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Performance Marketing Checklist #7: Evaluating Your Copy.

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You did it! You have completed the greatest copywriting masterpiece of all time. You are overjoyed with the landing page, the letter, the video sales letter script, or the print ad. You are delighted with your persuasive arguments. The copy flow gives you a sense of sheer ecstasy.

You have only one problem: Where shall you put all the bags of money which this masterpiece of copywriting will certainly bring.

Stop for a moment and climb off that cloud. Look at your copy with a cold (and cruel) eye. Before you submit that copy, look at it again and ask these 50 questions:

1.Can your promo piece be produced (recorded, designed, programmed, printed) at a reasonable, i.e. competitive, price?
2.Do all the elements – e.g., the banner ad and the landing page, the email and the VSL you are pointing traffic to, etc. – have a sense of unity?
3.Have you repeated certain words and phrases that should not be repeated?
4.Can the vocabulary be simplified?
5.Show your copy to five different people: Do they all understand exactly what you are attempting to accomplish?
6.Is the sentence structure straightforward and direct or can it be simplified?
7.Have you touched upon all the benefits? Or have you left some benefits out? (It is a good idea to put in as many benefits as possible.)
8.Is there an element of sexism in your copy? (Take it out – if you know what is good for you.)
9.If someone reads your copy five or 10 years from now, will it still have the same power and impact?
10.Does your copy read like a warm and personal communication – from one human being to another?
11.Have you provided a compelling reason that would make your customer want to buy your product without delay?
12.Have you made it easy to order?
13.Have you considered all the possible objections that the customer might have – and written a copy that overcomes all these objections?
14.Are there any words that can be eliminated? (Be without mercy: take them out.)
15.Do you know everything you can about the product? Have you done an in-depth job of research?
16.Have you familiarized yourself with the competition and considered claims matrix mapping?
17.Have you used scientific evidence to back up all claims and statements?
18.Have you used quotes from satisfied customers to underscore the benefits of your product?
19.If you are asked by some state authority to prove the truth of your claims, are you prepared to do so?
20.Does your designer understand exactly how your piece should appear?
21.Are you in total agreement with the designer’s approach?
22.Have you allowed enough time for the design, production and media buying to do the job?
23.Is the typography, the design and the tone a reflection of the image you wish to convey?
24.Are there tests built into your copy?
25.Are you testing the most relevant factors?
26.Are your paragraphs too long?
27.Does your copy look exciting, dynamic and alive?
28.Do all of the elements appear to have been created by one individual person?
29.Does your copy treat the reader with respect?
30.Would you be embarrassed to show this copy to your children?
31.Does your copy depend on a season, or a holiday, or a special event for impact?
32.Do you have a clear image of the person who is most likely to buy your product? What is the age? Sex? Income? Education level?
33.Is the point of view consistent throughout the copy? Does it shift from the “you” to the “we” – from the first person to the third? (Warning: This can be confusing – and confusion leads to lost sales.)
34.Have you provided a clear word-picture of all the features of your product?
35.Are you totally honest with your customer?
36.Do you lead off the copy with your strongest selling point?
37.Does the copy begin with one strong, clear statement?
38.Have you done everything to inspire believability? A money-back guarantee? Endorsements from satisfied customers? Scientific evidence?
39.Does every picture have a caption?
40.Have you done everything possible to assure that the banner, text link, email, outer envelope will be clicked or opened and the prospect will start reading, listening or watching what you have created?
41.Have you fallen in love with your words? (Alas, more copywriters fall into this trap than you could imagine.)
42.Have you written in plain English?
43.Is your copy cute, coy or clever? (Beware: this type of copy rarely works.)
44.Does your copy put your prospect into a buying frame of mind?
45.Does your copy begin with a long paragraph? (Try to avoid this.)
46.Does the copy flow – from one idea to another – in a clear and logical manner?
47.Honestly now – does your copy ever get boring?
48.Assuming the client (or your boss) hates the copy, have you allowed enough time for a rewrite?
49.If the client hates the copy, is there an alternative approach that you are prepared to submit?
50.Do you truly like your product and the person to whom you are writing? (In my opinion, you cannot write great copy unless you feel truly positive about both the products and your customer.)

Your Total Points:

Maximum Points: 150

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The expert's thoughts on direct response - growth hacking - performance-based marketing activities - DIRECT MARKETING

About Me, Rafal Lipnicki.

the direct / performance marketing consultant with a strange sounding name

Who.

Not your usual "guru" but a real-world performance marketing & innovation consultant based in Europe and an experienced senior executive at leading multinational companies.

What and Where.

I am a consultant for hire, working remotely and on-site all over the world (but Europe is always preferred). See my consulting services page for details.

How.

Contrarian advice most of the time. Document-based audits, workshops, one-off projects, mentoring programs, and more.