Writing Great Copy for Supplements
Writing Great Copy for Supplements
Alan: That’s correct. Copy is my thing – the thing I enjoy doing the most.
CI: So if you have a control, whether you wrote it or someone that you hired wrote it, and you say, “Today I’m going to sit down and work on this product” – how do you go about it? What’s your thought process in looking at a promotion that’s doing well and coming up with a way to beat it?
Alan: Well, I try to look for something that’s specifically unique to the formula that maybe somebody else hasn’t talked about. To do that, you need to be able to “seed” yourself with all your competitors so you can get their mailings and see what they’re saying.
I remember a long time ago … we were doing a prostate product and everybody was talking about saw palmetto berries. So we looked at our formula, and we had lycopene in it. We started researching lycopene, and found out that it is a very strong ingredient for helping prostate health, and we decided maybe that should be our big story. We took our control, which was focused completely on saw palmetto, and rewrote it. We made lycopene our big-picture focus, and we must have had over 20 percent increase in response rate. It just killed the control.
CI: Do you remember what your headline was?
Alan: I think it was something like “Your prostate’s a ticking time bomb,” and we talked about a new breakthrough, lycopene, that could restore your prostate and help your symptoms. That promotion really showed how picking something unique that no one else is talking about can make a big story – and when it comes to selling supplements, you need a big story.
You need some breaking news, something that everybody hasn’t heard about. Customers in the health product area receive a lot of mail. They get a lot of different types of promotions, and a lot of them are selling the same story for the same health problem. They want something different … because I can guarantee you that, after a period of time, they’re going to feel they’re not getting the full benefit of the product they’re currently using. When that happens, they are going to look for something that has a different promise, that has a different ingredient.
I keep looking around for something I can tell people that hasn’t been told before. I think that’s a very important marketing strategy in the health industry.
CI: So you look for the unique selling proposition or, really, the point of differentiation.
Alan: Yes, very important.
CI: Let’s talk for a moment about what the regulatory agencies allow you to say in healthcare copy (and what you should never say). What restrictions are you under?
Alan: Well, lately the FDA’s gotten very strong on direct-mail vitamin nutritional supplement promotions. So we’ve gone through a change. We now try to have all our copy be as much in compliance with the FDA as possible, which is a little bit different than what the FTC requires. The FTC is concerned with making false advertising claims – and that applies to all direct-mail marketing. But when the FDA steps in, they have a lot of different concerns.
We can’t make cancer claims, we can’t make prevention claims, and we sometimes even have trouble listing symptoms. The FDA has gotten very strict. It’s become quite a challenge to write good copy.
But I never give up, because there are always ways of saying the things you need to say without upsetting the FDA. I think the customer gets it. For example, it’s pretty widely known that once men get past their 40s, four out of five have prostate problems. You don’t have to hit them over the head with the word “cancer.” They know what you’re talking about. The trick is to figure out how to use different words that mean the same thing.
CI: How do you make sure your writers know the boundaries they have to work within?
Alan: I don’t tie their hands. I try to give them some guidance up front, and I say, “Listen. You know, you’ve got to substantiate everything.” That’s what seems to be the main thing. If you’re making a claim, you have to substantiate it. In other words, there’s got to be a study saying that this ingredient in your product is going to provide this benefit.
I tell them that if they see a study that’s going to add credibility to the piece, go ahead and use it. Pull the abstract out of PubMed (which you can find on the Internet). Just be cautious. If the study’s talking about 600 mg and your product only has 300 mg, you can’t use it.
CI: Let’s say you’re going to hire someone who’s a starting copywriter, maybe an AWAI graduate. It’s their first or their second assignment, or maybe their fifth assignment but their first with you. What kind of assignment would you start them out on? Would it be a direct-mail package? A headline test? An insert?
Alan: I wouldn’t want a beginner to go ahead and dive into a 16-pager or a magalog or something of that sort. So what I usually do is give them a small package, a four- or eight-page package – and I ask them to do the head and the lead first. In other words, give me a page or two. Let me make sure you’re on the right track, because there’s a lot you’ve got to be concerned about. Are you telling the story we want you to tell? Do you have a big promise upfront? Do you have the right voice? Health supplements often have doctors that endorse the product. Does your copy sounds like it’s coming from a doctor?
CI: Though you usually start beginners with something small – like a four- or eight-pager – is that a format that you typically use?
Alan: Every nutritional supplement company has its own look. The formula that usually works for us is a self-mailer. Sometimes we have a picture of one of our doctors on the front, along with a big header and a promise. And it usually runs about 12 or 16 pages.
CI: What’s a reasonable fee for writing a direct mailing to sell a nutritional supplement? Can you give our readers a range?
Alan: It differs with the number of pages. At least, that’s how we do it. If you’re doing a four-page package, that’s an easy write. If you’re doing a 16 pager, it’s going to take some work. For someone new to the health field or just starting out as a copywriter, I would say anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. Sometimes with royalties, sometimes not.
It’s very important for all new writers to do some work at very low cost or even at no cost. You want to get a successful piece in the mail, because that’s going to be your ace in the hole. If you get a successful piece, you’re going to be able to go to other clients and say, “Listen, I have a successful piece in the mail that’s making someone lots of money.” They’re going to want to see it … and that’s going to be your selling tool.
In the beginning, your priority is to get a piece that’s working in the mail, not the money you’re going to get for writing it. Think of it as an investment – one that’s going to pay off in the end.
So take jobs that you think you can handle. Even if it may not be what you’re most interested in at the moment, take the project anyway if you think it might lead to a good opportunity for you.
CI: Earlier, you talked about the importance of finding a USP for your product. But then what? What’s your secret for writing a strong package around that the USP?
Alan: There is a structure we use that works for us. So I tell my writers, stick to the structure. You have to have all the components in your piece. I also tell them to use subheads, because when you’re talking about nutritional supplements and ingredients, it can get very technical. Subheads help to keep pulling your reader back into the story.
Next, they need to find the voice. The voice is very important in writing health. We use a doctor to endorse our products, so our promotions have to sound like they’re coming from him.
Customers put a lot of trust into the doctors who are behind nutritional formulas. So not only does writing in a particular doctor’s voice help you build a loyal customer base, it also makes your customers feel like somebody with a lot of knowledge in his field is talking to them with authority.
CI: Not all supplement clients use doctors to endorse their products, but a lot of them do.
Alan: Right. And I tell my writers that they need to place themselves on the other side of the doctor’s desk. Imagine yourself in the doctor’s office. He’s sitting in his chair and leaning across his desk, talking to you like you’re one of his patients. You want to make your copy sound like it’s coming right out of his mouth, that he has an understanding of your problem and sympathy for what you’re going through.
On your first page, you have to state the problem and make a promise. Make your reader feel comfortable with the doctor. Make him feel that there’s a connection – that the doctor’s got solutions for the problem and that he’s going to explain why these solutions are better than anything you’ll find at the corner store.
If you build that story and you keep that pitch going through the whole promotion, by the time the reader is done, he’s going to feel compelled to buy the product.
CI: One last thing. What do you think works better in copy to sell health products? Fear or hope?
Alan: I work them together: problem/solution. I give them the fear of the problem and then I give them the hope of the solution. They go hand in hand.
Link directly to this article »
3 Powerful Ways to Get Your Prospect Ready to Listen
by Heather Robson
AWAI Copywriter and Copywriting Insider Editor-in-Chief
When it comes to supplements, creating a feeling of trust between you and your audience is crucial. You need to do this right up front, in your headline and lead, or chances are your reader won’t stay with you. That said, here are three proven ways to build trust:
Build trust through authority.
Writing from the point of view of a doctor is one way to establish authority. But just any doctor won’t do. You need to create the feeling that this doctor is fighting for the reader against the medical establishment. People trust doctors, but they don’t trust the medical industry. Use this dichotomy to reach your audience. (Hint: Including a photo of the doctor in the layout also builds trust.)
Build empathy with the reader.
People with health concerns want other people to be concerned, too. Do your research and really understand the problems they are facing. Then build empathy by showing them you understand and you care. The best way to do this is with conversational writing. Imaging you are sitting next to someone, just talking to him about what’s worrying him. That’s the feeling you want to get across in your package.
Use customer anecdotes to establish a connection.
In the health industry, buyers respond to stories of people who have had a similar experiences. Use the information you find in testimonials to weave a story into your package that demonstrates the effectiveness of the supplement you are promoting. Personal stories can help you immediately connect with your reader. When you can show her that someone in her situation had success with your product, she is more likely to trust what you have to say.
Writing Great Copy for Supplements - To learn more about this author, visit AWAI’s The Golden Thread 's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
CI: As I understand it, you write a lot of your own copy – and you basically consider yourself to be a copywriter who became a businessman.
Alan: That’s correct. Copy is my thing – the thing I enjoy doing the most.
CI: So if you have a control, whether you wrote it or someone that you hired wrote it, and you say, “Today I’m going to sit down and work on this product” – how do you go about it? What’s your thought process in looking at a promotion that’s doing well and coming up with a way to beat it?
Alan: Well, I try to look for something that’s specifically unique to the formula that maybe somebody else hasn’t talked about. To do that, you need to be able to “seed” yourself with all your competitors so you can get their mailings and see what they’re saying.
I remember a long time ago … we were doing a prostate product and everybody was talking about saw palmetto berries. So we looked at our formula, and we had lycopene in it. We started researching lycopene, and found out that it is a very strong ingredient for helping prostate health, and we decided maybe that should be our big story. We took our control, which was focused completely on saw palmetto, and rewrote it. We made lycopene our big-picture focus, and we must have had over 20 percent increase in response rate. It just killed the control.
CI: Do you remember what your headline was?
Alan: I think it was something like “Your prostate’s a ticking time bomb,” and we talked about a new breakthrough, lycopene, that could restore your prostate and help your symptoms. That promotion really showed how picking something unique that no one else is talking about can make a big story – and when it comes to selling supplements, you need a big story.
You need some breaking news, something that everybody hasn’t heard about. Customers in the health product area receive a lot of mail. They get a lot of different types of promotions, and a lot of them are selling the same story for the same health problem. They want something different … because I can guarantee you that, after a period of time, they’re going to feel they’re not getting the full benefit of the product they’re currently using. When that happens, they are going to look for something that has a different promise, that has a different ingredient.
I keep looking around for something I can tell people that hasn’t been told before. I think that’s a very important marketing strategy in the health industry.
CI: So you look for the unique selling proposition or, really, the point of differentiation.
Alan: Yes, very important.
CI: Let’s talk for a moment about what the regulatory agencies allow you to say in healthcare copy (and what you should never say). What restrictions are you under?
Alan: Well, lately the FDA’s gotten very strong on direct-mail vitamin nutritional supplement promotions. So we’ve gone through a change. We now try to have all our copy be as much in compliance with the FDA as possible, which is a little bit different than what the FTC requires. The FTC is concerned with making false advertising claims – and that applies to all direct-mail marketing. But when the FDA steps in, they have a lot of different concerns.
We can’t make cancer claims, we can’t make prevention claims, and we sometimes even have trouble listing symptoms. The FDA has gotten very strict. It’s become quite a challenge to write good copy.
But I never give up, because there are always ways of saying the things you need to say without upsetting the FDA. I think the customer gets it. For example, it’s pretty widely known that once men get past their 40s, four out of five have prostate problems. You don’t have to hit them over the head with the word “cancer.” They know what you’re talking about. The trick is to figure out how to use different words that mean the same thing.
CI: How do you make sure your writers know the boundaries they have to work within?
Alan: I don’t tie their hands. I try to give them some guidance up front, and I say, “Listen. You know, you’ve got to substantiate everything.” That’s what seems to be the main thing. If you’re making a claim, you have to substantiate it. In other words, there’s got to be a study saying that this ingredient in your product is going to provide this benefit.
I tell them that if they see a study that’s going to add credibility to the piece, go ahead and use it. Pull the abstract out of PubMed (which you can find on the Internet). Just be cautious. If the study’s talking about 600 mg and your product only has 300 mg, you can’t use it.
CI: Let’s say you’re going to hire someone who’s a starting copywriter, maybe an AWAI graduate. It’s their first or their second assignment, or maybe their fifth assignment but their first with you. What kind of assignment would you start them out on? Would it be a direct-mail package? A headline test? An insert?
Alan: I wouldn’t want a beginner to go ahead and dive into a 16-pager or a magalog or something of that sort. So what I usually do is give them a small package, a four- or eight-page package – and I ask them to do the head and the lead first. In other words, give me a page or two. Let me make sure you’re on the right track, because there’s a lot you’ve got to be concerned about. Are you telling the story we want you to tell? Do you have a big promise upfront? Do you have the right voice? Health supplements often have doctors that endorse the product. Does your copy sounds like it’s coming from a doctor?
CI: Though you usually start beginners with something small – like a four- or eight-pager – is that a format that you typically use?
Alan: Every nutritional supplement company has its own look. The formula that usually works for us is a self-mailer. Sometimes we have a picture of one of our doctors on the front, along with a big header and a promise. And it usually runs about 12 or 16 pages.
CI: What’s a reasonable fee for writing a direct mailing to sell a nutritional supplement? Can you give our readers a range?
Alan: It differs with the number of pages. At least, that’s how we do it. If you’re doing a four-page package, that’s an easy write. If you’re doing a 16 pager, it’s going to take some work. For someone new to the health field or just starting out as a copywriter, I would say anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. Sometimes with royalties, sometimes not.
It’s very important for all new writers to do some work at very low cost or even at no cost. You want to get a successful piece in the mail, because that’s going to be your ace in the hole. If you get a successful piece, you’re going to be able to go to other clients and say, “Listen, I have a successful piece in the mail that’s making someone lots of money.” They’re going to want to see it … and that’s going to be your selling tool.
In the beginning, your priority is to get a piece that’s working in the mail, not the money you’re going to get for writing it. Think of it as an investment – one that’s going to pay off in the end.
So take jobs that you think you can handle. Even if it may not be what you’re most interested in at the moment, take the project anyway if you think it might lead to a good opportunity for you.
CI: Earlier, you talked about the importance of finding a USP for your product. But then what? What’s your secret for writing a strong package around that the USP?
Alan: There is a structure we use that works for us. So I tell my writers, stick to the structure. You have to have all the components in your piece. I also tell them to use subheads, because when you’re talking about nutritional supplements and ingredients, it can get very technical. Subheads help to keep pulling your reader back into the story.
Next, they need to find the voice. The voice is very important in writing health. We use a doctor to endorse our products, so our promotions have to sound like they’re coming from him.
Customers put a lot of trust into the doctors who are behind nutritional formulas. So not only does writing in a particular doctor’s voice help you build a loyal customer base, it also makes your customers feel like somebody with a lot of knowledge in his field is talking to them with authority.
CI: Not all supplement clients use doctors to endorse their products, but a lot of them do.
Alan: Right. And I tell my writers that they need to place themselves on the other side of the doctor’s desk. Imagine yourself in the doctor’s office. He’s sitting in his chair and leaning across his desk, talking to you like you’re one of his patients. You want to make your copy sound like it’s coming right out of his mouth, that he has an understanding of your problem and sympathy for what you’re going through.
On your first page, you have to state the problem and make a promise. Make your reader feel comfortable with the doctor. Make him feel that there’s a connection – that the doctor’s got solutions for the problem and that he’s going to explain why these solutions are better than anything you’ll find at the corner store.
If you build that story and you keep that pitch going through the whole promotion, by the time the reader is done, he’s going to feel compelled to buy the product.
CI: One last thing. What do you think works better in copy to sell health products? Fear or hope?
Alan: I work them together: problem/solution. I give them the fear of the problem and then I give them the hope of the solution. They go hand in hand.
Link directly to this article »
3 Powerful Ways to Get Your Prospect Ready to Listen
by Heather Robson
AWAI Copywriter and Copywriting Insider Editor-in-Chief
When it comes to supplements, creating a feeling of trust between you and your audience is crucial. You need to do this right up front, in your headline and lead, or chances are your reader won’t stay with you. That said, here are three proven ways to build trust:
Build trust through authority.
Writing from the point of view of a doctor is one way to establish authority. But just any doctor won’t do. You need to create the feeling that this doctor is fighting for the reader against the medical establishment. People trust doctors, but they don’t trust the medical industry. Use this dichotomy to reach your audience. (Hint: Including a photo of the doctor in the layout also builds trust.)
Build empathy with the reader.
People with health concerns want other people to be concerned, too. Do your research and really understand the problems they are facing. Then build empathy by showing them you understand and you care. The best way to do this is with conversational writing. Imaging you are sitting next to someone, just talking to him about what’s worrying him. That’s the feeling you want to get across in your package.
Use customer anecdotes to establish a connection.
In the health industry, buyers respond to stories of people who have had a similar experiences. Use the information you find in testimonials to weave a story into your package that demonstrates the effectiveness of the supplement you are promoting. Personal stories can help you immediately connect with your reader. When you can show her that someone in her situation had success with your product, she is more likely to trust what you have to say.
Writing Great Copy for Supplements - To learn more about this author, visit AWAI’s The Golden Thread 's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to AWAI’s The Golden Thread's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Red Realestate CSS Template 100 Success Tips Get a Top 20 Ranking Start-Up Capital Estimate Optimus Performance |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs | |
 |
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
