Here’s how:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Grab a free copy of this report at: 7 Steps to a Successful Email Marketing Program

Learn more about successful email marketing with our ecourse: 7 Steps to High Impact Email Marketing.

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Heisting Hall of Fame Headlines

By Michael Masterson

Old-time copywriters like yours truly enjoy a walk down Memory Lane now and then. We do it for fun, but it can be profitable, too.

I’m talking about rereading the best-known direct-marketing ads of the past. Copy written by such luminaries as Gene Schwartz, Claude Hopkins, and John E. Kennedy.

It’s fun to read through these old ads. Looking at them now — with their dated language and primitive graphics — you might think they could never work in today’s hypercompetitive market.

Yet some of them are still working. And, most of them live on as the arms and legs or blood and bones of many modern ads written by copywriters who understand their value.

There are many ways to learn from these time-tested ads.

One way is simply to read them — over and over again. Maybe even copy them down by hand or say them out loud. I’m convinced that’s the only way to understand all sorts of important but subtle things about good copy — diction, pacing, phrasing, etc.

But the best way to learn from them is to analyze them from the inside out. Ask yourself: “What is going on here beneath the surface? What are the psychological triggers that are going off in the reader’s heart and mind as he reads this?”

This is what I call determining the DNA of an ad. If you get the core structure right, you have a template — invisible to everyone else who looks at the same ad — of what really makes it work.

So today, I want to introduce you to that kind of deep structure analysis. And I’m going to do it by applying it to headlines — the smallest piece of the advertising puzzle, yet the most powerful.

The headline you use has an enormous impact on the effectiveness of your ad. Pick the wrong headline and your response rate could drop by more than half. Select the right headline and you could double or triple response, and even create an ad which will last for decades.

The Best-Known Headline Ever Written

Several years ago, Raphael Marketing compiled a list of 100 of “the best print advertising headlines ever written.” As a group, these ads sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services. (That would be tens of billions of dollars today.)

I looked through the list this morning and thought, “Boy, these are really good. I bet I could use some of them right now to improve my clients’ copy!”

I’m not talking about copying them verbatim. A word or two or three, maybe. (And for a headline by a living writer, I wouldn’t even do that.) But more than that is just plain dumb, because it doesn’t work on so many levels. For one thing, it’s cheating. And, it makes you a weaker marketer/writer.

What I could do, though, is figure out what is going on beneath the surface (determine the DNA of those headlines), and then inject that into my clients’ copy to invigorate it.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at one of the “top 100″ headlines. In fact, let’s look at the headline that came in at number one. It was written in 1925 by John Caples for a correspondence course from the U.S. School of Music:

They laughed when I sat down at the piano …
But when I started to play!

This headline instantly conveys all the key elements of a successful ad:

• One strong idea
• One desirable benefit
• One driving emotion
• One inevitable solution

In just 15 words, Caples tells a powerful story. You can see someone approaching a piano in a crowded room — perhaps it’s a dinner party. You can see the look of disbelief on people’s faces as he nears it. When he pulls back his cuffs, a twitter of laughter starts. Before his fingers touch the ivories, there is a chorus of abusive cackling.

How can you not feel sorry for this guy? Surely you have experienced, sometime in your life, a similar moment of embarrassing derision. (Who hasn’t?)

Imagining this situation, you feel his need for revenge and approval — two of the deepest and strongest human desires.

Now comes the second line — “But when I started to play …”

You can see the shock and disbelief on the faces of those who were laughing. Our hero has begun playing, and the music is flowing like wine. Men grow pale with admiration and jealousy. Women glow in appreciation.

And then the thought hits you: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could play the piano?”

Based on Caples’s headline alone, the reader of this ad is already half-persuaded to sign up for the course it is selling. As I suggested above, this is an astonishing amount of work to get done with 15 simple words.

What’s Going on Here?

One of the most important discoveries I ever made about advertising came to me years after I first read this wonderful headline. But, it could have been inspired by it. I call it the Rule of One.

I said this about the Rule of One: “Write about only one thing at a time. Because one good idea, clearly and convincingly presented, is better than a dozen so-so ideas strung together.”

Caples’s headline is a beautiful example of that. Had he taken the salad bowl approach — so popular with the whippersnappers who write copy today — it might have read as follows:

Now You Can Learn to Play the Piano Quickly and Easily!

After years of research, musicologist discovers the world’s most efficient method for teaching the piano.

Using this unique new program, you can master the piano
in less than a year!

You will amaze your friends and neighbors!
Some may even be shocked at how well you can play!
Plus, you can earn extra income on the weekends!

This headline doesn’t have nearly the force of the original because it has too much going on. Too many unnecessary details, too many unrelated emotions, and too many damn words!

Another reason Caples’s headline is so strong is because, as I pointed out, it tells a story. Of all the ways to get your readers emotionally involved in your copy, nothing works better and more consistently than the story lead.

In the book I’m writing with John Forde on copywriting, he has this to say about it:

“I can think of a lot of people who balk at big promises. I can think of plenty more who couldn’t care less about a bulleted list of shocking statistics. But I can’t think of a single person who can resist a good story. Can you? Everybody loves a good story.”

“As a way to communicate, nothing feels more natural.”

“So doesn’t it make sense that when someone says, ‘Let me tell you a story … ‘ you perk up and listen? There’s no better way to melt resistance. Of course, if you don’t tell the story well, you can still lose the reader. And telling the right stories well isn’t always easy.”

“But get it right, and a story lead lets you sneak into the psyche sideways, like no other lead can, delivering anecdotal proof and promises … and a setup for the rest of your pitch … long before the reader even realizes what you’re doing.”

Caples’s ad was an instant hit, selling thousands of correspondence courses. Many call it the most successful ad of the 20th century.

And the structure of his classic headline has been “borrowed” time and again by other copywriters. You may have seen this one (thanks to AWAI Board Member Don Hauptman for these examples):

They grinned when the waiter spoke to me in French …
But their laughter changed to amazement at my reply.

Or this one:

They laughed when I sent away for free color film …
But now my friends are all sending away, too.

Or this one, which I just saw in Small Business Opportunities Magazine:

They laughed at me when I started my cleaning business …
But when I quit my day job …

So what can the modern marketer/copywriter learn about headline writing from Caples’s classic example?

• First, the Rule of One: One strong idea/emotion/benefit is better than half a dozen mediocre ones.

• Second, the power of the story: There is no stronger way to engage your prospect than with a simple story.

• Third, that adhering to the “rules” of good storytelling will produce the greatest effect. That means beginning in the middle with a conflict — expressed or implicit — that affects a protagonist the reader can identify with. And offering an emotionally satisfying solution.
You don’t have to use Caples’s words. Just borrow the deeper structure of his headline:

• The hero, an ordinary person like your prospect, attempts to do something extraordinary.

• People doubt him.

• He proves them wrong.

There are countless ways to apply this structure. If you are selling an investment system, for example, you could tell a story about how all the experts doubted the system when it was first unveiled. If you are selling inexpensive domestic caviar, you could create a story about how a group of gastronomes ridiculed your product until they tasted it.

Spend a few minutes right now jotting down notes on how you could use it in your next advertising campaign.

Many copywriters spend just as much time on their headlines as they do on the rest of their sales copy. After all, the headline is the most important part of the ad.

I’ve just revealed several secrets of writing million-dollar headlines. And, as you work your way through AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, you’ll discover even more: the seven things your headline must do — and what it should never try … the deceptively simple secret of the “Four U’s” … why cleverness is not a virtue. It’s all in there, along with hundreds of tips for supercharging the rest of your copy.

At this year’s Bootcamp, I’ll spend ten minutes reviewing another classic headline that has been running, in one form or another, since I was a kid. We’ll analyze it like we did this one and I’ll give you examples of how you can ethically knock it off to make your own copy stronger.

If you haven’t booked your ticket to come to Delray Beach yet, it’s not too late. The experience of being at a Bootcamp – learning from some of the world’s best copy masters and getting hooked up with other copywriting students — not to mention attending the Job Fair — is without doubt the single most effective thing you can do right now to make your dream job come true.

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Another good rule of thumb that Michael doesn’t mention here is: take at least as much time writing the headline as you took to write the entirety of the piece. Don’t rush to throw something at the top of your work just to get it out the door. Do it right, do it once and move on to the next project.

To your success,

Mike Lawson

(This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) The Golden Thread, a free newsletter that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on the best wealth careers, lifestyle careers and work-at-home careers available. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/signup/.)

Think about it. Have you ever seen a hammer drive a nail? Nope, hammers just lay where they were last set down until someone picks them up and puts them to work. Your writing is in the same boat: it doesn’t do a thing until someone picks it up and reads it.

Take a few minutes to read the article below. I’m sure you’ll find some invaluable information to keep your writing pencil sharp there.

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Woman Attacked With Cheeseburger!
(A Lesson in Grabbing Your Prospect’s Attention)

By Guillermo Rubio

I was minding my own business, doing my daily online research, when I was suddenly stopped by an Associated Press headline that read, “Woman Attacked With Burger, Police Say.”

I couldn’t resist. I just had to find out how this woman came upon such a terrible fate.

The weapon in question? A McDonald’s cheeseburger.

Apparently, she and her boyfriend had a spat, which ended in aggravated burger assault.

Funny as that may seem, there is a valuable copywriting lesson in this story.

And that is …

Curiosity is a powerful way to make your prospect stop dead in his tracks and read your sales message from top to bottom. Human nature makes it hard to resist a desire to find out more.

Think about it …

Have you ever been driving down the road, when you encounter a couple of police cars with lights flashing near a huddled group of curious bystanders? Chances are, you really wanted to know what was going on.

Or think about your favorite TV show …

How strong was your desire to learn more after watching the first part of a two-part series … especially after a really good cliffhanger?

No doubt about it, curiosity works.

Claude Hopkins, considered to be the “Godfather” of direct-response advertising, once said, “Curiosity is one of the strongest of human incentives. We employ it whenever we can.”

And as a copywriter, you’d be wise to follow his advice.

The most critical place to use curiosity is in your headline.

Here’s why …

If your promo’s headline doesn’t grab your prospect’s attention, your sales message is headed for wastebasket city.

Here’s an example of an attention-grabbing headline from a classic control that was responsible for bringing home the bacon:

What never … ever to eat on an airplane!

Even if you don’t fly, the curiosity this headline builds is irresistible. You can’t help but want to read further.

Here’s another one:

Outlawed for 41 years, now legal again,
this investment launched the largest family
fortune the world has ever seen …
and could return 665% in the next 12 months.

If you’re an investor, you’d dive straight into the letter to figure out what this newly legal investment is.

And finally …

How to Get FREE Health Care Anywhere in America!
What Hillary Isn’t Telling You!

Back when this promo ran, the timeliness – and the promise of FREE health care – was enough to get even the biggest skeptic to keep reading out of sheer curiosity. Plus, who didn’t want to find out what it was that Hillary wasn’t telling them?

The second-most important place to use curiosity is in your lead.

Within the first two or three sentences, you’ve got to hook your prospect and make him think, “Wow, I need to keep reading this to find out more.”

Here’s an excerpt from one very successful lead:

Many of the world’s wealthiest familieshave used this “secret currency” for generations to grow dynasties. Let me show you just one example …

In this case, the prospect wants to keep reading to find out what this “secret currency” is.

Here’s another example:

This is very urgent, so I’ll get right to the point.

Starting tomorrow, just after 12 noon EST, you could begin skimming $5,250 per month from Wall Street’s banking coffers. If you want, you’ll be able to transfer this money straight into your personal bank account … free and clear.

This promise creates an itch the prospect must scratch. He wants to find out, “How is this even possible?”

And finally, from a health promotion:

I want to warn you about a serious hidden health threat that’s likely targeting you and your loved ones.

Wow. How could you NOT keep reading to find out what this health threat is?

The headline and lead are the two most important places for using curiosity, since they form the critical portion of the letter that hooks your prospect and forces him to keep reading.

So how, exactly, do you create curiosity so you can boost your promo’s response rate?

Here are four ways:

1. Juxtaposition. Put two unlikely things together. For example, take a look at the headline of this article. Cheeseburgers and attacking usually don’t go hand in hand. This unlikely pairing, in itself, creates a good deal of curiosity.

Another great example of this concept is the classic headline: “The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches” Becoming rich is normally associated with hard work. By putting in the adjective “lazy,” it creates a juxtaposition which, in turn, breeds curiosity.

2. Absolutes. This is another great way to build curiosity. Take, for example, the headline you saw earlier: “What never … ever to eat on an airplane.” By making it an absolute – “never, ever” – it builds curiosity. This headline wouldn’t have the same appeal if it simply read, “What you sometimes shouldn’t eat on an airplane.”

3. Questions. One of the most famous of these is: “Do You Make These Mistakes in English?” Another great example is, “Can You Write a Letter Like This One?” The key here is that the prospect would need to read further in order to answer the question.

4. Secrets. Secrets always have been – and always will be – a great way to create curiosity. Everyone wants knowledge that no one else is privy to. Here is a classic example penned by copywriting genius John Carlton:

Amazing Secret Discovered By
One-Legged Golfer Adds 50 Yards
to Your Drives, Eliminates Hooks
and Slices … and Can Slash Up to
10 Strokes From Your Game
Almost Overnight!

So there you have it.

Whether it’s a brutal burger assault, a one-legged golfer’s secret to success, or a way to skim $5,250 off of Wall Street’s coffers … if you use curiosity in your writing, you’ll certainly see a boost in response … and your paycheck!

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Interested in taking your writing skills to the next level? This may be just what you need: The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

Regards,

Mike Lawson
www.bluegrasssolutions.org

PS: This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) The Golden Thread, a free newsletter that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on the best wealth careers, lifestyle careers and work-at-home careers available. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/signup/.

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Read This Article For a Key To Hypnotic Writing

By John Torre

Welcome back!

I hope your Labor Day holiday was enjoyable. Mine was good, but I have to say I felt a bit deceived by the weatherman. A sunny, beautiful weekend was predicted here in Jersey, and indeed that prediction held true for most of the state. But down the shore where I was it remained pretty much overcast except for Saturday. But, at least it didn’t rain, and with the good fortune of being able to generate a bit of “liquid sunshine” in lieu of the real thing, a good time was had by all.

By-the way, I realize that to most of the other coastal parts of the country, “the shore” refers to the strip of sand that meets the ocean.

Not in Jersey. To us, that’s “the beach.” While the beach is indeed an essential part of the overall shore experience, here in Tony Soprano land “the shore” encompasses so much more.

If I had to define it, I’d say that the Jersey shore is more “attitude” than location. It’s comprised of approximately 127 miles of resort and residential towns that feature endless rows of vacation bungalows, multi-million dollar homes, roadside motels, and seedy honky tonks from which blare the sounds of Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Frankie Valli, or the latest local tribute band.

On the famed boardwalks of tourist traps like Seaside Heights, it’s all about greasy cheese steaks, sausage sandwiches, slices of pizza the size of road cones, and wheels of “chance” where prizes range from stuffed animals to televisions, bicycles, and more. You’ll also find souvenir shops, beach gear stores, arcades and ice cream parlors, as well as two 300-foot long piers that feature amusement rides, carousels, log flumes, roller coasters, Ferris wheels and other attrations that’ll make you lose your lunch quicker than a quarter through the cracks of the boards.

Every few steps you’ll come upon attractions that test your skills, bearing compelling names like “Frog Bog” and “Shoot the Geek,” where barkers dare you to shoot paint balls at a poor kid dressed up in an Osama Bin Laden costume who’s being paid about six bucks an hour for nothing more than cultivating welts on his head and body.

From the snap of paint balls hitting body … to the blaring sounds of rock-n-roll … to the bells and whistles of Lucky Leo’s Arcade … to the screams and sirens from the rides on Casino Pier … to the tat-tat-tat sound of leather slapping metal prongs as it slows down the spinning wheels of chance … it’s all part of the aura of the Jersey shore.

Is it unique to New Jersey? I don’t know … you tell me. All I can promise is you’ll have the time of your life when you visit the Jersey shore, and you’ll understand why it’s an experience all unto itself.

Okay, ‘nuff said about that. In the spirit of the holiday past (and in anticipation of the ones to come…), what do you say we get back to work?

A couple weeks ago we started talking about some psychological devices that will help your sales copy transform readers into buyers. Today we’ll take a look at another one that has almost a hypnotic quality about it … literally and figuratively.

It’s called, “Neuro-Linguistic Programming,” or “NLP” for short.

Co-founded in the 1970’s by American author and mathematician, Richard Bandler, and Dr. John Grinder, an American linguist at the University of California at Santa Cruz, NLP, in its most basic definition, is the study of helping people change by teaching them to program their brains.

Or, in our case, perhaps subtly programming it for them.

Now understand right up front that NLP is as complex as any psychological field of study out there, and it would be ludicrous to try and use this space to dissect it past the miniscule scope of it that applies to us.

Nevertheless, we can still examine the logic behind certain aspects of it and how they might be used to our benefit as copywriters. And the first aspect we’re going to take a look at this week is…

Embedded Commands

The “Golden Rule” of web copywriting (or any copywriting, for that matter…) is to generate a response of some kind. Whether it’s to call for more information, subscribe to a newsletter or mailing list, or purchase a product or service … you want your reader to take action!

Using embedded commands to elicit that action involves “embedding” the action you want your reader to take in the form of a casual, conversational sentence.

Consider the following sentence:

“Let me know when you are going to purchase this product and I’ll make sure you receive a free bonus report.”

On the surface it seems like a harmless enough sentence. But notice the almost hypnotic embedded command: …you are going to purchase this product.

Embedded commands are frequently used by public speakers to get their point across. Whether it’s a sales presentation or a political speech, the speaker will use voice inflections such as a lower tone or speaking more slowly for emphasis to produce the hypnotic effect.

We, as copywriters, don’t have that luxury so we have to depend on other means of delivering our embedded commands. This normally involves using boldface type, italics, quotation marks, dashes, ellipses, or colors.

In the example above, I set off my embedded command by putting it in italics, thus establishing the effectiveness in which the command is communicated. A person will subconsciously zero in on that part of the sentence as a command, and will likely follow the command without consciously realizing it.

The whole point is to gain effortless compliance from your reader without ever having them perceive that they’ve been given a command. What’s happening when you utilize an embedded command is you’re circumventing the scrutiny of a person’s logical “left brain,” and thus appealing directly to your reader’s intuitive and subjective “right brain” mode.

It is a very powerful tool, but like I said a couple weeks ago, it can be dangerous and unethical (if not illegal!) if used incorrectly, so be careful and do it right.

Crafting an Embedded Command

Start by constructing your command. This is usually expressed in three to seven words in the imperative voice and begins with an action verb. For example:

Pick up the phone…

Learn the secret to…

Act on this now…

Purchase (product name) today and get…

After you’ve constructed your command, simply incorporate it into a full sentence, such as:

Pick up the phone today and speak to a knowledgeable representative who can help you pick out the perfect pattern to compliment your home décor.

Learn the secret to a longer, healthier, and better life through meditation.

An additional bonus report will be sent with your order if you act on this now.

Purchase this widget today and get three more widgets for the just the cost of shipping and handling.

Take a look at some of the projects you’re working on and see where you might be able to edit your copy in order to insert an embedded command. It will make the copy more powerful, more compelling, and elicit your reader to take the action you want him to!

Oh … by the way … knowing where we were going with this post, I embedded a command up above when I was talking about the shore. Can you find it? (It shouldn’t be too hard to spot!) And for that matter, there’s one in the headline. Let me know what you think.

Till next week, and as always …

Good health and good writing!

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Now, if that don’t help you out, I don’t know what will. This is one of the most effective tools in your copywriting tool box. Learn what the masters do and jumpstart your career as a copywriter:

The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

Until next time,

Mike Lawson,
www.BluegrassSolutions.org

PS: This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) Writer’s Blog. For a complimentary subscription to AWAI free newsletter that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on the best wealth careers, lifestyle careers and work-at-home careers available, visit http://www.awaionline.com/signup/.

To the contrary, it’s a great time to be an internet marketer for those who hold their ground and continue to drive sales through their doors. Those businesses will come out the far end of this storm as survivors. The rest of the herd will be culled out and killed off. It’s always better to be the hunter than the hunted. It’s as simple as that.

Many businesses are cutting back on marketing programs. I understand the source of their thinking; even though I believe they’re dead wrong to do so. Sales are generated by getting the word out about a business, what they offer and where they may be found. Business owners who market most effectively yet efficiently will still be standing at the end of the long day ahead of us.

The Internet is about content; in fact that’s all it’s about. Whether it’s articles, blogs, sales pages, solo ads, podcasts or videos, people come to the Internet in search of some form of content. Make it yours they find and I guarantee your success will be greater than those that don’t.

Search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising are great ways to get targeted traffic to a web page. But it’s what happens once they get there that makes sales. If your content doesn’t generate trust in your expertise, you have gained nothing. If your content doesn’t excite visitors to the point that they jump at your “call to action,” what have you really accomplished.

A few internet marketers are accomplished copywriters and that’s great; if you’re one of them. Not trying to hurt anyone’s ego by saying this, but most internet marketers are mediocre at best when writing copy and some are down right terrible. It’s a skill that requires a good bit of training and practice to master.

There are two ways to deal with the latter two situations:

* Get the training needed to become a competent writer or

* Outsource to a professional writing service

There is a lot of good training to be found online for anyone interested in pursuing writer’s training. I would encourage everyone to become at least functional as a writer if they intend to conduct business on the Internet. The only real problem with is option is that it takes a good bit of time to become proficient at it.

Time is the golden commodity in most businesses. It is in high demand and short supply on a continuous basis. Even business owners who are excellent at writing their own copy and articles will eventually run out of time to get it done effectively. They turn to outsourcing.

There are many top-notch professional writing services available online today. Look around and find one that fits your personality and business goals. A good writing service is like a good barber: a lot of people cut hair, but no one does it as good as your barber. Hook up with a writing service that’s serious about you image and makes you look your best at all times.

About the Author: Mike Lawson is a freelance writer, entrepreneur and internet marketing professional. Learn more about effectively marketing your business here:

Cutting-edge internet marketing information, products and services: Bluegrass Merchants.

Custom web content, articles and copywriting from an established professional writing service: Bluegrass Solutions.

Writers can be classified into four basic categories:

1. Bad writers
2. Competent writers
3. Good writers
4. Great writers

Bad writers: These are the hacks that either can not or will not use the fundamental skills of the written language. Their misspelled efforts are grammatically inconsistent, eaten alive with adverbs and lack continuity in content. Albeit poor examples to emulate, they too have a purpose we will discuss later.

Competent writers: These are writers that possess the fundamental skills of language, can put together a cohesive work and convey the intended message. But their abilities end there. They simply lack luster. If they do get published, it will probably be in the middle of mediocrity.

Good writers: This is the kill zone! This is where you desire to position yourself as a writer. These writers produce excellent content that is fundamentally sound, stylish, entertaining and informational. They have mastered fundamental skills and have a collection of specialized skills that allow them to tweak every word and phase to their advantage. These are writers that readers hate to put down as opposed to pick up. While it is impossible to turn a bad writer into a competent one, it is possible with hard work, for a competent writer to become a good one.

Great writers: The Grand Masters, the literary legends: Shakespeare, Hugo, Steinbeck, etc. The rules here are simple enough. You either are one or you are not. It is not a learned skill or acquired trait. You cannot make a master out of a really good writer any more than you can make a bass fiddle out of a drum.

Keep this hierarchy in mind. Do an honest assessment of yourself. Where are you on the writer’s scale?

If you are a bad writer, then I am sorry. There is not much help to offer that will bring you along.
Are you a competent writer? Are you content with that? If you are, then you may as well go on your way, too. You will be able to find a niche writing somewhere that will afford you a level of mediocre success.

Are you a competent writer that is motivated to put forth the effort to become a good writer? Or the good writer that has a desire to be even better? Good then! You are the target audience of this series of articles.

Writing is a complex system comprised of many simple parts. The stronger the foundation of the fundamental elements, the more stability in the structure that rests on it. The cornerstone to success in anything that you do is to have a set of obtainable goals laid out before you with an end in sight; a road map, if you will. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?

You have already assessed where you are now and where you want be. Once you know this, you can make a plan that takes you there. Develop a mission statement of what kind of writer you will be.

A mission statement forms the constitution that governs the implementation of your plan. Shy away from weak words and phrases: “I will try to, as best I can,” etc. They predict failure. Instead use powerful words and phrases! Your mission statement should be full of will statements. “I will master the grammatical aspect of the craft,” or “I will continuously improve my editing skills.” Make these commitments to yourself and stick to them!

Before you ever pick up a pen or type the first word of a project, you should have a mission statement committed to making you a better writer. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out, complicated matter. Maybe just a paragraph or so that lays out your personal creed as a writer.

About the Author: Mike Lawson is a freelance writer, entrepreneur and internet marketing professional. Learn more about effectively marketing your business here:

Cutting-edge internet marketing information, products and services: Bluegrass Merchants.

Custom web content, articles and copywriting from an established professional writing service: Bluegrass Solutions.

Readers often approach Web content searching for something specific. This is where the approach to Web content differs from a hard copy approach. A reader will often peruse a newspaper or periodical hoping to come leisurely across an article of interest. They may relax on the couch flipping through pages and “whatever comes what may” is their attitude.

However, when they make a conscious decision to sit at their personal computer they are typically on a mission. They are information gathering and fact-finding with purpose. You need to be cognizant of their approach when you create your content. Your readers will want easy-to-read and easy-to-scan information. They will want it in front of their eyes immediately when they land on a Web page.

When you write for the Web, you also have to take into account the physical act of reading content on a computer monitor. This is a different experience from reading from a newspaper, book, or magazine. You must account for this in your writing. This will ensure that pleasant reading experience that is vital to promotional communication.

The difference in Web writing is not in the content per se. What you want to convey online may be the exact same thing you want to convey in your hard copy content. You are just going to present your content differently to conform to the online aesthetic. The following are five tips for writing for Web pages. They also apply to article writing for your article marketing efforts.

Make Use of Headlines

Headlines draw attention to themselves and hence the content they trumpet. A headline says, “Hey, look here, there’s important information here.” A headline in its entire big block, bold text beauty is like a sign hanging out in front of a business. Make sure your Web page headlines grab readers’ attention.

Make Use of Subheadings

Subheadings bring attention to important secondary points. They also break up blocks of text so a Web page has more white space. More white space is easier on the eyes. Subheadings allow readers to organize mentally, a page quickly. This allows them to hone in on data relevant to their needs.

Use Shorter Paragraphs

Writing Web page content is not like writing the Great American Novel. Writing long expository passages is not effective Web page writing. Reading large blocks of text on a computer screen is not conducive to keeping your readers alert. Scrolling through unending text with little white space on a computer screen makes for tired yes.

When there is no break in text, readers lose their train of thought. They become discouraged and click away from Web sites. That’s the last thing you want when someone lands on your Web site. Work on keeping your paragraph length in the three to six sentence ranges.

Use Shorter Sentences

You want to shoot for an average length of fourteen words per sentence. That’s the average, with some shorter, some longer. You may have the occasional sentence over eighteen words but they must be the exception to the rule.

Focus On What You Want a Specific Web Page to Achieve

Are you trying to sell a product? Are you trying to inform with timely information? Are you trying to build a subscriber list? Focus your message on your Web page’s purpose. When you stay focused on your purpose, you deliver your message with clarity. You do not meander off topic and confuse or annoy your readers.

When you follow the above Web content writing rules, you do your readers a favor. You ensure their reading experience is enjoyable and a user-friendly one. Employing these principles in your article writing is also beneficial. They will help ensure your article promotion campaigns are successful as well. Applying the above tips will increase the chances that readers are open to your Web message.

Write On!

Tiva

(Tiva Kelly is the Head of Article Coaching and offers advice to authors at Article Marketer, a highly popular article distribution service. Learn how to market your small business by submitting articles through Article Marketer. )