You may not have heard of Claude Hopkins. But you’ll certainly have read some words that he influenced. After all, this is one of the most influential copywriters of all time.
He was so good at what he did that David Ogilvy once said that no one should have anything to do with advertising until they’ve read Scientific Advertising, Hopkins’ book, seven times. And if it was good enough for Ogilvy, who is perhaps history’s most famous advertiser, then it’s surely good enough for you.
The book was written way back in 1923, so not far off a century ago. Yet, the book remains highly relevant. After all, while the products and services being sold may have changed, the public hasn’t, not really.
We’re more similar to the people who lived one hundred years ago (and further back) than many of us think.
While we recommend that you read the book yourself, we thought it’d be a good idea to pull some of the best copywriting lessons Hopkins lays out in his groundbreaking text.
Take a read, incorporate them into your own copywriting, and you might just find that your engagement goes up.
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Power of the People
Hopkins was a believer in the power of the crowd, and you should be too. While your readers will pay attention to what you have to say, they also know that you have a vested interest in believing in your products or services.
Other people, those not connected to your company, do not. A new reader will pay more attention to your text on your website, for example, if it comes with a recommendation from other people. A testimonial can go a long way.
Incidentally, Hopkins wrote this one hundred years ago, and modern research has shown him to be correct.
Studies have shown that people are as likely to trust the thoughts of a stranger as much as they trust a recommendation from a friend or family member.
It’s a Science
You can approach copywriting without having data and insights by your side. But the chances of your copy being successful will be severely reduced.
Hopkins used to gather as much intelligence as he could, both before and after he wrote his copy. The data he found beforehand would shape his content. The data he gathered after would tell him how effectively he had done his job.
This was a laborious experience in 1923. Today, it couldn’t be easier, especially if your copy is used online. You should have access to a whole host of metrics that’ll tell you what worked and what didn’t.
There’s a space in copywriting for instinct and creativity, but the driving force should always be data. (see also: Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets)
Inspire Action
You can write thousands of words about your product or service. But if there’s nothing in your copywriting that inspires action, then the effectiveness of the text will be limited.
When you’re crafting your text, think about what action you want your readers to take. You might want them to buy your product. You might want them to sign up for your newsletter.
You may just want to think in a new way. Whatever it is, the action prompt should be present throughout the text.
A simple way to do this is to emphasize the benefits of them taking the desired action and the consequences of them not doing it. That alone can help to guide your call to action (see also:
Tap Into Desires, Don’t Create Them
You may be able to create desire in your customers. But truthfully, that’ll be an extremely difficult and time-consuming act. It’s pretty difficult to get plant desires in the people closest to others; doing it to a stranger, just via words, seems almost impossible.
Remember that you’re not trying to manufacture a new desire in your customers. You’re just trying to tap into an existing desire. You can’t force people to feel something.
When you’re putting together your copy, think about what your customers already want, and then sprinkle those desires throughout your text. This isn’t only the effective route to take — it’s one that’ll be much easier to achieve, too.
Be Authentic
You can’t fake authenticity. There’s only one way to do it truthfully — be authentic! Copywriting can push us to be a little formal and stiff.
While it can read well, the formality can come across as a bit distant. And ultimately, that hurts the message. It puts a wall up between you and your reader.
Hopkins believed in writing in a similar manner as we talk to friends. You’re not giving a speech at the UN; you’re talking to someone.
Hopkins argued that “brilliant writing” should not exist in advertising. You’re not trying to dazzle your reader with the level of your writing skills; you can save that for your personal creative projects!
A good tip for achieving the conversational kind of chat is to actively read it out loud. If it doesn’t sound like something that you — or anyone — else would say in real life, then put it in the bin. (see also: Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience)
Aim It At One Person
Copywriters run into trouble when they begin thinking that they’re writing for everyone. If you’re writing with a sea of people in your mind, then you won’t be in the right headspace to write well. Instead, look at writing with just one person in mind.
It’s a handy little trick that will help to keep you focused, rather than having the “blurred view” that Hopkins says happens when we’re trying to write for a crowd.
You might have one person in mind already. But it can be extremely beneficial to write with one generic person in mind; your “buyer persona.”
You should create your buyer persona during the market research stage of your company development. They can be the one you keep in mind when you’re sitting down to write.
Remove The Risk
Copywriters aren’t mind readers. You don’t know what’s going to work with your intended audience every single time. And in fact, you probably shouldn’t even try to figure it out on your own! Hopkins was a big believer in testing.
Before he sent his copy out into the world, he wanted to know what would be effective. He’d hold tests, ask for feedback, and then make adjustments based on what he heard.
That’s probably beyond the scope of most copywriters, but they do have another, much-better tool at their disposal: data.
We live in a data-driven world. How did your previous copy perform? Where was the engagement? Just by taking a look at what’s worked previously, you can help to shape the direction of your copy.
To learn more about how to test your copy, check out “Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results.“
Using Images
The words are going to be the main part of your copywriting. But they can’t do everything. Or rather, they don’t have to do everything. It’s not only what you say but how you present what you say.
Hopkins was a believer in using images, graphs, and other visually engaging materials in his work, and you should do too. He thought of images as independent salespeople that can tell a story all on their own.
All good copy needs an image, and just any image, but a high-quality, relevant image. There are plenty of free stock websites that offer high-quality photographs if you don’t want to pay for a subscription.
Don’t Overdo It
You can’t drag someone to do something they don’t want to do, not through copy. If you push too hard (or, to put it another way, act too “salesy”), then you’ll likely find that engagement with your text goes down.
Hopkins believed, correctly, that ultimately people are going to do what they want to do. If they have no interest in buying your product, then no amount of sales text will do it for them.
And you may actually lose some customers if you act too salesly. You don’t need to go too hard! (see also: Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy)
Make a Convincing Argument
Ultimately, your writing is there to convince someone to do something in which they already have a prior interest. So make your best argument.
If they’re willing to be convinced, then it’ll be on you if you are unable to present an argument that gets them to take action.
Before you begin writing, make a list of all your best points — and then make sure that you’re inserting them into your copy. They won’t do you or anyone else any good if you decide to leave them on the table.
Final Thoughts
We may not live in the same world as Hopkins lived in when he wrote Scientific Advertising. But the core human experience is still pretty much the same.
And it’s for this reason that the book still holds so much power and sway. Indeed, the leading marketers still look to Hopkins — and Ogilvy too — when they’re creating their advertisements.
And if you have any doubts about the effectiveness of his advice, just give them a try! You’ll likely find that the quality of your copywriting goes through the roof, and that can only be positive.
(For more insights from pioneering advertisers, see also: 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier)
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