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Home::Copywriting

Writing To Overpower Your Competition

Author : Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston © 2005 http://www.learn-copywriting.com

"We don't have any competition. We're a truly a one-of-a-kind
company." I've heard that line from clients for years. I wish it
were true, but it's simply not. In fact, it wouldn’t matter if
you held a monopoly on your particular product or service; you'd
still have competition. How? Because your competition doesn't
come from a singular source.

There may be no other businesses that sell the product or
service you sell, but you still have competition. Once that's
understood you have a greater advantage when it comes to
copywriting. You can recognize the other options your customers
have before them and can position yourself as the only logical
choice.

Know Who Your Competition Is

Competition comes from a variety of sources. Yes, there are
those who sell the same things you sell, but there competition
comes in other forms, too.

The Same But Different

Charitable organizations are a good example of "same but
different." Your group may be the only one raising funds to save
the purple spotted toad of northern Antarctica but that doesn't
mean you'll receive a flood of contributions from everyone you
call. Why? Because there are a million and a half other
charitable organizations out there all vying for the same money
from the same people.

None of these other groups is trying to raise funds to save the
purple spotted toad of northern Antarctica, but they are trying
to get individuals to donate to their causes. That makes them
all your competition.

How do you get around this problem? Assuming your traffic
generating efforts or your mailing list is highly targeted,
you'll want to make a strong case for this little toad. In your
copy, let the readers know why the purple spotted toad is
important to the environment (he's the only toad in existence
that carries antibodies that can cure cancer). Tell them why the
world would be a much sadder place without our bouncing little
friend. (In addition to being the only purple toad in the world,
this guy is the only food the frosty wilder beast will eat so
he's vital to the food chain).

Just like with any other type of copywriting, list the benefits
of the purple spotted toad. Why is he important to nature, how
will the ecology suffer with his demise and what will happen to
the rest of Antarctica if he becomes extinct? All of these are
vital to convincing your audience that they should favor you
with their contributions instead of some other organization.

Everyone In the Search Results

Go to your favorite search engine and type in "copywriting
course" (without the quotes). What do you see? There are a lot
of options listed on the search results page. Are all these
products the same? By all means no!

Some are live workshops, others are e-courses, some focus
strictly on one type of copywriting leaving all others by the
wayside, some are correspondence courses while others are
downloadable. But because they all appear in response to the
query "copywriting course," they all have the potential to take
sales away. Even if your site falls into the coveted #1
position, the others on the page could potentially grab some of
your sales.

So how do you get surfers to click on your site's listing? Your
title and description have to be first rate.

If your copywriting course has a specialty (sales letters,
search engines, catalogs, etc.) say so. Choose the most powerful
benefit and a way to set yourself apart (your USP) and use those
in the tags for your search results along with your keyphrases.
Simply having keywords in your title and description might get
you ranked with the engine but it sure won't entice anybody to
click to your site.

Other Options

There are options and substitutes for practically everything in
the world. If people don't want to pay for a computer and
Internet access so they can send email, they can write letters
or call their friends and family. If customers decide the cost
of groceries is out of control, they can plant a garden and eat
a vegetarian diet. There are even alternatives to cars: taking a
cab (as most do in New York), bicycling (very popular in London)
or walking (great exercise). All of these alternatives can be
competition for you.

To overcome the pull of other options, when you write copy be
sure emphasize why those other options really aren't viable. The
sheer act of writing letters takes time in and of itself. Then
you have to mail the letter and wait. If the person wants to
respond, they have to get motivated enough to sit down and write
a reply and mail it. Then you wait again. The phone? Yes, people
could use the phone to talk like they always have, but what
about when you want to show the person you're talking with
something? A picture of your new grandchild or your new car
can't be shown over the phone. You get the idea.

Drop the egotistical viewpoint that you have no competition and
take a good, hard look around. Once you've realized that there
is always an alternative to buying what you offer, you'll be in
a better mindset to write copy that outlines why yours is the
only option the prospect should consider.


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