Cheap Champagne and M&Ms

I recently read a review of a new release by Janet Evanovich about her new book on writing. The book is getting fairly good reviews one of which really struck a note with me. She said she finds “a couple of glasses of cheap champagne and a bucketful of M&Ms to be helpful in writing romantic scenes.”

Being an aspiring fiction writer, with an agent but no print publishing credits just yet, I haven’t tried that one yet but you can bet I ran out to the store and bough a bottle of semi-cheap champagne and a bag of peanut M&Ms. I have a story I’m finishing up and getting ready to submit to publishers. Maybe this trick will help me find the inspiration I need for the missing scenes. Regardless, it is bound to be an entertaining experiment

It also reminded me of the other little tricks I use to find inspiration:

• Red Hot Chili Peppers: You know those days when you get up and the kids are screaming, you have 55 new emails in your inbox and none of them are SPAM and the dishwasher is on the fritz and the dog seems to have left a present on the cat’s bed? Those are the days I pull out my iPod and blast the Red Hot Chili Peppers until I’m in a good mood and the entire family has escaped the room because mom is in one of her moods.
• Fresh air and sunshine: I also head outside for a breath of fresh air to clear my head and find focus.
• Bubble baths: There’s nothing better than a bubble bath and a good book at the end of long days to relax for sleep and enjoy the small luxuries life has to offer.
• Phone calls to my sister: When I simply need to talk to be heard.

So what inspires you to write?

Elements of Persuasive Online Copy

Have you ever been halfway though a sales page or the home page of a website and realized you were no longer really reading the copy? Your mind had actually drifted off.

Maybe you started thinking about what to cook for dinner or about the business task you needed to tend to. Whatever thoughts were in your head, they had nothing to do with the sales copy you were reading a few seconds earlier.

The problem with that sales copy is that the author likely forgot that in order to make a sale, and compel a prospect to read the copy, they need to persuade.

Here are 5 elements of persuasive online copy

1. Attention getting headline. An attention grabbing headline is imperative. An easy way to craft a headline is to make it a “How to” headline. For example, “How to increase your conversion rate by 10%.” Brainstorm headlines and create a list of possibilities. The ideal headline will come to you as your creative juices start flowing. If you’re not 100% certain of your headline, ask associates what they think of the head line and test it to see if it converts.
   

2. Specific promises and benefits. One element of persuasive copy that is often forgotten is that the compelling copy focuses on the customer. You can list all of the features in the world and your prospect won’t blink an eye but tell them how the features will benefit them, make their lives easier, make them happier, better, richer, wiser, or more attractive and they’ll pay attention to what you have to say.
   

3. Facts to back it up. Promises and benefits are all wonderful, however today’s customer is a skeptical one. Back up your promises with testimonials, reviews, statistics, and facts about your credibility or the credibility of your product.
   

4. What is your USP? How are you different from your competition? What makes you unique? Your Unique Selling Proposition can be included in almost every piece of sales copy you write. M&Ms used “Melts in your mouth not in your hands for years.”
   

5. Remind them of the benefits and if you can, add more benefits. Build value. Before you write your call to action, which is also an element of persuasive online copy, take a few minutes to summarize and build value. Recap all they have to gain and then top it off with one or two more benefits to compel them to act immediately.

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