While a picture may be worth a 1,000 words, good copywriting could be worth thousands of dollars! The words you use in your marketing emails will impact the results you get. That’s why professional copywriters are always looking for the right words to use, words that will get the readers to take action. But a smart copywriter knows that before they start writing copy they have to answer a few important questions.

Ask yourself these five questions:

1) Who am I writing for?

2) What is the mindset of my audience?

3) What are the challenges they are facing?

4) What action do I want readers to take as a result of my email? (visit my site, buy my book, sign up for a free consultation, etc.)

5) What do I want them to feel or think after reading my email?

When you have the answers to these questions, you are ready to start writing. Here are some of the tricks of the trade.

Remember it’s “You” not “we” – I know a copywriter who has a printout of these words in large block letters in his cubicle. He’s a great writer and has been at it for 20 years, but he still needs to be reminded of this number one rule for copywriting.

The key here is that it’s all about your audience, not about you. That should be reflected in the words you use. The word “you” is proven to be one of the most effective because your audience is asking, “what’s in it for me?” Look for opportunities to use “you” (without going overboard). Avoid sentences with we or I, like “We are excited to announce” or “I can’t wait to tell you about our new product.” Instead, lead with how it benefits them, for example, “You’ll save time and money when you…”

Use power words & avoid weak words – Other words that copywriters use often (because they work) are exciting, new, introducing, discover, uncover, top-notch, and exclusive. The thesaurus tool in Word comes in handy if you need to find some different options. Your words should excite, entice, and engage your readers. Be strong and confident in your communication and avoid words like maybe, try, hope, wish and perhaps.

Make your copy visually appealing – Most readers scan before they commit to reading. Make it easy for them to find the important information by using:

• Short paragraphs
• Subheads
• Bold and underline
• Bullet points

For a few more ideas, you can read this article from Business Know-How.