Your favorite blogs and newsletters probably all have something in common… they probably feel like they were written directly to you.
There's just something more appealing, more personal, to a message that says "you" instead of "you guys." And it doesn't matter that we know the message is going out to hundreds or even thousands of other people.
That's why one of the "rules" in copywriting is to remember that you're writing to an individual. There may be many individuals, but each one will read your message separately. And they will respond to feeling worth your personal attention.
That's why, when you use an autoresponder, it's good to take time to set up the "Dear" function to add a name. And, if you've collected the information, take it a little farther and mention their city, their subdivision, or even their job.
Today's technology makes it easy.
But don't stop there. Create your entire message as if it had been written just for them.
How to write to just one person:
If you're writing to people you don't know yet, hopefully you know something about them, so you can make up someone in your mind. Some copywriters even cut out a magazine picture of someone who looks like their client's "ideal prospect." Then they post it on their monitor so they can see who they're talking to.
If you know someone personally who fits the profile of the person you're writing to, put them firmly in your mind and then write to them. Go so far as to write "Dear George and Sue," and then write the letter to them.Some writers "trick themselves" into the correct writing mode by beginning the letter with personal comments that they'll delete later.
Now talk to them like you would if you were sitting across the table. You wouldn't sound stiff and formal, and you wouldn't say things like "People like you." No, you'd say "you" instead. Assuming that you have pretty good language skills or you wouldn't be in real estate sales, simply write like you talk. Far too many good messages are ruined in an attempt to be either too formal or too grammatically correct.
Give plenty of thought to the person who will read your message. And don't try to create a "one size fits all" letter - because one size will end up fitting no one.
Image courtesy of Dreamstine.
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