Mark Twain’s ultimate copywriting tip

There’s a great quote by Mark Twain, declared by some as “the father of American literature,” that goes like this:

“Don’t use a $5 word when a 50 cent word will do”

What does it mean?

Simple…

Don’t use a long/pretentious/complex word when a simpler, shorter, easier to understand word will do.

First, because the pretentious words make you look like an ass.

And second, because the simpler words are much easier for your reader to understand.

And when it’s easier to understand, the message within those words becomes more more clear.

More effective.

More impactful.

And more persuasive.  

The same is true with your copy.

Many times when I critique a Coaches copy, all I’m doing is simplifying the language.

Either by saying the same thing in less words.

Or using shorter, easier to understand words.

And by doing so, I make their message much stronger.

Following are 2 recent examples where I did this with clients.

Example 1: Lead Magnet Critique

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Everything looks great, [Client Name].

One thing I think can be improved is the name of the lead magnet.

Currently it's, "How to overcome the top 3 objections to sales for female coaches." This sounds like it could be a video training. From experience running a lot of ads, this will increase lead costs.

To fix this, I would position it as a "script" (because that's what it is). By doing this you make it feel more actionable/tangible/easier to use. This will reduce the lead costs.

Finally, I would shorten the name. I think you can say the same thing in less words.  

For example...

I.e. The Female Coaches Objection Handling Script.

Or

The Objection Handling Script

Or

The 3X Objection Handling Script

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See what I did there?

I just took the same thing and made it easier to understand by reducing the words.

Let’s now look at this second example.
Another lead magnet critique.

And, for context, the name of the lead magnet was…

“5 Things You Could Be Ding in the Name of Health that Trigger Binge Eating”
Here we go…

Example 2: Lead Magnet Critique

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Title is a bit too long. It won't fit in a FB ad.

Truncate to something like...

“5 Binge Eating Triggers that Cause a Downspiral”

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Simple, right?

So when you’re critiquing your headlines, your emails, your lead magnets, or landing pages, ask yourself…

How can I simplify this copy?

How can I use shorter words?

And how can I say the same thing with less words?

Do that, and you’ll more than likely increase the response/conversion rate of your marketing materials.

With that being said…

I understand for Coaches not experienced in copywriting, doing the above is easier said than done.

But, unfortunately, it must be done .

Because having a clear, persuasive message is exactly what you need to get clients.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is, that’s exactly why my clients hire me

You see, I can spot message problems like the above from a kilometre away.

Whether the Coach is using complex/fluffy language, or their hook is off, or they’re speaking to frustrations that won’t resonate with the market, or some other fundamental problem - more often than not, I can spot it.

Most important…

I can tell you exactly what to say to fix it.

So…
If you’re looking to get more clients, and you’d like help crafting a more persuasive message, then maybe The Ol’ Aussie Hermit is what you need?

I have a program called “The 15 Minute Client” that takes you through all the fundamentals of getting your message right.

From getting clear on your market, to crafting your offer, to creating a lead magnet that gets quality leads onto your list - it’s all in there.

Along with that, I show you how to turn that list into clients sending one just email per day.

And yes, I critique your emails in the program, too.

To know when spots open next, put your name on the waitlist here:

https://The15MinuteClientWaitlist.com

-Luke Charlton
The Man Cave, Canberra