Do you hear that?
Drip, drip, drip.
That’s the sound of sweat falling from a blogger’s brow.
Drip, drip, drip.
Writing an effective opening is damn hard work. If you don’t hook your reader within the first eight seconds, they’ll click a link and disappear, perhaps forever.
Drip, drip, drip.
That sound is the difference between an amateur and a professional. Whether you write for a living or not, breaking sweat over your openings is a sign you’re serious about your craft.
Like Stephen King.
Even he admits he spends months perfecting the beginnings to his stories. That’s because, book or blog post, the rules are the same: lose your reader in the beginning and you’ve lost them for good.
But, what if you don’t have the luxury of spending as much time as it takes? What if a deadline is looming? And what if you know your post could be great, but you’re not sure how to begin?
Don’t worry.
You just need some simple formulas you can copy. Formulas that practically guarantee that you open strong every time.
But my eight seconds are up.
So let’s get started.
The Writing Formulas You Must Steal from the Master Copywriters
In a nutshell, copywriting is writing that sells.
If the reader is not sold by the time they reach the last paragraph – or if they don’t even read that far – the writing has failed and the writer goes hungry.
Great copywriting captures the reader’s attention and persuades them to take action, and a great blog post should do the same.
Because as a blogger, you may not be persuading your reader to buy a product or service, but you sure as hell are persuading them to do something. You want them to give you their attention, believe that your ideas hold value, and take action on your advice.
Copywriting excels at this kind of persuasion. And while great copywriting is part art, the highly persuasive writing you’ve read on countless billboards, magazine advertisements, and online marketing campaigns is driven by tried-and-tested formulas that have worked for decades.
These copywriting formulas are the E=MC2 of copywriting, and (with a little work) you can adapt them to write persuasive openings that grab your reader’s attention from the first line.
1) Problem-Agitate-Solution
Problem-Agitate-Solution is an old-school formula that copywriters have used for years to put food on the table.
Let’s break down this three-part formula down:
- Problem – introduce a problem the reader is experiencing.
- Agitate – use emotional language to intensify the problem.
- Solution – offer a credible solution to the problem.
How To Adapt This Formula to Your Openings
The Problem-Agitate-Solution formula can be used as is to create a powerful opening for a post that promises to help readers tackle a pressing problem.
Let’s see it in action with some examples.
Example #1
After starting a blog, new bloggers often complain about a lack of website traffic. As a result they feel frustrated and anxious about how they’re spending their blogging time. Let’s tackle this problem for them.
Now let’s whip up our reader’s emotions:
But unless you spend your time in the right places, you’re never going to build the kind of audience you need to grow a successful blog.
Now we offer the reader a lifeline:
See how this formula uses a problem to draw the reader in?
Example #2
Even more serious bloggers find it difficult to make time for growing and monetizing their blogs. Let’s address their problem using this formula.
That’s how many hours there are in a week, and if your blog is growing, you probably feel like this isn’t enough.
[Agitate] You’ve got social media accounts to manage, posts to write, a new design to roll out, and a hundred and one other tasks that come with growing and monetizing your busy blog. What if I told you your lack of time is holding your blog back?
[Solution] What if I told you it’s time to get help?
Successful bloggers know the fastest way they can monetize their blogs is by outsourcing tasks like design, social media, and even their email inbox.
Deciding what to outsource and what to do yourself is tricky, so I interviewed ten top bloggers and asked them what they outsource and what they work on themselves. Here’s what they said.
Example #3
New writers often wonder if their writing is good enough and how they can get advice. Using the Problem-Agitate-Solution formula, we can help them out.
[Agitate] Are you tired of getting rejected by editors? Are you sick of seeing your ideas sink without a trace?
Do you wish you knew how to make your writing truly resonate with your audience?
[Solution] Don’t worry.
Lots of new writers and bloggers face these struggles, but the ones who succeed get help – they hire a writing coach. Find the right coach for you by using the resources in this post.
Real-World Example
Lots of bloggers have trouble writing a professional bio for their social media profile.
Courtney Seiter agitates this problem and then provides a solution on the Buffer Social blog.
2) AIDA
AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action, and it’s one of the most popular copywriting formulas in the advertising industry.
Firstly, you grab the attention of your readers quickly and directly, usually with a bold first line, some powerful words, or by making a dramatic statement.
Then, pique their interest by explaining what you’re going to offer them – the offer should directly address their needs and wants.
Next, create desire by explaining the measurable benefit of your offer. Providing proof, such as a case study, will help build the desire.
Finally, prompt the reader to take action.
How To Adapt This Formula to Your Openings
Since a call-to-action works best in the closing of a blog post, we’re going to use the first three elements of the AIDA formula to create a compelling, benefit-led opening.
Take a look at the following examples:
Example #1
Returning to the topic of guest posting, new bloggers may have heard about this strategy for building their blogs, but they often don’t know why it works or how to pitch blogs.
Let’s start by making a bold claim:
Now that you’ve got your readers’ attention, let’s whet their appetite.
Finally, use a real-world example to build credibility and desire:
You’d probably tell me I’m crazy (I was also skeptical until I wrote my first guest post), which is why I’m going to present a case study for you. I’ll explain how a client gained 10,000 readers and 1,000 email subscribers from just one guest post.
And I’ll provide a step-by-step explanation of how my client succeeded with guest posting that you can easily follow and achieve the same results.
Example #2
Serious bloggers understand one of the best ways to monetize their blogs is to grow their email list and then create an affiliate offer of value to sell to that list. However, lots of serious bloggers struggle to balance list-building with the other tasks that come with running a busy blog.
Let’s write a blog post opening for this audience:
[Interest] Yes LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook probably drive some traffic to your blog, but your social media following is practically worthless compared to your email list. If you really want to make more money from blogging, you need to prioritize your email subscribers over your social media followers.
[Desire] Last year, I outsourced the management of my blog’s social media accounts and concentrated exclusively on growing my email list. Today, I have more than 10,000 subscribers, and during a recent product launch, I generated over five thousand dollars in sales.
In this post, I’m going to reveal how I grew my email list so fast, why you need to outsource, and the first step you should take to begin monetizing your blog today.
Example #3
It’s a rare type of writer that doesn’t want to share their work, find an audience, and even make a little money. As a blogger, you know that a blog is a great platform for this audience, but a surprising number of writers don’t have a blog.
So let’s introduce the concept of blogging to these writers using AIDA and connect it to their desires to either get paid or find an audience for their work:
[Interest] If you want to find an audience, get free feedback about your work, and even make a little money from writing, blogging is the perfect platform for you.
[Desire] I started blogging two years ago, and since then I’ve self-published a book, sold over 2,000 copies, and made several thousand dollars from my fiction. You can do the same.
Real-World Example
Bryan Harris of Video Fruit uses the AIDA formula all the time.
In the introduction of his post about growing a list through giveaways, he even encourages readers to take action and sign-up to receive 13 promotional strategies for their giveaways.
3) Bob Stone’s “Gem”
Bob Stone was an American copywriter and direct response marketer who worked during the early- and mid-twentieth century.
Stone invented this copywriting formula for sales letter and direct response advertising, but today it’s used in dozens of types of promotional materials and works great for blog posts too.
The steps for Bob Stone’s Gem are:
- Start with your strongest benefit.
- Expand on this benefit.
- Explain how the reader can experience this benefit.
- Back up your statement with support copy.
- Tell readers what they’ll lose if they don’t act.
- Sum up the most important benefit.
- Include a call-to-action.
How To Adapt This Formula to Your Openings
To use Bob Stone’s formula to create a killer opening, we’re just going to use the first three steps. (But you can use the remaining steps to inspire the rest of the post.)
Example #1
For our first example, let’s return to the new blogger who is having trouble finding an audience for his website.
We’d start by describing the strongest benefit behind your post.
Now we expand upon the benefit by going into more detail about this traffic strategy with a specific example:
[Expand] Instead of spending hours writing for my website, I wrote posts about topics relevant to my readers for popular websites like Smart Blogger and Copyblogger. These posts will continue to send traffic to my site for months to come.
Then, describe how your readers can write their first popular guest post:
[Explain] In this post, I’m going to walk-through step-by-step how I came up with attention-grabbing ideas, successfully pitched them to big blogs, and then wrote my popular posts.
I’m also going to tell you how I convinced readers to click-through to my website and what I did with all this extra traffic.
Example #2
Serious bloggers know that webinars are a great way of generating an income from blogging. Let’s use Bob Stone’s formula to describe this benefit and then expand on it with real-world information.
[Expand] Webinars are one of the best ways you can become an authority in a niche, forge a bond with your readers, and make extra money from your blog. During my last webinar, I collected over 1,000 new email addresses and made five thousand dollars.
[Explain] Sold? Good. Before you run your first webinar, you must take certain steps to guarantee success. You need to pick the right topic, write a script, and test your tools. And in this post, I’ll walk through these steps with you.
Example #3
For new writers, learning the basics of copywriting is one of the quickest ways they can get paid for their work.
Fortunately for them, this is something you can teach them. So let’s use this formula to draw them into a post about copywriting.
[Expand] I know because that’s how I got started. If you’re new to copywriting, it’s a type of writing that’s used to sell products and services. It’s also the perfect writing style for an online audience.
[Explain] In this post, I’ve gathered over 20 proven copywriting formulas that will help you get started with a copywriting business.
Real-World Example
Ramit Sethi’s Ultimate Guide To Money was one of his most popular posts last year. In his introduction, he pitches the benefits of his post as a “gift” that will help readers make money.
4) The Approach Formula
Copywriters adapted this formula from a template often used by door-to-door salesmen.
It’s a soft-sell where the writer works hard to make the right initial impression on the reader.
There are six parts to this formula:
- Arrive
- Propose
- Persuade
- Reassure
- Make an offer
- Ask for the order
How To Adapt This Formula to Your Openings
To use this formula for writing a highly effective blog post opening, we’ll borrow the first four steps.
We’ll arrive by saying something the reader will agree with – something non-threatening that shows we’re on the same page.
Then we’ll propose a certain course of action. Something that most people who agree with our arriving statement would find reasonable.
Next we’ll gently persuade the reader that this course of action is the correct one.
And finally we’ll reassure them by overcoming any possible objections.
Let’s take a look at some examples…
Example #1
New bloggers who just want to get their blog up and running often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of things they have to learn.
Let’s using the Approach formula to become the white knight that can rescue them.
We “arrive” by saying something these new bloggers will likely agree with to build trust.
Then we’ll make a proposal – that they should focus on just a few things:
Next, we’ll persuade them that this is the right course of action: by giving some evidence – our own experience:
Finally we’ll reassure them by saying it will be easy:
Example #2
Returning to an earlier scenario, how can we use the Approach formula to persuade serious bloggers to focus on building their email lists?
[Propose] But in reality, only one blog stat is worth caring about: the number of subscribers on your email list. Every top blogger worth their salt will choose an email subscriber over a new social media follower any day.
[Persuade] Email subscribers are more likely to read and share your content, they’re more likely to comment on your posts, and when the time is right, they are almost always the first to open their wallets.
[Reassure] Building your email list doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, you can double the growth of your email list using a simple “content upgrade,” the strategy advanced bloggers use to increase opt-ins on their blogs.
Using my blog as an example, I’m going to show you how to create content upgrades without spending a lot of time or money on them. I’ve even got a free checklist that will help you create your first content upgrade today.
Example #3
New writers, often wonder how long it will take to master their new craft.
Let’s use the Approach formula to make a good initial impression and then propose an idea this audience should love.
[Propose] You know there’s no quick fix or great secret to writing mastery – it simply takes practice. In fact, in his popular book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to truly master a craft.
But unguided practice is a terribly inefficient way to learn. That’s why it may be time for you to hire a coach.
[Persuade] A writing coach will allow you to combine practice with the experienced feedback required to hone your skills in the fastest possible time. A writing coach will guide you past obstacles that could block you for hours, days, or even weeks working alone.
[Reassure] But if engaging a writing coach sounds complicated and expensive, don’t worry – I’m going to keep this simple. In this post, I’ll share the five things new writers should look for in a coach. I’ll even show you how to get coaching for free.
I’m going to keep this simple: new writers who are ready to get help should look for five things from their next writing coach.
Real-World Example
Leo Babauta’s entire blog is geared towards making the right impression on his readers.
In the opening line of this post, he explains that stress causes health problems. Then, he proposes five small things that readers can do to reduce stress, and then he persuades us to take action because his five suggestions only take a few minutes.
The body of Leo’s post goes on to back up his claim.
Now Get Out There and Open Like a Pro
I’m not going to lie to you; openings are tough. (Just ask Stephen King.)
But, they’re damn important too. Without a strong opening, the rest of your post won’t even get read.
Let that sink in for a second. The rest of your post won’t even get read.
You must hook your readers from the first line of your post. Fortunately, with these bombproof copywriting formulas, you can now do it with minimal sweat.
So when you draft your next post, borrow one of these formulas for the opening. And if you have to write more than one to find out what works best, that’s OK.
Writing magnetic openings is one of the most important skills an ambitious blogger can learn.
And you now have four different formulas for success.
So get out there and open like a pro.
Your readers will reward you with their time and attention.
Hey Bryan,
AWESOME post. I love the example you gave for each formula. The problem, Agitate, Solution one especially. The way you broke it down there, really made me see how that can work.
For myself, I can see that working a lot better than some of the other ones you shared (although the other ones you shared, like AIDA, is powerful as well).
The Bob Stone formula sounds interesting actually. I like the point about starting with the strongest benefit … similar to starting with your best stuff always.
The Approach formula is great too. In the grand scheme of things, I’m going to be trying all of these formulas out because like you said, writing openings is tough at times. Thanks for this super in-depth post.
Very useful resource for me now.
– Andrew
Hi Andrew,
The PAS formula is a great one to use, and it works in many situations. I used Bob Stone’s Gem recently to write a page of copy about a technical product. Experiment and see what works.
There’s no doubt introduction is what grabs your audience attention. The clever the better!
I’ve been working on writing killer intro lines by reading the blog posts at BBT. And I know using quotes, stats etc in the intro lines can attract audience.
Thanks so much for sharing such a detailed guide on crafting a perfect introduction Bryan.
I do agree with your statement and thanks Bryan for sharing this great post also want to thanks “Boostblogtraffic” for helping me to get my very first 100,00 visits.
Thanks
This is fantastic Bryan! I was just literally coming over to BBT to have a look at examples of great openings. And BAM! Your post appeared. 🙂
Much appreciated,
Andrea
Hi Andrea,
Timely! Knowing how to opening is a great skill for bloggers. I’m glad I could help.
Hey Bryan,
This is the second post of yours that I am reading today 🙂 And this is a brilliant post, by the way.
Of all the formulas you have described here, I love the problem-agitate-solution formula because it gets emotional. Instead of mechanically writing a tutorial, no matter how interactive it is, connecting emotionally with readers will make a great impact.
I know that for sure because I find such posts work very effectively on me. Also when I write and publish such posts I find that I get a very good response (and leads and sales) from my audience.
Besides, it really helps to communicate with emotion because we bloggers always have an emotional connection with whatever we do and whatever we face. Desperation, being overwhelmed, fear of failure, fear of success, writers block – are quite a few of them 🙂
Thanks for publishing this awesome piece 🙂
Cheers,
Jane.
Hi Jane,
I’m glad to hear the PAS is already working for you; the first time I discovered it was a lightbulb moment.
You’ve touched on few really important points for bloggers to consider. If we can address our readers’ fears, desires, fears and frustrations, we can add real value with our content.
Amazing post and the post is worth a read. Learnt many new things Thanks a lot
That’s good to hear. Thank you
Drip, drip, drip … that’s an awesome start, Brian. 🙂
Even if not physically, a lot of mental sweating occurs writing an effective opening.
I’d say I was looking for a post like this, and I was under the impression, Glen had such a post. Found out I was wrong. So, a big thank you for this post, and for reading my mind. 🙂
Saved this post into my Evernote. This is something I’d read time and again. Thanks a TON, for the examples. Will make sure to use this post for my next post opening.
I have an Evernote notebook full of copywriting posts that I refer to over and over. Keeping a swipe file like this is a good practice for any writer to get into, even if you’re not a copywriter..
Hi Bryan
Great article and yes, you really nailed your intro 🙂
Loving No 4 – The Approach Formula – I’m going to try this out as door-to-door selling is hard, which should make this approach very persuasive.
Thanks for putting this together.
All the best
Loz
Hi Loz,
Intros are tough work, but they’re worth it. Good luck with your approach!
Love your opening, it hooked me. And your Stephen King influence shines through. Suspense is a brilliant way to open a blog post.
Talking of Stephen King, the Problem, Agitate, Solution reminds me of the 3-Act story structure: Problem, Struggle, Solution.
It’s fascinating how many best-selling authors are also copywriters and vice-versa. Cripes! Imagine if Stephen King wrote advertising copy!
Great writers, whatever their medium, know how to capture readers and persuade them to their side and it begins at the beginning with an opening that captures people at just the right spot.
I also think it’s important to open a post with the end in mind. Knowing what you want the reader to think, do or feel as a result of reading your post is a good opener. Open with a promise that what the reader wants most will be delivered at the end. It’s works for fiction too. It keeps readers reading in that “unputdownable” way.
Enjoyed this piece, Bryan, and it’s good to see Bob Stone get a mention.
Opening a post with the end in mind is a great advice. I read something by Jon recently where he recommended thinking how you want readers to feel when you write your intro and then returning to this emotion in your last paragraph.
Interesting comparison with Stephen King and the storytelling structure; I hadn’t considered that.
Great article, Bryan.
Only now I realised how many articles I have read that are using exactly one of these techniques. Never would have thought about it.
Hi Mindaugas,
Yes, it’s amazing how pervasive copywriting really is. /now you know what goes on behind the curtain.
Bryan, this blog is so helpful and chock full of useful tips. I like all four of your techniques for attention-grabbing openings. I tend to use the AIDA formula the most, but I definitely want to explore the others. Can’t wait to put your advice into practice. Thanks!
Hey Bryan,
I can definitely relate to your intro! It does feels like the sweat is dripping down my head as I’m trying to think of a great intro. And I have to be honest with myself. My intros does need some improving. They’re not horrible, but I believe their not as engaging as they should be.
I’m familiar with the few two formulas you mentioned here: Problem-Agitate-Solution and AIDA.. I find them to be quite similar and that I write the majority of my intros based on them.
I like to add the Bob Stone Benefit to my repertoire. I can see how this benefits sales letters, but as you read this formula it doesn’t look really “salesy”. It’s geared towards talking about benefits and what the person can get out of it more so then bragging about why their product/service is the best. It’s more of a win/win situation than anything and this approach is more attractive than anything else.
Thanks for sharing Bryan for the amazing value here! I hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Sherman,
It’s good to hear you found the post useful. Bob Stone’s Gem is an interesting formula. It’s also a bit different from what you can see and read every day online. With some practice and editing, you can improve your intros.
Have a nice weekend.
Bryan – I’m a newbie to freelancing and I’ve already saved a few of your posts into my Evernote ‘account for future reference. I really appreciate the detail in your posts and the examples you give and I can see lots of ways I can improve my writing. I will be putting your advice into action asap. Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth,
That’s good to hear. I use Evernote as my swipe file too.
Hey Brian, that’s what I call great timing!
I’m the co-founder of an iOS productivity app and we are soon launching the Android version. Would you mind of I quickly send you the email template we are planning to use to outreach influencers?
Thank you so much!
Tommy
HI Tommy,
Sorry I missed your comment earlier last week. Yes, please send it on to me. You can find my contact details on my site.
Thanks
There’s a mistake in example #1 of how to adapt the AIDA formular, see the paragraph after [Desire] I think you wanted to say “which is why I’m going to president a case study for you.
Drip, drip, drip.
You guys are wonderful.
lol… *PRESENT* not president, blam it on auto complete and runs away.
Good catch, thanks!
Great post! One I’ll return to again and again when I’m staring at my own blank page. Whole books are written about openings in manuscripts, like The First Five Pages. It’s great to now have such a useful reference to help with blog posts.
Hi Angela,
I haven’t read that book, but it sounds like an intriguing read. I’ll add it to my list.
Hi Brian
You have done a really good job with this post. Many other blogs have discussed this topic but what makes this post great is that you have provided so many examples.
Another thing that works is that you have stuck to only the best types of openings and focused on them. I found this really useful resource.
Saved it and shared it on Twitter, G plus as well as FB.
Neil
Hi Neil,
That’s good to hear. Examples are a great way of providing context to a theory or an idea.
Thanks for sharing.
Hello,
This is very informative article.I like all points in your post like as how to adapt this formula to your openings. You described all things in good way.
Thank you,
Have a great day!
Regards,
Pinki Chaurasia
Hi Pinki,
It’s good to hear you found the formulas useful. Have a nice weekend.
Great Article and also good information
Thank you
Bryan, what a great post for bloggers who want to “up” their blogging style!
I really liked the various examples you provided. They are necessary for complete comprehension of the different formulas writers use.
Even though I’m a writer, I know that I still need to experiment with these different strategies. I also know it all depends on the topic and my purpose for writing. 😉
Sharing this post on Twitter now!
Hi Lorraine,
Writing is all about experimentation. See what works for you and what doesn’t, and push past your boundaries. Thanks for sharing.
Wow that’s amazing!
I read all of the examples and they all work really well to catch a reader’s attention. I have a slight preference for the first formula (Problem, Agitate, Solution). Turns out this works really well on me!
I can’t wait to try these in my own blog posts. I think my main problem is that I struggle to make my intros as concise and to the point as those in the examples. Now I have some real examples I can base my own writing on.
HI Aurelie,
The PAS is really popular and easy to use. It is difficult to write a great and concise intro, but you’ll get better with practice (and some feedback from other writers and editors).
I hope my examples help.
Bryan,
Awesome and oh so incredibly helpful article! Please ask the magicians behind BBT to add a print button 🙂 I’m printing this out now so that I always have this as a reference!
Muchos Gracias!!!
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
Glad you enjoyed it. I’ll pass along your feedback to the magicians behind BBT!
Killer post – and with a great opening!
The “rules” all seem so elegant and simple. Why do you think it’s so hard for them to sink in?
Hi Anthony,
To be honest, I think top level writers and bloggers either know all these rules or they have learnt by osmosis. Those who find it harder to apply these rules probably just need to practice a little more.
It’s like blogging. I used to have a ticklist of what to do to publish a post, but now I do most of this on autopilot.
Hello Bryan,
Lovely to see you here dispensing excellent guidance and advice – thank you.
I appreciate your ordered thoughts (mine are still scattered all over the place).
As I am preparing for Valentine’s, I shall temporarily suspend hostilities for my ‘bombproof’ formulae and wish you well instead.
Thank you and kindest regards.
Hi Zarayna,
It’s good to hear you found the post useful.
Enjoy Valentine’s Day!
You are absolutely killing in on Boost Blog Traffic, Bryan! #HUGS This is your second guest post this week, right? I ENJOYED the first one too!
What do you think about opening with a story? I enjoy articles that use an anecdote to draw in their audience – of course, it is very important that your story is relevant to your message.
THANK YOU SO MUCH – BOOKMARKED
Kitto
Hi Krithika,
Nice to see you again. I thought about including how to open a post with a story in this post but, to be honest, that would be a post all by itself. Opening with a story is tricky to pull and, unless you’ve a strong personality and backstory, it’s not very effective. If you want to study how to do this, I recommend reading James Altuchers’ blog.
This is great! And, FWIW, you had me hooked in those first 8 seconds anyway. 😉
Hi,
Those eight seconds are critical. 😉
Bryan, I’m so thankful that you broke down these four opening formulas. I hear a lot of bloggers speaking about the importance of having a fantastic opening, but I never saw real example.
Not to mentioned your great writing, which I enjoyed reading your post to the last word, I now can save this post and practice when I write my next blog posts.
Thanks!
Hi Ion,
Real examples are useful because they demonstrate how to put theory into practice. Good luck with your next opening.
Hi Bryan.
As a very new blogger this was very timely. There is so much info there to digest! The PAS is the one that grabs me most. I think you have saved me from making too many mistakes!
I look forward to reading more of your wise posts in the future. Thanks so much.
Hi Cate,
The PAS formula is a simple but effective one that every blogger can easily use. Highly recommended.
Thanks a bunch Bryan! Such a great post, just what I needed right now!
Hi Luke,
Happy to be of service!
Hi Bryan,
This is an amazing article and i have got to know many thing. I love blogging, I love this article.
Hi Lily,
Great, it’s good to hear you found this useful.
Bryan,
love the post and those examples are great. Just keeping up and learning.
Cheers,
Sergey
Will do Sergey
Bryan
First thing first.
What an amazing job. I might be the only one but, i didn’t know the first thing about copywriting. This open a whole new world for me..
Next, can you use this method a couple of different times in your blog or does the rule just allow once.
and, last where else can i find some more of your work.
Thanks
jason
Hi Jason,
Copywriting is a useful skill for almost every blogger and writer. It’s probably best to stick to one method per blog post, as it’s harder to pull off several different methods.
My site is http://www.becomeawritertoday.com
Bryan,
Outstanding post, man! Really enjoyed it.
I learned a technique for just about writing from Stanley Kubrick. He had these units of writing called “non-submersible” units. He used this idea when he wrote the screen play to 2001 a Space Odyssey.
It was the idea that his stories or movies usually consisted of 7 or 8 units that once their ideas were stripped bear of any extraneous material or thinking would carry the story or idea.
So when I lay out my thoughts about what I’m going to be writing, whether its copy or a blog post, I usually think in these terms. Rather than writing an outline with all, the extra steps in them. It has really helped me clarify my writing and ideas about my subject without an outline.
Just an idea I’ve been using.
God bless, and keep up the great work
~Mark
Hi Elmo,
I haven’t heard of non-submersible units before, it sounds intriguing and a little like the ‘beats’ that writers of books and screenplays talk about.
Clouds cleared and the gates of writer’s heaven opened up with this article!
Thank you so much, this is exactly what I’ve been missing in my writing. Knowing exactly how to get to my point without sounding like a robot.
Bryan,
Great article….nice examples…..I am going to bookmark it right away.
Faisal
Good to hear Faisal
This formulas really caught my attention. I think I will be getting better after this wonderful experience I am getting from this article. This is really a new dawn for my writing. I really appreciate this ideas on writing formulas that works.