(Step 6 of "7 Steps to Creating A Kick-Butt Outrageous Deal")

A great Outrageous Deal depends on people getting excited enough to buy it. You've only got about 2 seconds to get people jazzed, and you've only got one chance to make a first impression. You can do this with creative and well thought-out copy.

The purpose of your Outrageous Deal copy is

• To get the next sentence read.
• To get your reader to buy after the last sentence (or sooner)

Therefore, follow these 3 steps in order to create your Killer Headline and Copy:

1. Create A Compelling Headline
2. Crow About Your USP ("Unique Selling Proposition" - don't worry, we'll explain this below....)
3. Tout Testimonials

#1: Create A Compelling Headline

Unless your headline is good, people will never look at your deal.

Here are some headline types to pick from to use for your Outrageous Deal:

Direct Headlines – right to the point without being cute, clever, intriguing or subtle.

• "Buy One Night, get the Second Night Free" (hotel)
• "Haircut, Color, and Blowdry for $20" (hairstylist)

Indirect Headline – adds a bit of mystery that gets a reader to go deeper

• "Get The Ultimate Secret Sauce For Spicing Up Your Relationship" (a gourmet dinner for couples at a local restaurant, complete with a secluded table and violin player)
• "You CAN Teach An Old Dog New Tricks with our Outrageous Deal" (dog trainer, financial services education for the new economy)

"How To" Headline – People are always looking for "How to" do anything…

• "How to play the guitar like Bon Jovi for $10 a lesson" (guitar teacher)
• "Learn How to Build Your Own Deck for Free" (Hardware store giving "how to" classes on popular topics that require product purchases)

The Numbered List Headline – We all love "5 reasons" or "6 ways" for anything. This implies there's a system supporting the headline, that it's easy to do, and that when you're done with the steps or reasons, you've accomplished the goal.

• "7 steps to creating an Outrageous Deal" (hey, you've gotten this far – I guess this headline works!)
• "Discover 8 Surefire Ways to Catch a Trophy Bass" (discount on fishing classes or guided fishing tours)
• "Here are 3 reasons why our cabernet sauvignon is the best in Lake County – or double your money back." (a winery offering a special deal on wine)

A Testimonial Headline – This works really well when you have a local or media celebrity giving you a testimonial, or when someone has written a particularly well-crafted and useful review.

• "I've Had the Best Mexican Feast this Side of Mexico," says Narcai David, KCBS. "So can you!"

#2 Crow About Your USP

How do you differentiate yourself and your deal from other similar businesses in Lake County? By a USP, of course!

What's a USP? A "Unique Selling Proposition" : That one thing you do better, faster, cheaper than anyone else. Or, better yet, you're the only ones offering "that one thing".

Let's look at some possible USP's

• Open 24 hours           
• Same Day Service
• Next Day Delivery
• No Questions Money Back Guarantee
• All Food Locally Grown where possible
• A+++ Credit Rating
• 5 Star Shop Stay Play Rating
• Magnificent View of Mt. Konocti and Clear Lake
• Voted "Best in Lake County" Lake County Stars

#3 Tout Testimonials

Do you have some great reviews shoppers have posted here on Shop, Stay & Play? Take your best ones and put them in your deal copy.

Action Steps

For your "best" deal created in Step 3:

• Write a Compelling Headline using one of the above headline types
• Think of some USP's you can add to spice up your copy
• Find a testimonial about your business you can add to your deal copy

Your Two Cents

• What are some great headlines you've seen and taken action on?
• What are USP's that are important to you for particular types of businesses – say, for restaurants, auto repair shops, etc.?
• What makes a great testimonial?
• What websites have you found that have good articles on copy and headline writing?

Leave a comment below with your answers!



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