Wanna know my number one secret to make more money with words?
Here goes. It’s called colloquial copy. Colloquial, meaning ordinary or familiar conversation. Copy, short for copywriting – the stuff you write to get people to take the action you want.
Colloquial copy, therefore, means marketing that’s laid back. Everyday. Easy breezy. Writing ads, emails, sales pages, video scripts, direct mail pieces, etc. that sound like you’re talking to a buddy over a beer.
Basically, the exact opposite of what you were taught in high school English class. So why do this? Right? Won’t it look bad? Sloppy? Unprofessional?
I’ll tell you why. Because informal writing:
- Tightens up your copy. You say more with fewer words.
- Is more intimate. Readers feel like they know you.
- Has personality. It’s fun, entertaining, prevents boredom.
- Brings your words to life. Enter emotion, feelings, imagery.
- Builds reading momentum that carries more readers farther.
- Is less salesy. Like you’re not even trying. Frank Kern is the master at this.
See what I’m sayin’? Can we agree: that the more people who actually consume your marketing and enjoy it and like you and trust you… the more sales you’ll make? I think we can.
So how do you do it? Just follow these 13 tips.
How to turn words into millions of dollars
1) Use small words. Watch your syllables. Aim for mostly one and two syllable words. Nobody’s judging you for clapping when you count ’em, either.
2) Ditto sentences and paragraphs. The more long-winded you are, the less “sticky” your material is, the less effective it becomes.
3) Use contractions (I’m, you’re, won’t, doesn’t, shouldn’t, can’t).
4) Use abbreviations (pics, info, asap, BS, BYOB, congrats, LOL).
5) Use slang (gonna, wanna, this’ll, whaddya, so sick, whatcha).
6) Write like you’re speaking to one person in person. (I, me, you, your… instead of… our company, we, Dear friend, valued customer.)
7) Make smart transitions between paragraphs. (All in all, best of all, bottom line, case in point, for starters, I’ll get to the point, in a nutshell, mark my words, needless to say, no wonder, so there you have it, speaking of which, trouble is.)
8) Pepper your copy with figures of speech. (As good as gold, bite the bullet, cut and dry, dirt cheap, eat crow, fat chance, got spanked, hard to swallow, icing on the cake, jump the gun, king’s ransom, lion’s share, makes my blood boil, nothing to sneeze at, off and running, par for the course, right on the button, splitting hairs, throw the baby out with the bathwater, up the ante, when hell freezes over, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.)
9) Be curious. Worldly. Question everything. Research, read, explore. Take notes. The more you know about life, the more ammo you have for metaphors, analogies, smiles, and such.
10) Use alliteration (awesome ads, Mickey Mouse, double dose, spending spree, best buyers, proven process, colloquial copy).
11) Read it out loud. Are there any “choppy” parts? If so, edit those. Repeat until it’s natural and effortless.
12) Spend 10 minutes a day on sites like TMZ and National Enquirer. I’m not kidding. Colloquial copy at its finest. Make a swipe file from those websites and reference it every time you sit down to write.
13) Last but not least, be real. Your customers aren’t stupid so stop treating ’em that way. Admit mistakes. Make damaging admissions. Point out what’s in it for you. This used car ad is a great example.
