A couple days ago I wrote about the formula I discovered in Russell Brunson’s DotCom Secrets book…
Who-What-Why-How. It’s a formula he uses for landing page video scripts, as well as other important first-conversion and lead generation copy.
Just a refresher, Brunson’s formula is to answer each of these questions for your website visitor:
— Who is this that’s speaking to me?
— What are they offering, what’s in it for me?
— Why should I care, why should I engage with them?
— How do I get what they’re offering?
I also wrote that I misunderstood the formula at first, and I thought the “Who” was actually to call out your target market. That is, to tell your reader that they are in the right place.
And so, before you answer Brunson’s questions, you might want to answer “Who is this for?”
Well, that was all well and good, but a reader of mine, Scott Mills, turned it around on me…
He said that the essay was valuable, but he’d like to see examples of this in action. That it’s one thing to teach what to do, but another to show how to do it.
I told him it was a fair enough criticism.
And I agreed to demonstrate this in action in an upcoming essay.
Well, here we are!
I’m actually going to work from imaginary products here. Or at least, products which I’m not actively involved in selling.
I figure by mixing up, I can hopefully show the broad utility of this formula, and give you some ideas for how to adapt and apply it to your business.
Also, I’m including some context for the offer before the copy, as well as what I’m doing in each section in [brackets] so you can see it better.
Example 1: Mortgages for first-time home buyers
Industry: Real estate, mortgages
Prospect: First time home buyers
Main Product: Mortgage
Landing Page Offer: Guide to getting the right first mortgage for you.
Copy:
[Who] Before you go shopping for your first home — an important message!
[Who] Hi, I’m Nancy Jones with First Mortgage Bank, and I specialize in helping first-time home buyers here in Lincoln, Nebraska get just the right mortgage for them.
[What] I’ve put together all my best tips and tricks — and the biggest mistakes to avoid — into a handy guide for first time home buyers.
[Why] It covers how to get the best rate, even if you don’t have the best credit. How to understand your mortgage paperwork and the payments you’ll be expected to make. It answers common questions many borrowers have. And, it helps you avoid mistakes that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars on your new home mortgage.
[How] The guide is yours, free and without obligation. Simply fill out the form on the right, and I’ll give you a download right away. You can also check the box that says “mail me a copy” and we’ll get one out in tomorrow’s mail, at the latest.
Example 2: All-natural cat food
Industry: Cats
Prospect: Health- and environmentally-conscious cat owners
Main Product: All-natural cat food
Landing Page Offer: Guide to understanding your cat’s diet, and a free bowl-full of our all-natural cat food.
Copy:
[Who] You care about what you put into your body — do you show the same concern for your cat’s health?
[Who] I’m Faith Black of The Cat’s Meow All-Natural Cat Food Company. And I’ve made it my life’s mission to help all cats eat a healthier diet.
[What] Some people think of cats as “just pets” and so they don’t care what they feed them. Not me, and I imagine not you, either. I think if more people understood what they were really feeding their cats, they would make a better decision about the cat food they buy. That’s why I put together a guide to understanding cat food ingredients. You can use what you learn to pick up any box, bag, or can of cat food and understand how healthy and nutritious it would be for your cat. And I’d like to send that guide to you with a complimentary free bowl of our all-new, all-natural cat food for your cat to enjoy while you go through my food guide.
[Why] I want to help your cat lead a healthier, happier, longer life. And that begins with making good, informed decisions about what your cat is eating every day. My guide will go a long way to you being able to help your cat have the best healthy and nutritious diet. And the free bowl of our all-new, all-natural cat food will help you see how happy your cat can be with really good food.
[How] I’ll send you the guide and free bowl of cat food — all I ask is that you pay a minimal shipping charge to help us offset that cost. Click the button below to place your order now.
Example 3: Training for information technology (IT) professionals
Industry: IT/Computers
Prospect: Individual IT professionals who want to improve their careers
Main Product: IT training subscription
Landing Page Offer: How to get ahead in your IT career
Copy:
[Who] Attention: IT professionals in search of greater career success
[Who] My name is Tyler Stevens, and I was once maybe a lot like you. A struggling IT professional. I’d gotten a few certifications. I’d gotten a gig in tech support. And I thought I was on my way to earning a sold six-figure income, working with the technology I’d always loved. Then, I hit a dead-end. I couldn’t get the better jobs. Until I discovered 5 simple secrets that helped me shoot up the IT career ladder. And before I quit IT to share these secrets with others, I landed a top-paying gig as IT director, working on a million-dollar plus network with over a dozen IT staff under me.
[What] I’ve put together a quick video where I share my 5 simple secrets for IT career success. These aren’t just from figuring out what to do on my own. When I was IT director, I hired IT pros. I also fired some. I figured out what makes you a great candidate for the best jobs, and what will rule you out instantly.
[Why] When you get my 5 simple secrets for IT career success, you will almost immediately be put on a better career trajectory. You’ll recognize roadblocks that have been holding you back. You’ll spot opportunities to quickly make more money. And before long, you may be headed to the top of your IT department, too. (And yeah, maybe that means you’re the top geek — you don’t have to go into IT management like I did!)
[How] All you have to do to get instant access to this video is to enter your name and email address below. Zero cost. Zero obligation. Just enter your information and it’s yours.
Does this help?
I did this quick, and it was totally off the top of my head. What I hope you see here (and will understand further with deeper study) is that you don’t have to directly go through each section and answer each question.
Rather, you simply want to make sure you’re including each element, at the appropriate point in the copy.
I would imagine if you’re in any of these markets, that hopefully even this first draft copy was a bit appealing to you!
And if you’re not, at least you have a compelling example of how to apply this formula in some very different situations.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
