In a world where we’re constantly being bombarded with stuff to read – social media posts, emails, blog posts, magazines and political endorsements on our neighbors’ lawns – people are reading less and less.
In fact, most people don’t read at all anymore; they scan and skim.
Which is why, when it comes to getting people to actually read your copy, bullets are your best friend.
I’m not talking about bullets that get shot out of guns. I’m talking about those brief yet promising phrases, organized as a list, and preceded by a dash, dot, star or square, that make your copy so much more delightful, powerful and intriguing to read.
Bullets are your buddies because they give you creative and powerful way to:
- catch your readers’ skimming eyes and hook their 3-second attention span.
- spark the interest and desire of your reader.
- make it easy and inviting for people to keep reading.
- showcase the big benefits and fascinating features of your offer or information.
- give people strong, compelling reasons to invest in whatever you’ve got to give.
Notice how the bullets above make that whole mess of words and phrases so much easier and inviting to read. I could have written the same information in one long, text-tight, compound sentence, and you probably would gave glossed over most of it. Or stopped reading altogether. But bullets… they scream, “Read me! I’ll make it worth your while!”
Now, you can’t put any old phrases into a bulleted list and hope to hook or hold your readers’ attention. If you want to captivate, convince and get your clients oooing and ahhhing over your offer or information, you need to know how to write bullets that are promising, specific, brief and intriguing.
So, let’s get to it.
There are a lot of different types of bullets, but two of my favorites are the Big Benefit Bullets and The Fascinating Feature with Big Benefit Bullets. These are the bullets I use the most when writing opt-in pages or sales pages.
The Big Benefit Bullets
If you want a great way to spotlight the take-away benefits of your offer or information, Big Benefit Bullets are the way to go. I love using this kind of bullet right after I introduce an offer, program, product, or what-have-you on a sales page or opt-in page.
Here is an example of how I used this type of bullet on the sales page for my Quickie Copywriting Makeover page:
No matter how sad and rejected your copy may be right now, we’re going to give it the 1-2 punch it needs to:
- Captivate and connect with your ideal clients so they get off the fence, take action and invest in what you have to offer.
- Powerfully communicate your message in a way that’s engaging, authentic and true to you.
- Be convincing without being pushy, manipulative or just plain icky.
- Attract more clients, more opportunities and a lot more money… now and for years to come.
The recipe for this type of bullet is simple. An introductory set-up phrase followed by a bulleted list where each phrase starts with a strong verb and describes either an immediate or far-reaching benefit.
Big Benefit Bullets are all about the end result of whatever you’re talking about. The big take-aways and impressive results. The transformation your client will experience. You want this information to stand out and get read because it answers your readers’ ever-present question, “What’s in it for me?”
Notice… These bullets are not about the process, steps, or details of how those benefits are delivered. Which is what separates the Big Benefit Bullets from…
The Fascinating Feature with Big Benefit Bullets
When you need to communicate the concrete value, uniqueness and must-have qualities of your offer, this type of bullet is the best. It combines a specific (though sometimes mysterious) feature of your offer with a highly promising benefit, expressed in an intriguing way.
Here’s an example:
- The 5-second “under the radar” YouTube hack that can take your video from zero views to viral.
I mean… come on. Don’t you want to know what that hack is? I do! If this bullet was on an opt-in page for a free webinar on YouTube hacks, I would definitely sign up. That’s what this type of bullet is designed to do. Make your offer irresistible.
The recipe for this bullet is:
[Specific yet mysterious feature] + [super compelling benefit]
‘The 5-second “under the radar” YouTube hack’ is the specific yet mysterious feature. The super-compelling benefit is the fact it will ‘take your video from zero views to viral.’
Okay… here’s another example of a great Fascinating Feature with Big Benefits Bullet that follows the same recipe:
- 3 strategies most entrepreneurs completely ignore that will double your income in just 6-months.
And another:
- The 5-step sales page formula that increased my sales by 350% last year alone!
These bullets are ideal for opt-in pages where you need to quickly (and with very little copy) convince someone that they need to sign up now.
Other Bullet Ideas and Recipes
Another bullet recipe that’s always a hit is the How-To Bullet. And the recipe is simple:
How to + [Great Big Benefit(s)]
Here are some examples… each one tailored to a completely different subject, obviously:
- How to stop feeling shy, squirmy and insecure when asking for the sale.
- How to quickly determine whether your business idea is financially sound or destined to flop.
- How to stop bingeing and lose those extra pounds without giving up any of your favorite foods.
NOTE: The “how-to” bullet is basically a Big Benefit Bullet with a “How to” tacked on to the front.
Another popular bullet is the Mistake Bullet. The recipe?
[Big Scary Mistake(s)] + how to avoid it.
An example:
- The 3 most expensive mistakes new business owners make and how to avoid them.
Another bullet I adore is the #1 Thing I Did Bullet. This is where you ignite your reader’s curiosity by promising to reveal “that one thing” you did or discovered that changed everything for the better.
Here’s an example:
- The one tiny shift I made that doubled my income in just 3 months.
So… there you go! Some bullet recipes to help you write attention-grabbing, reader-entrancing, response-inspiring bullets guaranteed to pop up the power, pizzazz and readability of your copy. Have fun playing with these!
In fact, take 5 minutes right now and write a new bullet or two for one of your sales pages or opt-in pages. Use one of the recipes above, and then post your new bullets in the comments below.
Come on! Give it a go. I’ll give you some feedback and you’ll have some new red hot bullets for your copy!