Direct-Response Marketing Copywriter Tom Trush | Advertisements, Website Content, E-mail Autoresponders, Sales Letters

You already understand the importance of immediately capturing attention when persuading prospects to take action on your marketing materials.

After all, until you have eyeballs glued to your copy, anything you write is essentially invisible.

The way you attract attention comes down to two choices — you can write something your prospects know is true (but won’t necessarily admit) or you can write something that worries them.

But here’s the catch …

You can’t write anything relevant unless you know your prospects’ problems. Before you sit in front of your keyword or put pen to paper, you need a vivid picture of what keeps your target audience awake at night.

Once you have this knowledge, you can create copy that speaks directly to them. What you write then becomes more believable because your message isn’t just words on a page. Instead, it becomes a one-on-one conversation with a real human being.

The payoff comes when you zero in on something that resonates with a high percentage of your audience.

When I begin working with a new client, I use a questionnaire to help determine the copy’s direction. The overall theme almost always comes from my fourth question:

What are your prospects’ biggest concerns, emotions and needs? What information or help does he/she need to deal with them?

What I’ve discovered is most people don’t do enough to learn about their prospects and customers. As a result, their copy becomes force-fed, self-serving information that offers little benefit to readers.

Your own e-mail list (which you should be actively building on your website) makes gathering knowledge about your prospects quick and easy. You can send out a survey and get direct feedback. Also, if you frequently communicate with your list and share knowledge, your subscribers will tell you what’s causing them trouble.

Another option is my go-to tool for gathering insight about prospects — Amazon.com. When you visit the site, scan the reviews of popular books related to your industry. You’ll find word-for-word explanations of your prospects’ most pressing problems.

Related posts:

1. Is Your Marketing Message Written in Your Prospects’ Language?
2. Marketing Message: How to Steal Attention from Your Distracted Prospects
3. A Common Mistake That Prevents Prospects from Responding to Your Marketing Message