Article Writing Templates & Writing Style Guidelines: Copy Flow

Article Writing Templates & Writing Style
Guidelines
Try to use as many elements per article as possible. They are laid out like this for
simplicity.
Copy Flow
Urgent Problem Unique Promise Unquestionable Proof User Friendly
Proposition
Objections to defeat: (covered by)

1. No time (value in ad itself, curiosity)
2. No interest (urgent problem)
3. No perceived difference (unique promise)
4. No belief (unquestionable proof)
5. No decision (user-friendly proposition)
Proof Elements (critical)

1. Demonstration
2. Creative guarantee
3. Reason/justification
4. Specifics
5. The expose
6. Explain the mechanism
7. Sell against type
8. Acknowledge disbelief
9. Highly believable source
10. Testimonials
11. Candor
Core outline
1. Headline
2. Drama
3. 50 Words
4. Subheads: what, why, how, when
5. Objections
6. Case studies/examples
7. Summaries: can be in points, can be in paragraphs
8. Next step: sales, subscribe, tell a friend, do something
What creates curiosity?

-Specifics
-Unfamiliar concepts/terminology
-A direct contrast to the existing status quo
Sale Template
Research the pain
Talk about the pain to grow the pain (i.e. talk about issues the problem at hand causes)
Diagnosis (offer solutions)
Educate (on why you should do something with us)
Benefits
Evidence
Important: Selling is not telling. Ask questions in the article!
Action Template
Attention:
1. Subscript teaser
2. Headline attention of desired audience (see headline sheet)
3. Subhead
4. Salutation
Interest:
1. Opening hook: it youthen
2. Your story credibility
3. Heres what this is all about
Desire:
1. USP (unique selling proposition)
2. Appeal
3. Benefits
4. Bullets
Action:
1. Bonuses
2. Click here to
3. Do you want.
4. Risk reversal guarantee
5. Close the dealclick now
6. PS
Use mental triggers in your copy:

1. Social proof (show how lots of people are doing it)
2. Scarcity (show limited quantity)
3. Proof (demonstrate specifically that it works)
4. Stories
5. Commitment and consistency (get them committed to mini yeses then bigger
yeses)
6. Authority (mention credentials or quantifies that make you an authority on the
subject)
7. Reciprocity (give them something good and they will want to repay you,
hopefully by clicking the link for more information)
8. Character (tie in with story, the loss and redemption story, or the hero defeating
adversity story)
9. Specifics ($104.34 rather than $100, be specific)
10. Common energy (us vs. them, us vs. those evil food companies)
11. Anchoring (mention extreme values to anchor them to high perceptions, but also
give them realistic ones they can relate to: James lost 130 pounds in 6 months,
and Annie lost 12 pounds in 3.2 weeks!)
Writing Style
Writing is about communication with the emotional mind so it makes sense to the rational
mind. People buy things emotionally then justify it rationally.
Writing is a conversation with the reader, not a spoken language!
You want the copy to sound like a loud hot secret!
An emotionally compelling case is something that reaches their gut.
Your article needs to be full of energy! It cant be boring!
You want a killer headline, killer bullets, and a killer offer (call to action, get the click).
Understand the 7 reasons people buy:

1. Make money
2. Save money
3. Save time
4. Save effort
5. Improve health (will usually wait till emergency first)
6. Increase pleasure
7. Eliminate pain
Bullet points are not to condense information! You want to provoke them to read the next
sentence! Bullets are meant to make someone to want to do something.
Tap into the passions of the reader and use drama and enthusiasm to transfer self esteem
to the reader
Dont have a wimpy close, tell them what to do (click the link).
Hook the readers 3 greatest goals: time, effort, or money

Hook the readers 3 greatest desires: greed, lust, comfort
Cater to those goals and desires, and people will read more.
Use universal words (dont use complex words).
Use pictures they can understand (an acre is harder to visualize than a football field).
This article is about preventing procrastination, get them to act NOW!

Content Bridging
This is tying 2 concepts together for endless content ideas.
First pick a topic main topic and a subtopic:

activity, category, product
Then pick your topic bridge:

Benefits, facts, history, how to, ideas, problems, questions, quotes, thoughts, tips, topics
Then build a topic bridge:

Space: relate two topics in where they occur (e.g. home, office, car, outdoors)
Time: events, stage/phase, season
Person/Participant: interest, event, the relations of the participant and whats going on
Dont forget to check out other articles on the same topic for fresh ideas.
Article Re-Writing
#1. Changing the structure

How-to
Resources
Experiment
Informational
Case studies
7 reasons why
Stupid mistakes
Advice on buying
The 10 best
Contests
Whats new
Books/DVD/Music
Before and after
Inspirational
Reviews
Profile
Checklists
FAQ
Problems with
Examples of
What went wrong?
Where to buy
Coupons
Trends
Magazines/Newsletters
Events
#2. Change the audience + change the structure: e.g. if it was for stay at home moms,
change it to stay at home dads, grandparents, babysitters etc
#3. Change the writers perspective + change the structure: e.g. how would a lawyer say
the same things? A teacher? A Chef? Write from another persons perspective.
#4. Change the location change the structure: e.g. localize the topic for a specific
geographic location online, offline, New York, London, Tokyo, Bala etc
#5. Think opposites + change the structure or Thinking opposites + change the location +
change the structure: e.g. If youve given the budget option go for expensive. If youre
writing about a big wedding, talk about a small one. Vacations in topical locations, and
cold weather vacations. Simplify, elaborate.
#6. Sub-niche the topic + Change the structure: e.g. if your main topic is search engines,
break it up into Yahoo, Google, MSN. If its on a broad topic, like health, break it down
into sections, heart health, brain health etc

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Article Writing Templates & Writing Style

Objections to defeat: (covered by)

Proof Elements (critical)

What creates curiosity?

Important: Selling is not telling. Ask questions in the article!

Use mental triggers in your copy:

Writing is a conversation with the reader, not a spoken language!

You want the copy to sound like a loud hot secret!

An emotionally compelling case is something that reaches their gut.

Your article needs to be full of energy! It cant be boring!

Understand the 7 reasons people buy:

Hook the readers 3 greatest goals: time, effort, or money

Use universal words (dont use complex words).

This article is about preventing procrastination, get them to act NOW!

First pick a topic main topic and a subtopic:

Then pick your topic bridge:

Then build a topic bridge:

#1. Changing the structure

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