The HIGH-PERFORMANCE Copywriting checklist that

never, EVER LETS UP!

FACTS ON PRODUCT OR SERVICE

Is there any previous information on this product/service? If so,

review:
Tear sheets of previous ads __________________________

Brochures ___________________________________________

Catalogs _____________________________________________

Article Reprints _____________________________________

Technical papers _____________________________________

Copies of speeches ___________________________________

Audio/visual scripts _________________________________

Press Kits ___________________________________________

Swipe files of competitor’s ads ______________________

______________________________________________________

Website addresses selling similar products/services

___________________________________________________

o ______________________________________________
o ______________________________________________
o ______________________________________________
Market/RESEARCH Questions

1. Who in the heck am I writing to?

Occupation _________________________________________

Age range __________________________________________

Sex ________________________________________________

Personality aspects ________________________________

____________________________________________________

Political views ____________________________________

Location ___________________________________________

Beliefs about themselves ___________________________

____________________________________________________

Problems they face _________________________________

____________________________________________________

2. What do I want them to do as a result of reading the copy?

3. What is it about this product/service that the market is invested

in emotionally?

4. What emotional benefit will they experience as a result of using

this product/service?
Satisfy curiosity Save time Avoid effort Gain pleasure. Enhance
how? enjoyment
Be in style Be successful Make work easier Protect your Renew vigor and
family energy
Get rid of aches Be liked Be loved Satisfy their ego Win affection and
and pains admiration
Feel important Improve sex Be recognized Enahnce leisure Overcome
appeal obstacles
Gain social Be proud of your Resist being Gain self-respect Be among the elite
 acceptance “stuff” dominated

Stop worrying Escape shame Protect reputation One-up others Add fun to life
Work less Live better Avoid criticism Avoid money Avoid trouble
troubles

5. What problem am I solving for them?

6. What are they most worried about? What’s the dominating thought
in their mind that keeps them up at night? (imagine them NOT sleeping…)

7. What problem are they attempting to solve? (is it a health related problem? a
money problem? a relationship problem?)

8. What do they complain about? (what do they not have enough of? What do they have
too much of?)

9. What trends are occurring in their lives and businesses? (in their
industry, is there more money than there was a few years ago? What’s my source? Are people losing
jobs and their livelihood?)

10. Are they angry about something? Are they pissed at themselves
for NOT doing something? Are they pissed at someone else for what
they did, or DIDN’T do to/for them?

11. What kind of mistakes are they making right now that the
product/service can help them with?

12. Aside from the product, what is REALLY being sold here?
13. What emotional triggers could be used to sell this product?
(other websites/media selling similar product/service)
(vanity, curiosity, anger, guilt, sadness, pride, wit, happiness, exhaustion, desperation, envy, lust, fear
,stupidity, insecurity, revenge, loneliness, sympathy, embarrassment,, confidence…)

14. What are the features/FACTS of your product/service? (don’t

leave anything out…)

15. Now, what do each of these features do for someone?

16. Now, what emotional need the market has do these benefits
satisfy?
Satisfy curiosity Save time Avoid effort Gain pleasure. Enhance
how? enjoyment
Be in style Be successful Make work easier Protect your Renew vigor and
family energy
Get rid of aches Be liked Be loved Satisfy their ego Win affection and
and pains admiration
Feel important Improve sex Be recognized Enahnce leisure Overcome
appeal obstacles
Gain social Be proud of your Resist being Gain self-respect Be among the elite
acceptance “stuff” dominated

Stop worrying Escape shame Protect reputation One-up others Add fun to life
Work less Live better Avoid criticism Avoid money Avoid trouble
troubles

17. What methods, approaches, and sales techniques is the competition

using successfully? (get amazon.com and clickbank.com top sellers for this…)

18. Can I tie the copy into some news event? (Yahoo headlines, MSNBC.com
headlines, etc.)

19. Can I tie my copy to some holiday or seasonal event?

20. How can I make readers “experience” the benefits of the

product/service? (tune in the five senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, taste, or feeling…)
HEADLINE
21. What can I say here to immediately get the market’s attention?

22. What are their biggest problems? And how can I solve it?

23. How can I focus my efforts 100% on my customer’s wants?

24. What is their biggest negative feeling they want to change

25. What do they REALLY want and how can I help them?

26. Write at least 25 headlines for the product:

(utilize templates, “swipe” file)

BODY COPY

OPENING

27. What’s the story behind the product or seller? Can that be used
here?

28. How can I establish “empathy” right from the get-go? How can I
show, not tell, that I know what my prospects are feeling and going
through?

29. What style of writing/copy formula could be used here?

Problem-Agitation-Solution
Fortunetelling – (predicting bad time if you DON’T buy the
product)
Winners and Losers
Portrayed as an expert/better positioning in the market/high
prestige

30. Have a created a picture/atmosphere of the prospect enjoying the

benefits of the product/service AFTER they’ve bought it?
31. What are the “hidden benefits” of the product? How can I address
them that really grabs the prospect’s attention and imagination?

32. What is the interesting “hook” or story here?

33. Do the subheads support the main idea/headline?

34. Have I created a clear “voice” intended to connect with my

specific audience? (Ex.-If I’m writing to women, writing in a man’s “macho” tone won’t
work…)

Credibility

35. Have I included results-based testimonials (if applicable?)

36. Are there enough proof elements to prove I am credible to my

prospects?

37. Is there anything in the copy that DOES NOT add credibility?

38. For each testimonial have I included the person’s picture, full
name, city/state of residence, phone number or website if available?

39. If I’ve included specific results via testimonials, have I also

included the typical results a customer should expect? (IAW the FTC
results effective Dec 1, 2009)

40. What can be used near the top of the copy to generate interest
and readership? (grabber, picture, video, etc.)

41. Have I included visual elements (arrows, pointers, copydoodles)

to drive my reader to take action?
42. Do I have enough proof elements (testimonials, news findings,
factoids, third-party quotes, screen shots, case studies, interviews,
videos, etc.?)

43. What is my damaging admission? (What does the prospect need to

know about me/the seller to feel more at ease with buying?)

44. How is my double readership path – have I emphasized benefits in

the subheads and bold type throughout the copy?

45. Have I included “trust seals” (such as the Hacker Safe logo, HONESTeOnline, the
BBB seal, etc.?) to add more credibility for the internet?

46. Is the transition to talking about my product smooth and easy?

47. Am I using an easy to use font (Trebuchet MS, Courier New, Georgia,
Times New Roman, Verdana, or Arial Unicode MS/)

Bullets

48. Ensure the bullets create curiousity and AMPLIFY the benefits of
using the product/service.

Who’s it’s for/who it’s not for

49. Make sure I don’t sell the wrong thing to the wrong people. And
make sure I’m attracting the people I WANT to attract.

50. Give them an opportunity to look inside themselves, re-validate

why and what they’re buying.

51. Eliminate competition if necessary.

Making/closing the sale/the offer

52. REMEMBER - Focus on what I’m “giving” my prospect. And if

they’ve made it this far, they want what I’m offering and have made up
in their minds that I can provide it for them. So, it’s better I give
them what they WANT, not what they think they need.

53. What is the asking price of the product? Is it explained early

in the copy?

54. What type of positioning tactic can I use here?

Limited-number available/ raise price after certain number sold
Premium(s) (bonus for buying)
Deadline (must by before _____)
Discount for fast response
You can only buy if…
Most will buy (bandwagon effect)
Sell money at a discount

55. Web copy: Have I given the prospect minimum 3 times to press the
order button?

56. How can I make the price “sweeter”?

Compare apples to oranges (promote value of unrelated
service/product)
Sell bulk
Make the parts worth more than the whole
Conceal the actual price (split up payments)
Sell the price up front (ego appeal/positioning)

57. Have I included Paypal and credit card logos near the primary
call to action so my prospects know what forms of payment I accept?

58. If I’m selling a money-making product or business opportunity, do

I have the appropriate income earning disclaimers present?
GUARANTEE
59. Do I offer a guarantee? Can I make it stronger?
Basic money-bank guarantee
Refund, but keep the premium
FREE trial offer/ $1 dollar offer
Make the GUARANTEE the primary focus of the letter

60. Does my guarantee support my offer? Do they conflict?

61. Also, how can I make the guarantee more VALUABLE to the prospect?
They need to understand they’re making a mistake if they don’t buy
from me.

P.S.
62. What could I add based on the benefits of the product to sweeten
the pot?

63. Is there an ego element I can emphasize here?

Final pre-launch checklist

64. READ COPY OUT LOUD.

Headline: Clear, concise, benefit-oriented

Sub head: Clear, benefits oriented and expands on headline
First paragraph: Does it tell the prospect from the beginning
“What’s in it for me?”
Body copy: Good flow, subheads, testimonials, graphics with captions)
Close: Is it clear and specific on how to order? Does it give clear
instructions on what to do next?
Guarantee: Review to ensure all risk is removed from the prospect
P.S. – Does it re-emphasize the offer? Does it include another call-to-
action?