Issue #139
Perhaps you’ve mastered how to write killer headlines… sizzling-hot emails… powerful leads… intriguing bullets… and persuasive closes.
But if you’re like many copywriters who cut their teeth strictly on online platforms, you may not have a clue about writing SIDEBAR copy.
You may not know there are specific strategies for writing sidebars (they’re not just there to fill empty space in a direct mail promo). You may not know they can be used effectively on sales pages as well.
Heck, maybe you don’t even know what a sidebar is!
Well, we’re going to take care of that starting with today’s Copy Insiders issue.
That’s because I want to tell you WHY you should master the art of writing sidebars…how to approach writing them like a seasoned pro…and the 9 types of sidebars you can use in any promotion that will help boost its selling power exponentially.
We’ve got a lot to cover…so buckle up, buttercup!
As a teaching example, I’m going to use a direct mail magalog I recently received in my mailbox. I’ve seen it at least once every month or so for the past 4+ years, so I know it’s a strong control.
…Oh wait, it’s one of MY controls!
I’m talking about my long-running CircO2 promo for Advanced Bionutritionals…
(I do an in-depth 90-minute+ breakdown on this highly successful control, along with 5 more long-running controls + 2 bonus breakdowns, in my Million-Dollar Controls master class. You can find out more here and use the coupon code WIKM300 to save $300 for a limited time.)
Alright, let’s get started with our mini-master class on the lost art of writing sidebars. Let’s take a look at the front cover…
I originally wrote this promo for CircO2, a nitric oxide-boosting supplement, back in January 2017 for use as a direct mail magalog. It’s still mailing strong in the same format, with the same control headline and cover we tested into shortly after my original test promo.
And for the past several years, it’s also been used as an online sales page that’s raked in millions of dollars in revenue on Facebook, to house and affiliate email lists, and more.
Did I change a word of the magalog copy to convert it to an online sales page? No…it’s the exact same copy from the direct mail promo. And it’s been working like gangbusters.
What’s more, the same exact direct mail copy has also been successfully turned into a video sales letter (VSL), narrated by the company’s doctor spokesperson. Again, it’s the EXACT same sales letter copy, word for word, from the direct mail magalog I wrote 4+ years ago.
So I just wanted to point these things out to show you that there are few if ANY differences between writing successful copy for direct mail versus online promos.
Except…SIDEBARS!
The other day I was reviewing someone’s sidebar copy and it became clear to me…this person had NO clue why sidebars exist, what the strategy is behind them, and how to write them effectively.
That’s what inspired me to put together today’s issue, and tomorrow’s (assuming I can get to it), and it might have to be continued into next week, who knows?
But knowing how to write sidebars is more important than ever. For one, it teaches you the importance of distilling one key selling message down to the briefest, tightest, most compelling copy possible…something you can apply to other types of sales copy you may write (think sponsorship ads, Facebook or Google ads, etc.)
Second, believe it or not there are many direct response companies who are still having a field day with direct mail magalogs, slim jims, and other print formats…and are looking for copywriters to write them (and many of these clients are willing to pay royalties on top of fat fees).
Third, many smart online marketers have discovered they can take sales pages that have proven successful and convert them into direct mail promos…and profitably mail and reach new audiences they can’t always get to online.
That’s why knowing how to write SIDEBARS can be a highly-profitable skill for you to learn and master.
So let’s get started with…
The 9 Types of Sidebars Every Copywriter Worth His or Her Salt Should Know How to Write!
Let’s just talk first about what I mean by a Sidebar. It’s a type of inset box mini-article that appears within the running copy of a sales letter highlighting ONE specific idea, concept, or selling point.
It’s designed for scanners (almost no one reads your sales letter word-for-word–sorry, Charlie) to stop them in their tracks, make them read something short and inviting, and pull them back into the copy to read further or drive them towards taking the desired action (i.e., “click here” or “turn to page xx” (order form) or “call toll-free etc etc”).
So let’s get to the first few types, and then I’ll continue this with a follow-up issue (or three) in the coming days or weeks.
We’ll start with one of the types of sidebars I like to use fairly early in a promo. It helps agitate the problem further that I’m setting up in the lead or beginning part of the sales letter.
I like to call it the “problem” sidebar.
Let’s take a look at an example from my CircO2 promotion. In this case, I’m agitating the idea that the hidden cause of the stubborn, unexplained, yet all-too-common problems someone is dealing with as a result of “old age” are actually related to a nitric oxide deficiency…
I’m including the whole page from the promo so you can see how, throughout the pages to come, the sidebars are intentionally varied in their placement on the page or spread. You can also see how they are strategically placed at key points in the running sales letter copy to support the messaging.
You can see how this sidebar has ONE purpose: to make the reader think that nitric oxide deficiency may be the root cause of their problems. It doesn’t try to do anything else. (It’s also further supported by the chart graphic that appears below it in the running copy that shows how nitric oxide levels decline with age.)
And rather than have a direct call to action at the end of the sidebar, I often tell the reader to “Keep reading to discover…” whatever salvation or solution I have in store for them. That’s because I haven’t introduced the actual product yet, so it’s premature to have a call to action for it, nor do I want to tip my hand just yet that I’m selling something.
Alright, let’s look at a second type of sidebar. It’s another type of sidebar I like to include early on in a promotion. I call this one the “credibility” sidebar…
In this sidebar, I’m playing up the fact that the discovery of nitric oxide won 3 U.S. scientists a Nobel Prize. That alone is a huge credibility booster that I’m using throughout the promo.
But here I’m also highlighting several well-known, prestigious medical journals in which nitric oxide studies have appeared, leading with the best-known ones. The image of the Nobel Prize as well as the 3 scientists add to the credibility-boosting power of this sidebar.
You can see how I’m able to widen my net by focusing on playing up nitric oxide versus focusing in on one of the much lesser-known and less-studied ingredients in the supplement.
And again, the whole idea at the beginning of this sales letter is to educate the prospect about nitric oxide, convince them a lack of it is causing their health problems, and then offer them a superior and uniquely effective solution for boosting their nitric oxide levels.
Once again, I’m wrapping up the sidebar by telling the prospect to keep reading, rather than prematurely including a call to action when the product has yet to be introduced.
Alright, I’ve got 7 other types of sidebars to explain to you but I’m out of time for today’s issue, so look for that in the coming days and/or next week.
In the meantime, if you’re interested in the other strategies and tactics I used to created this highly-successful promo, you can check out my Million-Dollar Controls master class here (use coupon code WIKM300 to save $300).
I’ll also be back at you this Thursday with a limited-time opportunity to join Chris Orzechowski and I on a live coaching call AND get our popular 3Rs: Royalties, Retainers, and Recurring Revenue course that we’re bringing back better than ever. Stay tuned for all the details!