What writing a novel taught me about Copywriting

Every human is born understanding the language of story

The irresistible draw of a great character’s journey : Will they win the day, or will they lose everything?

The foundation of any story ever told

So when I came to write my first fiction novel, I thought it would be easy

I thought I knew everything there was to know about stories

After all, I was raised on them

But I was stuck

Because whilst the innate power of story is SIMPLE

To understand how it works is a matter for some serious thought

And I needed to break it down so I could get my plot onto paper

Luckily some clever folks out there (Will Storr, Donald Miller) have already done that

The framework of every story is this:

SOMEONE has a PROBLEM

They meet a GUIDE

Who offers them a PLAN

Which they FOLLOW

Resulting in SUCCESS (and, importantly, avoiding FAILURE)

This simple structure helped me get those 85k words onto the page without too many tantrums

It also works perfectly for my copywriting work

By simplifying your messaging down to its basic story elements

I can help you be the GUIDE in your CUSTOMER’S STORY

Following 3 questions in EVERY piece of copy I write for you:

  1. What is your offer? (ONE thing per copy - more than one offer = lost attention)
  2. How does it make your customer’s life better? (i.e what problem are you solving for them?)
  3. What ONE thing do they need to do to buy it? (your CALL TO ACTION)

Simple? Yes

But not easy

Have a lovely day 

 

 

December 2024

How To Turn First Dates Into Long-Term Relationships 

Welcome To Email Marketing 101

Imagine the scenario: your newsletter subscriber sign-up rate is high (first of all, great job. It’s not easy to get people to give out their precious email address these days). 

Inboxes are fast becoming more clogged up than the M62 in rush hour, and ‘unsubscribe’ rates are climbing (especially around Black Friday and the lead up to Christmas when everyone and their dog is emailing every 30 seconds… more on that later)

BUT after a few follow up emails you start to notice something odd.

High numbers of potential customers are hitting that dreaded ‘unsubscribe’ button. 

Lost to the ether (or worse, a competitor)

So What’s Going On?

My guess is you’re not truly connecting with, and making the most of the ‘peak interest’ sales conversion period immediately after sign up.

You’ve no doubt experienced this yourself as a consumer.

Imagine you discover a brand that really speaks to you and your current pain-point. You love the website, the branding, their ethos! 

And they have a great offer to get you signed up and on-board their email marketing train. It all seems very promising for you both.

Then -  BAM! - the love affair is over before it’s even truly begun.

Who Is This Stranger? 

The next few emails are so disappointingly boring and generic that you’re left wondering who this person is? 

You had such high hopes for a great relationship, and now you’re wondering whether they are even the same new business you had fallen for only a short time ago.

So you hit that ‘unsubscribe’ button (if you can find it…buried deep in a weird and unlikely corner of the wall of text) quick as you can, and that’s it. 

The relationship is over.

What’s the solution?

It’s simple really - segmented email marketing.

What is it?

Basically you divide your email subscriber list into smaller, more targeted groups based on specific criteria, such as:

  • Demographics (age, gender, location)
  • Purchase behaviour
  • Interests and preferences
  • Stage in the customer journey

By sending tailored messages you can be much more relevant with your content. And make sure you are carrying on the ‘conversation’ with your new customer that had them hooked in the first place.

Result – better sales and increased engagement, loyalty, and trust.

According to OptinMonster segmented campaigns average 46% higher open rates, and segmented, targeted, and personalised emails generate 58% of all revenue.

Trust is a biggie for me personally – I’ve granted you access to my email inbox and I try really hard to be selective with who I let in - so don’t let me down!

How To Do It in 4 Easy Steps: 

  1. Understand Your Audience
    • Use surveys, purchase history, and website analytics to gather insights into your customers’ behaviours and pain-points.
  2. Define Clear Segments
    • Group your audience based on criteria that align with your business goals. For example, if you run an e-commerce store, you might segment by first-time buyers, repeat customers, and lapsed buyers.
  3. Craft Targeted Messages (Oh hey, let me do that for you!)
    • Tailor your email content, tone, and offers to resonate with each segment. A welcome email for new subscribers should feel different from a re-engagement email for inactive customers.
  4. Test and Optimise
    • Experiment with different approaches (e.g., subject lines, call-to-action buttons, and visuals) and analyse the results. Use data to refine your segmentation strategy over time.

But don’t get over-excited and send too many emails because that will p*ss people off as well. 

There’s a delicate balance to be found between not feeling like you’ve been given the cold shoulder, and being suffocated by too much attention.

Once a week is just fine for marketing emails!

What Are Your Next Steps?

In today’s cluttered inboxes, segmented email marketing is a game-changer. 

Start small, test often, and watch your connections (and conversions) grow.

Drop me an email  – I’d love to help you turn those chance encounters and blind dates into long-term relationships.

 

January 2025
 

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