<sarcasm>
Let me explain the image you see to the immediate left…
For me, writing copy for sales and marketing videos is a special kind of hell.
- Yes, I know I was a bad kid.
- Yes, I know I’ve made some questionable decisions in my youth (And beyond).
- Oh yes, I know I’ve over-drawn the funds from “The Bank of Karma” far beyond what any reasonable over-draft protection would allow.
But for crying out loud – the range of self-destructive emotions that descend on me when I’m staring at a blank page that’s supposed to be full of prospect-hypnotizing copy are beyond embarrassing. It’s like having a really bad “Fat Day”.
Lucky for me, I’m an internet marketer, so it’s not like I have to write copy very often…
Oh… wait.
As most middle aged adults do, I’ve developed some “coping” mechanisms to help me deal with the trama of my daily tortured writing responsibilities.
Meaning… I cheat. (Quick, Haters – screen capture this page so you have your next bit of grist for the mill – I’ll even bold the ‘admission’ part for you…)
Yes – I CHEAT (There – saved you a step. BTW, how’s life in your mom’s basement?)
Here’s my thieving process:
- What I do is read or watch REALLY REALLY good examples of things that I WANT TO DO.
- I then mind map it out (‘Cause that gives me a sense of accomplishment, and maybe lessens the guilt)
- Then I reverse engineer the “Why” (Those usually consist of my best guesses or my own juicy rationalizations)
- And BOOM – Now I have my own little check-list of awesome-sauce to pour over my next copy-writing gig.
– Larceny complete –
Now, perhaps your asking yourself WHY such an enigmatic and talented internet marketer like myself (LOL HAHAHAHAH J/K) would share this morally questionable technique with you?
Why, it’s so that we can ALL share a jail cell TOGETHER
Well, it’s because I think innovation sucks. It’s hard. It takes a big brain, massive confidence, and a body-fat percentage far below my own.
Honestly, when there are so many spectacular examples of what WORKS and works WELL floating around out there on the InterTubes, why not just Watch, Learn, and DO? The other option is to figure shit out – and who’s got the time for that when the summer line up of block-buster movies is so damn awesome.
The image above is from my latest caper. It’s a mind-map/check list of the key points of copy structure from perhaps one of the most currently successful direct-response marketers there is.
His name is Dean… something. It’ll come to me.
Anyway, there’s a mind map in a PDF that you can download below – don’t worry, I’ll keep it between you, me, and the 7 other people that read this blog.
Open it up and watch the video and follow along. My check list will make more sense once it’s in context (That and, if you’re gonna be a IP burglar, might as well do it right).
Click here to -> WATCH THE VIDEO (It’ll open in another window)
DOWNLOAD THE MIND MAP/CHECK LIST
So the NEXT time you’ve got a dingy white, blank screen languishing in front of you – the kind where the cursor is blinking in it’s acusatory “You could be watching Jersey Shore Re-Runs” kind of way….
… just bust out this mind map and let the most sincere form of flattery guide your fingers to greatness!
Happy Plundering!
Andy
P.S. GRAZIOSI! Just remembered – his name is Dean Grazosi.
He’s Italian.
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