Have you read “Atomic Habits” by James Clear? If not, you should, it’s a bloody cracker.
The best book I bought last year, hands down.
(and that’s quite a boast… I bought over 2 books)
Yesterday’s email reminded me of it.
“If you want someone to reply to your email, make it as easy as possible for them to do so…”
… I think I said.
(Something like that, anyway)
When you’re writing ANY copy – a sales page, email, blog post, whatever – you’re always doing it to create a result.
You want something to happen.
Maybe it’s a response, maybe it’s awareness, maybe you’re after someone’s precious credit card details…
You’re ALWAYS wanting the reader to do something though.
So, before you get lost in the nitty-gritty swamp of “should I use ‘energised’ or ‘invigorated’?”, remember the important things:
1. What do I want my audience to do after reading this?
2. How can I make that as clear and easy as possible for them to do it?
It might be making sure you have a clearly visible link for them to click, so they don’t have to go searching, as I did before when I talked about yesterday’s email. If I’d have just said, “Go and find it… it’s on the internet” unless you have a very dull social calendar, you’re probably not going to go looking.
Imagine “Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark” without a map…
… Harrison Ford, wandering around Africa, sweating his nuts off, asking random people, “Do you know where the Ark is? No? How about you?… You?… What about YOU?”
“How can I make things easy for my reader? Gimme examples!”
OK, I’ll make it easier for you…
For a sales page, it might be a testimonial (from someone who ISN’T your mother) or a rock-solid guarantee that makes pressing the magic green button a no-brainer.
Blog posts are more likely to get shared if the reader only has to click a button, rather than having to do a copy and paste job.
If you want more podcast listeners to sign up to your list, create a short, punchy and memorable URL that you can read out on the show.
By and large, we humans are a bunch of lazy gits – always looking for the easy way.
The trick is to make the easy way the right way.
John
P.S. You’ve survived the first week of “daily-ish” emails…
Well done! Give yourself a cool high five. In fact, let me do it for you…
Yep, we’re that kewl.
How was it for you?
Ok? Not bad? What do you mean, “You’ve had better?”.