It was the best of lines, it was the worst of lines.
It was, in short, that terrifying moment when, having written the headline for your subscription promotion, you’re poised to take that perilous next step and actually write some body copy.
Not a place you want to linger for very long, I appreciate. Not with a gang of prospects hanging around, watching your every move and wondering if you’ve come armed. Like with a free gift or massive discount.
Naturally you have to stay cool. After all, your magazine’s future doesn’t hang on a single subscription order. Even if your job does. So what should your next move be?
Well, let’s look at what you have going in your favour. Your visual has caught someone’s eye. Your headline has made them pause in the midst of a busy day. What you need to do now, is to pay off that headline.
What do I mean by ‘pay off’? I mean you have to clarify the message your headline is meant to convey, then quickly move your reader on to your central promise.
Take the following ad for the health magazine Prevention.
The headline reads - “How many of these medical myths do you still subscribe to?” and sits next to a column giving some old wives tales about health. The copy begins:
“If you still believe in any of these medical myths, Prevention – America’s most popular better health magazine – would like to offer you a second opinion. Because an ounce of information now, could save you a ton of trouble later on.”
Just what the doctor ordered. The copy restates the theme (‘medical myths’), introduces the magazine and touches on the promise.
Opening gambits that get it right
Over the years, professional copywriters have developed certain opening gambits aimed at capturing their readers’ interest and drawing them deeper into the copy. Next time you’re uncertain about what to say first, try one of these (for starters)...
* Make an announcement. If you have something new to announce to your prospects, don’t make them guess what it is. Tell them straight away. Remember, people are keen on news of every description. As long as the development is of relevance to your prospects, and desired by them, they will most certainly sit up and take note of it.
* Ask a question. Questions work because people are curious. Pose a question and they will usually put everything aside to ponder it. If, that is, the question they are being asked is genuinely interesting and / or implies an ultimate benefit.
For example, a keen gardener would undoubtedly be intrigued when asked:
“Would you like to work less and enjoy your garden more?”
...while someone with an intractable weight problem might respond to:
“Have you had it up to ‘here’ with diets and all their silly, faddish and sometimes dangerous restrictions?”
* Make an assumption about your reader. Want to give your readers a nice, warm feeling right from the outset? Then demonstrate that you understand them, by referring to something they believe, feel, experience or desire. But be absolutely certain of your grounds, as the wrong assumption will make them head for the hills.
I suspect the following letter lead worked like magic, and not just because it is qualified by the word “if” (always a good way to ensure that you don’t appear presumptuous):
“If you’ve been burned by investments you made on the advice of other people, then this letter was written for you.”
* Invite your reader to join an exclusive circle. You may not yearn to be ushered to a front row seat at the Paris couture shows, or shown the best table at the Ivy. But I’ll bet you still like to feel special. Maybe you even belong to a group or club that isn’t open to “just anyone”.
That’s certainly the case of the Royal Geographical Society, whose members receive Geographical magazine. So what better approach than this, for a first renewal letter?
“Dear Subscriber,
Not everyone enjoys Geographical magazine.
Any number of Mills and Boon readers give it a miss. Fashionistas and football stars usually pass it by. And it rarely, if ever, catches the eye of your average bookmaker or bouncer.
To be frank, there are more people who don’t peruse a copy of Geographical every month than who do.
We’re delighted to count you among the latter...”
* Start with a story. If you have a story to share with your prospects that links directly to the main premise of your promotion, then by all means tell it. Just tell it quickly, so your readers don’t lose the thread.
I love this letter lead for Newsweek magazine, as it uses an anecdote to add personality to the promotional message:
“A famous artist once told me he never read a newspaper, never bought a news magazine, never watched TV...and felt fine about it.
Well, he could afford to. He could scribble on a matchbook and sell it for a fortune...walk into a room and be immediately surrounded by admirers who hung on his every word.
Most of us don’t have that luxury. We have to keep up.....”
* Quote someone. A quotation can grab your readers by the lapels and get their undivided attention – fast. Additionally, it can establish your magazine’s pedigree, if the person you quote is widely known and admired.
Here’s how this approach worked for the US fashion title, W:
“To paraphrase Halston in a recent issue of “W”. “The rich don’t want to look rich, they want to look right.”
That astute observation is true of you as well, whether or not you’re rich. You, too, want to enjoy the confident feeling that comes from knowing you look just right......”
* Pose a problem (one your magazine can solve). One factor that makes magazines such interesting products to write about is that they offer so much insight – helpful advice for tackling virtually any problem under the sun, from losing weight to gaining wealth.
What particular problems do your readers confront? Pick one that’s really important to them and you have the perfect introduction to your promotion. (Remember to share a few solutions with your readers, to validate your claims.)
One problem that most of us face is lack of time. It’s certainly true for your average hospital doctor... as the writer of this letter for Medicine International appreciated:
“Every day of your professional life, you probably confront the same ‘medical complaint’ the fact that there are too few hours in the day to meet the pressing demands made on your time.
Between hospital rounds and out-patient clinics, staff meetings and casualty calls - not to mention the extra preparation needed for difficult or unfamiliar problems – there’s little time to spare. Just enough, perhaps, to get the ‘R&R’ you so often prescribe for your patients.”
* Share some ‘insider’ information. In his excellent Copywriter’s Handbook, the author Robert Bly quotes a mailing from the Wall Street Journal that was news to me. The letter covered a reprint of a magazine ad, and the copy ran:
“Here’s a fresh-from-the-printer reprint of our latest Wall Street Journal ad... We’ll be running the ad in June because we want potential customers to know more about our latest financial planning services. But, as someone we’ve done business with before we consider YOU even more important than the “new business” out there.... (so) we wanted you to be the first to know about our new service, which can save you time and build your retirement nest egg.”
* Highlight your offer. OK, so you do this without thinking. Maybe that’s the problem, if your last results weren’t too brilliant! Next time, why not link your offer copy with mention of another benefit your prospects will gain.
Although it’s a bit dated, this example demonstrates clearly what I mean:
“If you love life enough to want five, ten, possibly 20 extra years of it, mail the coupon below. It will bring you a FREE copy of our popular book on ‘life extenders’ filled with news of the 10 best ways to live longer, according to a long-term scientific study.”
* Promise a benefit. Of course your copy should promise a benefit. But don’t be shy. Get to it as soon as you possibly can, and make much of it.
How’s this, for being quick off the mark:
“Dear Reader: French men have a secret about how they last longer...”
Intrigued? Guess you’ll just have to take out a subscription!
