More Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting - Judging Your Target Market

This week we're going to reinforce the training that Recruits of my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp are drilled on. In case you didn't read my last article we covered what you MUST do before you write a single word of copy. Each weekday we build on your skills of creating your copy from the ground up following my Field Guide. By the end of this copywriting Bootcamp you won't believe that it was you capable of writing such a professional sales letter.

Get out your pen and paper, set your timer for 15 minutes, and let's go!

How do you start?! We connect to the person reading. Copywriting is a team sport. There's you, the writer and the reader. The reader gets to decide when the game's over. As soon as the reader is gone, they're not reading your copy anymore. So you're anticipating what's going to keep them interested and intrigued with your copy ahead of time. Here's how it's done.

Pick a primary target market. (Yes you can have more than one, but the more specific you make your target market, the easier it will be to sell to them. For our purposes, you need to pick one specific target market.) Let's define just what I mean and how I create my audience as a real person in my Field Guide.

Target + Market = Tarket - a singular way to look at writing to one person rather than a mob. Get this one concept down and your copy will bond effortlessly with the reader. Because it's just you and her in the room. (Opps - I let out another of my secrets. We're limited in the English language when it comes to identifying rather than "he" I suggest if you use the pronoun "she" instead. Your copy will go through a subtle filter that you may find is more palatable to more of your audience than you imagined. Of course, it depends on who your target market is.)

We have a lot to cover here, so don't miss a single word. You must know the education level of your target audience to write effectively. In general, even educated people don't mind reading simple words. Simple means clear. But there's a fine line between talking down to your market. Don't go there. For the most part, Americans read between the 11th and 12th grade levels.

Did you know that best-selling books are written for the 8th to 10th grade level? "Reader's Digest" aims for the 10th grade level, while "Time" and "The Wall Street Journal" reach for the 11th. So Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!

Prepare a Fact Sheet for your target market. Write down all the facts and demographic information you know about them. Here are a few questions to get you started;

  • Age

  • Gender

  • Education

  • Family status

  • Socioeconomic status

  • Profession/occupation

  • Hobbies

  • Geographic location

  • Media they consume (including Web sites, blogs, magazines, television shows)

  • Etc?

    • Now, find a picture of your newly born "tar-ket". Make him or her as real as possible. In fact, he or she can BE real. If you would like to focus on a client or friend that fits the bill, that's fine too. Just do the brain work.

    BONUS - Have a few more minutes on the clock? Do a search in Google (http://www.google.com) on your target market and see what pops up. Check out a few Web sites while you're at it.

    Now reset the timer and do YOUR product. My goal is to get your copy up to speed FAST so you can start marketing yourself.

    I like to use the analogy of one of those big circular targets you see used in archery. You want to get into the bull's eye of who your target market is. I want to get right in that bright red circle at the center. But those concentric circles around it are also valuable. They do have different value points. But the funny thing is that the more specific you are the more you are in the bull's eye. The more the concentric circles are pulling you towards the center, you are still attracting the same people. It's amazing but true that people don't need to worry about appealing to everybody.

    Putting yourself in the shoes of your client is the best thing you can ever do. When you start thinking and anticipating what's going on in their minds, that's when your copy's going to start connecting. And that's what we do as copywriters.

    So where do you grab this Field Guide for more copywriting exercises? Sorry. Only recruits of my Bootcamp can get it for now. So sign up today for the next session. It will be one of the best business decisions you've ever made. http://www.red-hot-copy.com/rhcbootcamp.htm

    International copywriting trainer, author and speaker, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been a freelance writer and journalist for over 25 years. Her words have made her clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now she focuses her vast experience on teaching others the skill of copywriting. Lorrie is the author of an award winning copywriting course, creator of the Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp and founder of Copy Campus, a unique membership resource site designed to support copywriters and entrepreneurs on all levels. Visit her site to learn more at http://www.red-hot-copy.com.

    More Resources

    Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

    More Copywriting Information:

    Related Articles

    Help, Help, Help, Sell
    Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for the web..
    Five Tips for Writing Eyeball-Grabbing Headlines
    If you made it this far, the headline for this story has caught your attention. Hot headlines are a hit with readers because they stick out, grab attention and urge them to read the rest of the story.
    7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!
    Copywriting ChecklistOkay, you know you have your product (or service) in front of you. Now it's time to get the word out with an attention-grabbing sales letter.
    Killer Ad Copy
    Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a science and can be learned over time.
    How To Make A Career Out Of Copyediting And Proofreading
    Do you possess the qualities of a good proof reader? Are you good with details, spotting errors in spelling, grammar, and the flow of a piece and putting together quality work? If so, you may be able to make a career out of copyediting or proofreading. For those looking to get in to this field of copywriting, they may be stuck looking in if they do not know where or how to get established.
    Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price
    Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing sales letters and proposals for our own direct marketing services and for our clients.It's all about "price".
    How to Build Benefits from Features Fast and Easy with the Solution Approach
    Every salesperson and fledgling copywriter hears the harangue: DON'T SELL the FEATURES of a product - SELL the BENEFITS those features bring!!!The concept's important but it confuses a lot of people. Many sellers don't understand how to build a benefit from a feature.
    Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work
    You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to invest in campaigns, instead of individual assignments. Campaigns achieve better results and cost less in the long-term for clients, compared to individual assignments.
    Making a Living as a Copywriter; Freelancing Versus Agency
    So You Want To be A Copywriter?Wannabe copywriters often check out my site for information relating to my services and fees. And quite right too! I still give my competitor's websites a 'gander' every now and then, in case they're doing something that I should be doing.
    Can You Become a Freelance Copywriter in Los Angeles?
    Is it out there? The chance to be a freelance copywriter in Los Angeles? For those looking to become a copy writer, finding employment in various cities can be difficult. In fact, most freelance writers around the world struggle to find employment or jobs that are within their own cities and home towns.
    Ghostwriting: Your Questions Answered
    Many people feel they have a story to tell or an experience to share. But time is precious and not everyone can make the words sing on the page.
    How to Make the Most of Your Website Copywriter
    Many people feel uncertain when dealing with copywriters. Like any artform, writing is subjective; instead of black and white, most business owners and marketing managers see indistinguishable shades of grey.
    10 Keys to Copy That Sells!
    Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ..
    Be Contagious... Spread The Word!
    "Melissa" invaded our computers in late 1999, then "I Love You" in 2000. A year later, the "homepage.
    The Power of Saying You Can
    If you have children, you will doubtless remember saying to them, "You can do it."It's what we say when our toddlers first struggle to their feet.
    Long Copy vs. Short Copy? If You're Still Debating This, You're Missing The Point!
    I've seen this ongoing debate debate jump up again recently in several Blogs and message boards and I can't help but laugh. It's not a new debate? Ever since the long copy masters of the early 1900's, people have been arguing for or against the practice.
    Freelance Business Writers - How To Get The Best From Your Writer
    At times, it can be frustrating to find freelance business writers that are of good quality, dependable, and within your budget. The good news is that there are many people who can perform at the level you need.
    Writing Benefit-Driven Web Copy - 4 Steps to More Sales
    You've identified the benefits you offer your customers, but how do you turn a list of benefits into engaging web copy which converts visitors into customers?Recently I wrote an article explaining how to identify the benefits you offer your customers (http://www.divinewrite.
    How To Take Your Freelance Writing Chances
    Your initial freelance writing assignments are the best way to present yourself to your client for repeated work. If you provide for them a good product, at a good price, they are likely to come back time and time again.
    Write Hard-Hitting Headlines With Magic Words That Sell
    Writing a killer headline for your copy is simple! You just need to follow simple dos and donts that make or break a headline respectively. If you think you have tried them all, check this out.