’ll want a dog that’s good with families – especially young kids. Like a Golden Retriever.

So if I’m selling Golden Retrievers, I’m going to promote the family aspects. I’m going to dig deep down to the deepest emotional reasons why a family – and specifically the decision maker in the family – is choosing to buy the dog.

I’m going to present the general benefits of the breed in terms of the emotional benefits the audience I’m targeting will appreciate. That will help build that connection.

It’s all about the emotion.

A compelling lead – either implicitly or explicitly – will trigger at least one core emotional state. The strongest leads trigger more than one.

Of course, it’s not always easy to find the strongest benefit relevant to the market you’re selling to. That’s because it takes time and research to really understand them. And then more time and research to really understand the product you’re selling and how to make it compelling to that audience.

But doing that work is arguably the biggest difference between an average copywriter and an A-level.

Step #3. Pull the major headlines from the media they are consuming.

There are two important parts to this task. First, you need to know which media they are consuming. 30 years ago, it was easy. In today’s fragmented media landscape, not so much.

This is both a curse and an advantage; a curse because it’s more work for you. An advantage because most people won’t bother doing it.

Second, you need to determine the headlines from those media. This “compelling lead formula” works best when you can leverage ideas they have already allowed into their mindspace.

Now, when I say “headlines”, I don’t mean that it has to be today’s news. This formula works just fine if you incorporate larger trends that regularly receive news coverage.

In fact, from a copywriting perspective, larger trend headlines can be more useful. Because they give you a shot of creating an evergreen piece that can serve you for years to come.

Step #4. Put it all together.

You’ve collected a lot of data to this point. Now it’s just a matter of tying it all together.

Specifically, you need to:

Connect your intimate knowledge of your customer to…

… the emotionally-triggering core product benefit…

… to one of the major headlines that, at first glance, may not necessarily seem related but, at second glance, is perfectly congruent.

By doing so, you get:

So, what does this look like in practice?

Let’s say you’re a naturopathic physician selling Vitamin IVs to seasonal allergy sufferers (a real and fast-growing niche in different parts of the country.)

Step One: Your audience.

You know who they are – people with allergies, usually living in places with four seasons, lots of greenery and higher-than-average air pollution (particulates make the symptoms worse, even if the pollen in the air isn’t all that much greater than places with cleaner air.)

Natural health broadly skews towards a female consumer since that demographic is more likely to be proactive about their health.

Psychologically, the ideal prospect is more open to natural medicine. Otherwise, they’d just get a pill from the doctor.

Step Two: The strongest emotional benefit.

There are different emotions in play here. There’s the frustration of not being able to leave the house without thinking of the allergy report. For those that have asthma, there’s the fear of having an asthma attack and needing to go to the hospital. There’s a desire to avoid “pain” in the most general sense and, in particular, the symptoms of the condition – itchy eyes, runny nose, the sniffling, the sneezing.

They hate taking a daily pill, both because it gives pharmaceutical companies “control” over them, and because they are afraid of the longer-term consequences of taking a pharmaceutical day after day for years.

More deeply, though, they want to be “normal”. They want to be like their friends who don’t have allergies. They don’t want to have to pass up social events because of their “condition.” They don’t want to be pariahs. They want to be accepted.

Step Three: Headlines.

We have plenty of headline potentials here.

We could focus on new data coming out about the effectiveness of IVs. We could detail how seasonal allergies are only getting worse because of climate change and that new treatments are needed.

We could look at new science showing the importance of personalized medicine for treating conditions in the future (IVs can be highly customized.) We could talk about the therapeutic benefits of the vitamins that make up the IV.

Step Four: Putting it all together.

Generally, it’s best to focus on just one element from each of the above steps. That’s not to say we won’t use other triggers elsewhere in the copy. But for the lead, one focused big idea is better than multiple ones.

Too many newer copywriters try to jam in everything there is to say about the product right there in the headline and the first few lines.

But as the best of us teach, the headline has only one job – to get the next line read. The second line has only one job – to get the third line read. And so on…

So in putting this together, I’m going to pull just one element from each of the first three steps.

By following this formula, we have the best chance to break through the noise, grab their attention and keep them going through the sales process.

One final warning

When I first started learning the craft, I was very much a hammer in search of a nail. I figured the brash, loud and – to many audiences – “irritating” style of in-your-face copy was the only way to do this.

As the years have gone by and I’ve gained experience and, hopefully, a little wisdom, I’ve learned that there are certain times that copy styles and techniques are more appropriate than others.

The lead formula introduced here is not something you need to use all the time in every place. It’s really designed for audiences who don’t yet know you – who aren’t yet aware of you and the benefits you bring to the table.

Stated another way, it’s best for groups that are either unaware they have a problem or a desire to be met or where they are aware there’s a problem but don’t yet know the best type of solution.

Yes, it will work with groups with more awareness. But it’s usually overkill. At best, it’s a waste of your time. At worst, it’s a distraction for your reader. And a distracted reader is less likely to buy as we know.

Here’s one more way to think about it.

Swordplay is a hobby of mine – specifically the Renaissance-era rapier (i.e. the weapons used by the Three Musketeers). It’s a duelling weapon designed to be fought to the death with an opponent one-on-one.

It is, perhaps surprisingly, quite cerebral. There’s more math than you might think. One has to understand concepts like angles, leverage and timing/distance – and then be able to translate that into specific body movements that protect yourself and then enable you to hit your opponent.

One of the most important concepts we learn early on is the importance of efficiency. What is the fastest, lowest energy way to react and then strike back at an opponent? With efficiency comes speed and ultimately a better result.

Within copywriting, we need to ask ourselves the same question – what’s the most efficient way to get to our result? When it comes to aware audiences – especially our current customers – a direct approach is often more efficient. But for unaware or just partially aware audiences, this lead format could be just the thing to help you break through, capture the prospect’s attention and ultimately get more sales.

To Profitable Writing!

About the Author

Brandon Roe is a direct-response marketing strategist, copywriter and best-selling author who has worked with clients in 8 countries and 3 languages over the last 20+ years.

He helps firms in the financial publishing and natural health industries use proven marketing to grow their sales faster.

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