Writing long copy has been my secret weapon for more than three decades. Not only have my emails, landing pages, and video sales letters generated over $100 million dollars, but this skill has made me a millionaire many times over.

Despite the rise of short marketing messages, long copy remains essential for those who want to engage their audience and build trust.

As I have learned, writing long copy that makes money is possible when you understand your audience, create compelling headlines, and focus on the value and benefits your product or service provides. By applying these strategies, you'll be on your way to crafting copy that converts.

In today’s message, we'll uncover the secrets of writing long copy that generates sales and turns skeptics into customers.

Let me break everything down for you point-by-point so that you can use this framework to your advantage as well.

Know Your Audience:

Before diving into writing, understand your target audience. What are their pain points, desires, and language preferences? By getting to know your audience, you'll be able to address their concerns and write copy that resonates with them. Create buyer personas to help you visualize and empathize with your target customers.

In my case, the target audience were investors who wanted to build their wealth. They were not only looking for stocks to make them rich but did not want to lose money in the markets. It was this information I used to construct message after message based on what was happening in the stock market. I would then use both fear and greed to bring them into my messaging.

Research Your Competitors:

The competitors, in my case, were other publishers. I would then analyze what themes they were using to sell their customers. I would use their control packages to not only know what our customer base was buying but also use their market research to create my messaging.

Create Compelling Headlines

Once you know what your customers are buying, the next step is clear: Create powerful headlines that target their internal wants and fears. I would not only use proven headline formulas and techniques to create a headline that encourages readers to read but also craft multiple headline options and test them to find the best one.

Write Strong Opening Paragraphs:

It's one thing to get someone to open your email, it's another thing to get them to read it. That is why your opening paragraph is so crucial. It will make them continue to read down the page.

Often times I would create a relatable story or describe a problem your target audience faces to pique their interest and encourage them to continue reading.

With the right headline and opening paragraph, you can set the tone and organization for the rest of the copy and make it easy for the prospect to read along.

Keep It Conversational:

Write as if you're chatting with a friend. My mentor, Richard Stanton-Jones, used to tell me to talk like a friend, to a friend on a bar stool. I have always kept that in mind when writing and rewriting my copy.

This is why I would always use informal language and break down complex ideas to make them easy to understand.

Use Storytelling and Emotion:

If you have been reading my copy for some time, you know I always sold the secret stock that would make people rich. So I would always find interesting stocks that had interesting stories built into them.

I would then weave this story into my copy, all while tapping into my readers' emotions to maintain their interest. Emphasize the transformation your product or service can bring to their lives.

Address and Overcome Objections:

Just like a salesperson, I would anticipate any objections or concerns my potential customers would have and then address them head-on in the copy. In other words, I would address every objection from every angle until there could be no objection.

Leverage Testimonials and Social Proof:

Now more than ever, this is a must. Not only would I include customer success stories and positive experiences but also validation from experts as well. This would build trust with my audience.

Focus on Value and Benefits:

Along the way, I would continually hammer in the value of subscribing to my editors' newsletters. So not only would they learn the secret stock that would make them rich but also learn how the advice would continue to make them richer.

Use Subheadings and Formatting:

As I learned long ago, if you want someone to read your long copy, you must break up everything with subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs—much like I have done with these numbered point

This makes it easier for readers to skim and find the information they're looking for. Well-structured copy not only looks more appealing but also increases readability and comprehension.

Create a Sense of Urgency:

If you have ever rushed down to your local store to buy during a sale, then you know the value of a limited-time offer. I would regularly use limited-time offers to encourage readers to take action. By creating a sense of urgency, you'll motivate them to act now instead of putting it off. Use countdown timers and limited stock notifications to reinforce this urgency.

Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA):

This leads me to your ultimate CTA. I would always sprinkle in the call to action throughout the promotion to keep them reading until the end. That way, by the time they got to the end of the order form, they were ready to buy.

Test and Tweak:

During my 30+ year career, I would continually run A/B tests to identify the most effective content, headlines, and CTAs that would increase my sales. This advantage made me almost unbeatable because I knew scientifically what worked and what didn't.

Which is why I continually update my promotion based on results and always strive for better performance.

The bottom line here is this:

Writing long copy that makes money is an art and a science, requiring a deep understanding of your audience, persuasive storytelling, and attention to detail.

By applying these strategies, you'll be on your way to crafting copy that engages, builds trust, and ultimately converts readers into customers.

Remember, the key to success is constant testing and optimization to find the perfect balance of elements that resonate with your audience.

Take the time to implement these suggestions and watch your long copy transform into a money-making machine. Keep refining your craft and never stop learning to stay ahead of the competition.

Want to know more:

My new 106-page home study course, Copywriting Mastery: Insider Secrets to Boost Your Conversions and Revenue gives you specific examples of you, too, can write long-copy that makes money.

You'll learn how to:

Craft attention-getting subject lines.
Create copy that evokes emotions and builds a connection.
Keep your readers engaged with compelling offers.
Tailor your email content to specific segments of your audience to significantly increase engagement and conversion rates.

PLUS, I'm going to include FIVE of my Million-Dollar Copywriting Formula swipes.

That way, you'll not only learn about the strategies but also how to apply them in winning promotions that drove millions of dollars in sales.

That's the most powerful "one-two" combination of copywriting knowledge I've ever put together.

These swipes include:

The Navellier Stock Almanac: This control ran for nearly 10 years with small tweaks and updates.
12 Triple Digit-Winners in 12 Months: Another big-time money control that ran for years in various updates.
Turn $5,000 into $40,000, another winning Million Dollar Copywriting Formula promo that I used as an outline for dozens of other money-making emails.
The Conspiracy to Keep You Out of China: A great story-telling control that filled the coffers for the China Strategy newsletter and made me a mint as well.
The Great Retirement Betrayal--my multi-million platinum direct mail package that earned me over $250,000 in royalties.

What's more, I'm also going to include my two instructional videos valued at $1000:

Breakthrough Copywriting, and
How to Write Long Copy That Makes Money, its companion guide, and transcript

That way you'll have a complete base of information for you to build your next long email, landing page, or video sales letter.

Click HERE to learn more.

All good wishes,

Doug D'Anna

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