John Caples established himself as one of the greatest direct marketing copywriters around. As a young copywriter, he wrote “They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano…”, which became probably one of the most famous ads of all time.
In his book Making Ads Pay (published in 1957 & now out of print) he revealed a 7-point proven checklist. By asking himself these questions, Caples cranked out successful copy time and again. As you’ll see below, his questions refer to ads, but they apply to many communication mediums in today’s marketing world – from direct mail letters to online sales pages.
Ask yourself these questions when you review your content:
1. Does your ad attract the right audience?
2. Does your ad hold the audience?
3. Does your copy create desire?
4. Do you prove it is a bargain?
5. Do you establish confidence (credibility)?
6. Do you make it easy to act?
7. Do you give prospects a reason to act at once?
John Caples died at the age of 90. Like his fellow veteran direct marketing copywriters, the late Gene Schwartz and Gary Halbert, his copywriting tips are timeless.
Whether you’re writing a marketing brochure or Web content, follow this 7-point checklist when you’re reviewing your copy and put Caples’ keys to success to work for you.
Have a copywriting pointer you’ve achieved success with? Feel free to share it in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.
