Issue #140
Yesterday I sent you my first all-new Copy Insiders issue in a while… and it was all about something many up-and-coming copywriters have little experience with: SIDEBARS!
I explained WHY you should master the art of writing sidebars… and how to approach writing them like a seasoned pro.
I also mentioned there were 9 types of sidebars you can use in any promotion that will help boost its selling power exponentially…and explained the first two types, using my highly-successful CircO2 control as a teaching example.
(If you happened to miss this latest issue, you can read it here on my blog!)
Well, I’m back ‘atcha now with the 7 other types of sidebars. That’s right, you’re getting TWO back-to-back, all-new Copy Insiders issues in two days.
Look, I knew you were probably losing sleep about those 7 other sidebars, after I opened that loop and didn’t close it. So I’m closing it now, baby!
I got so inspired after writing yesterday’s issue, I ended up putting together a special training session on “Sensational Sidebars” for my Fast Track to A-List copywriting mentees this morning.
And now, I’m going to give you a lightning-quick overview. Since I already covered the first two types of sidebars yesterday–the Problem sidebar and the Credibility sidebar–we’ll get started with the third type of sidebar…
I call it the “benefit” sidebar. And you can definitely have more than one of these in your promo. The idea behind it is to expand on a specific benefit that’s discussed within the main letter copy…and put the spotlight on it.
Let’s look at an example from my aforementioned CircO2 control…
In this sidebar, I’m showcasing a “side benefit” that offers broad appeal to the target prospect…in this case, enhanced sexual performance and “toe-tingling” satisfaction. While this benefit is also covered in the main letter copy, when I feature it in a sidebar it gives it greater prominence.
It also provided the opportunity to highlight the “speed of result” claim behind the product that’s in the main headline on the front cover and mentioned in the running copy multiple times.
Unlike the first two types of sidebars I shared with you yesterday–which appeared in the promo before the product had started to be discussed or mentioned, this sidebar appears after the product is being introduced. That’s why, from this point on, all the sidebars have “mini-closes” at the end of each sidebar.
In this “mini-close”, I tell the prospect exactly how to order and play up the bonus gift and fast-response bonus (free shipping), the latter of which builds urgency.
Now let’s look at the 4th type of sidebar. I call it the “product” sidebar. It’s something every supplement promo should have, since you can put in the ingredient list. But you should go beyond that and make the most of it…
I make the most of this sidebar by highlighting the “no bad stuff” features (i.e., gluten-free, no ingredients from China, etc.)
Plus I make the prospect start to think about the need to order more than 1 box due to the “recommended use” copy. I also use the product visual to present the “best deal” option versus simply putting in a single box photo.
Now let’s move on to the 5th type of sidebar: the “FAQ” sidebar.
Again, all of these sidebars can and should be included on online sales pages as well as direct mail print promos. When using them online, you may need to keep them short and ensure they work with responsive design (readability on phones and tablets) without interrupting the flow of your promo too much.
For an FAQ sidebar in an online sales page, it’s something you could put at the end of the sales page or video sales letter (VSL) for those who still aren’t convinced to buy.
Let’s look at the FAQ sidebar from my CircO2 promo…
Each of these questions have been carefully positioned to do at least one of the following:
1) Play up a benefit or key feature
2) Overcome a potential objection
You always want the LAST question in an FAQ sidebar to include a call to action, telling the prospect exactly what to do in order to get started. Notice I also use this opportunity to restate the guarantee and thus remove the risk of ordering.
Now let’s move on to the sixth type of sidebar. I call it the “Quality” sidebar…
Here you can play up any unique manufacturing, quality control, ingredient sourcing, or other features that differentiate your product or company…no matter what the product is.
And if there isn’t that much that’s unique, you can use the “strategy of pre-eminence” that Jay Abraham talks about to make your product or company seem superior to the competition.
The other goal of this sidebar is to build belief and trust at a crucial point in the promo. The same is true of the seventh type of sidebar: the “testimonial” sidebar…
As I’ve done in this promo, you can have a big two-page sidebar (with some kind of benefit-oriented headline that brings the prospect into the picture). Or you can have multiple shorter testimonial sidebars…and/or single testimonial inset boxes.
I always like to add mini-subheads above each testimonial to feature a key benefit and to appeal to scanners. It’s also important to end each longer testimonial sidebar with call-to-action copy.
Alright, let’s move on the eighth type of sidebar, and perhaps one of the most important for ANY promo–print or online: the “guarantee” sidebar…
At a glance this guarantee spotlights the guarantee (which should also be clearly stated in the close section of your main letter) at a key decision point in the promo. The certificate-like border and guarantee “name” make it seem more official while removing the risk of ordering.
See how the gold seal graphic makes it seem even more official. And the product spokesperson who the main letter is coming from is also signing off on the guarantee, and her headshot photo further helps build trust.
Now let’s look at the ninth type of sidebar: the “offer summary” sidebar…
This “sidebar” is really the page that faces the order form. It’s best used for summarizing your offer, especially if you have multiple options.
You always want to lead with (and put the most emphasis on) the “Best value” or “best deal” option in order to help boost average order value (AOV). You also want to use this page to remind the prospect of any bonus gifts and time-sensitive bonsues in order to build urgency.
Be sure to tell them EXACTLY how to order, especially if you have more than one way to do so (this version of my CircO2 promo is older–I wrote it nearly 5 years ago–so it still includes a fax option).
Whew, that felt more like a marathon than a sprint through the different types of sidebars. There’s still much more to learn about this topic, but this gives you a great overview…and hopefully sparks some ideas for your next promo!