Books for learning how to write sales bullets?

[Growth & Learn]

Hey all,
One of my employees is trying to learn how to craft bullets for sales copy. I have read dozens of copywriting books myself but it's been years and I can't remember where I got specific info from.

I want to recommend a book for him to read to nail this important copywriting technique. Can anybody recommend a great one?

He's already read Tested Advertising Method and Boron Letters. Thanks in advance!

 

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[3things]

Hey all,
One of my employees is trying to learn how to craft bullets for sales copy. I have read dozens of copywriting books myself but it's been years and I can't remember where I got specific info from.

I want to recommend a book for him to read to nail this important copywriting technique. Can anybody recommend a great one?

He's already read Tested Advertising Method and Boron Letters. Thanks in advance!

My go to copywriting 'bibles' have been Ca$hvertising by Drew Whitman, and The Adweek Guide to Copywriting by Joe Sugarman. Also Web Copy that Sells (the updated version) by Maria Veloso is very good and more aimed at the Internet obviously. More than enough in those to get anyone on the right path and give more experienced people ideas.

 

[Andy Black]

Hey all,
One of my employees is trying to learn how to craft bullets for sales copy. I have read dozens of copywriting books myself but it's been years and I can't remember where I got specific info from.

I want to recommend a book for him to read to nail this important copywriting technique. Can anybody recommend a great one?

He's already read Tested Advertising Method and Boron Letters. Thanks in advance!

Hmmm... I can't think of any specifically.

He could study AdWords ads. There's such limited space you have to learn the art of writing succinctly.

Also, check out bullets from good CVs and LinkedIn profiles... I always tell people to start them with proactive "doing" words so that when someone scans down them they make you appear very active (Managed..., Designed..., Engineered..., Delivered..., Improved..., etc).



From AdWords, I know that the eye is attracted to symbols and numbers:

Payday Loans (TX)

"€70 Off When You Buy Online"
beat
"Save €70 When You Buy Online"
because the number is to the left.

Good luck. I'm interested in others input.

 

[Growth & Learn]

Hmmm... I can't think of any specifically.

He could study AdWords ads. There's such limited space you have to learn the art of writing succinctly.

Also, check out bullets from good CVs and LinkedIn profiles... I always tell people to start them with proactive "doing" words so that when someone scans down them they make you appear very active (Managed..., Designed..., Engineered..., Delivered..., Improved..., etc).



From AdWords, I know that the eye is attracted to symbols and numbers:

Payday Loans (TX)

"€70 Off When You Buy Online"
beat
"Save €70 When You Buy Online"
because the number is to the left.

Good luck. I'm interested in others input.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm looking for books though. He needs a formula and theory.

 

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[GuestUser450]

• Gary Bencivenga (old school)
• Digital Marketer (newer school-Ryan Deiss)
• Joanna Wiebe (probably my favorite copythinker, all her ebooks are good)

Copywriting is ignored by big publishers so I can't recommend anything off amazon (although if you dig through the 2.99 ebooks you'll probably find someone who's rewritten something old and good.)

 

[tflfguy]

Not a book, but here's 3 posts from my bookmarks that have some starting formulas and theories:
http://www.copyblogger.com/bullet-points-for-bloggers/
http://bensettle.com/blog/bullet-point-secrets/
http://websitecopywritingservices.com/blog/bullet-point-secrets/

 

[Andy Black]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm looking for books though. He needs a formula and theory.

I'll create a thread sometime and brain dump into it. Maybe others can add to it to.

Not a book, but here's 3 posts from my bookmarks that have some starting formulas and theories:
http://www.copyblogger.com/bullet-points-for-bloggers/
http://bensettle.com/blog/bullet-point-secrets/
http://websitecopywritingservices.com/blog/bullet-point-secrets/

Ben Settle eh? I'm a big fan of his.

Thanks for listing these. In my experience, relevant blog posts normally get to the point (sic) better than a book. I'll definitely check them out.

@SinisterLex ? Any bullet point tips or resources?

 

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[Dwight Schrute]

+1 for Bencivenga: marketingbullets.com

+ John Carlton's Kick-a$$ Copywriting Secrets

Halbert himself refered to Carlton as "The Bullet Guy"

 

[Lex DeVille]

One of my employees is trying to learn how to craft bullets for sales copy.

It's 2016, so it depends on what's being sold.

General bullet point tips:

• Make them direct.
• Keep them relatively short.
• Use action words like "use."
• Write in your target's language.
• Show benefits, not features.
• Avoid passive words ending in "ing."
• Add key info the target wants.

That's pretty much it for generalizations.

Bullet points are for scanners who don't want to read the whole copy until they see key points that make them care.

If I search for Reality Based Self-Defense Training I'd look for a website with that specific key word.

Then I'd scan the copy and read the bullet points.

Here's what I don't want to read:

• Instructed by a blackbelt in Karate
• Nice air-conditioned facility
• Superior martial arts training
• Compete against others for respect
• New training bags, mitts and bathrooms
• Cheapest self-defense program around

I don't want a blackbelt in karate. I want reality based self-defense. I hate karate. I hate martial arts. I hate bullshit training with complex moves that takes years to learn. I wear shoes and jeans and t-shirts when I'm at the club and likely to get mugged. I don't go barefoot or wear GIs. So f*** this website, bunch of keyword jacking poseurs. I'm out!

Here's what I DO want to read:

• Protect yourself from real-world danger RIGHT NOW!
• Train in street clothes because it just makes sense
• Defend yourself in multiple opponent scenarios
• Defeat any attacker of any size no matter who you are
• Learn to fight dirty when your life is on the line
• Drill outdoors on pavement where fights actually happen
• Adapt survival psychology to give yourself the edge
• Works for anyone of any age even for your kids
• NO BS serious reality-based self-defense to use RIGHT NOW!

Now you have my attention. Those are the words I want. This is the training I need. Doesn't matter if I'm a 6 foot macho man or a 5 foot teenage girl. I know this training is meant to keep my a$$ alive. How do I know? Because it says NO BS serious! It says anyone of any age can use it right now! It's a combination of mostly action sentences focused on what I can learn to do (protect myself in the real world), using the same words I already formed in my mind before the search ever started.

Now they'll read the rest of the copy.

I don't have any books to recommend. It's mostly common sense. If you're looking for X, what specifically would you want to know? What words? What key points? If you don't know what the customer looks for then you gotta ask them. Without hitting the most important key points and using the right words, they'll shut you down and move on. All the other stuff is general technique.

Learn to hit key points and key words (trigger words) first.
The rest of the techniques are icing on the cake.

 

[MTF]

I nominate @SinisterLex's post for a [HASHTAG]#GOLDpost[/HASHTAG]. Extremely practical and beautifully explained.

 

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[tflfguy]

It's 2016, so it depends on what's being sold.

General bullet point tips:

• Make them direct.
• Keep them relatively short.
• Use action words like "use."
• Write in your target's language.
• Show benefits, not features.
• Avoid passive words ending in "ing."
• Add key info the target wants.

That's pretty much it for generalizations.

Bullet points are for scanners who don't want to read the whole copy until they see key points that make them care.

If I search for Reality Based Self-Defense Training I'd look for a website with that specific key word.

Then I'd scan the copy and read the bullet points.

Here's what I don't want to read:

• Instructed by a blackbelt in Karate
• Nice air-conditioned facility
• Superior martial arts training
• Compete against others for respect
• New training bags, mitts and bathrooms
• Cheapest self-defense program around

I don't want a blackbelt in karate. I want reality based self-defense. I hate karate. I hate martial arts. I hate bullshit training with complex moves that takes years to learn. I wear shoes and jeans and t-shirts when I'm at the club and likely to get mugged. I don't go barefoot or wear GIs. So f*** this website, bunch of keyword jacking poseurs. I'm out!

Here's what I DO want to read:

• Protect yourself from real-world danger RIGHT NOW!
• Train in street clothes because it just makes sense
• Defend yourself in multiple opponent scenarios
• Defeat any attacker of any size no matter who you are
• Learn to fight dirty when your life is on the line
• Drill outdoors on pavement where fights actually happen
• Adapt survival psychology to give yourself the edge
• Works for anyone of any age even for your kids
• NO BS serious reality-based self-defense to use RIGHT NOW!

Now you have my attention. Those are the words I want. This is the training I need. Doesn't matter if I'm a 6 foot macho man or a 5 foot teenage girl. I know this training is meant to keep my a$$ alive. How do I know? Because it says NO BS serious! It says anyone of any age can use it right now! It's a combination of mostly action sentences focused on what I can learn to do (protect myself in the real world), using the same words I already formed in my mind before the search ever started.

Now they'll read the rest of the copy.

I don't have any books to recommend. It's mostly common sense. If you're looking for X, what specifically would you want to know? What words? What key points? If you don't know what the customer looks for then you gotta ask them. Without hitting the most important key points and using the right words, they'll shut you down and move on. All the other stuff is general technique.

Learn to hit key points and key words (trigger words) first.
The rest of the techniques are icing on the cake.

This kind of post is exactly what Andy Black was talking about above ("relevant blog posts getting to the point better than books").
I REALLY like the "what I don't want to read" vs. "what I do want to read above" - great stuff!

 

[Raoul Duke]

Hey all,
One of my employees is trying to learn how to craft bullets for sales copy. I have read dozens of copywriting books myself but it's been years and I can't remember where I got specific info from.

I want to recommend a book for him to read to nail this important copywriting technique. Can anybody recommend a great one?

He's already read Tested Advertising Method and Boron Letters. Thanks in advance!

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...writing-product-descriptions-that-sell.49841/