In every client’s mind, their own product or service is legendary. But how can copywriters convey that same momentousness to prospective purchasers so that they just can’t resist buying it?

Conveying a product’s (or service’s) unique selling point (or USP) and benefit to the consumer are crucial to helping your target audience understand why they should make the purchase.

Make the Product or Service Epic

But, at the same time, there’s also another way to help make that product so irresistible and so aspirational that the audience will be all but chomping at the bit to buy it. You need to make this product epic.

Now, the work “epic” is used slangily to mean, essentially, “really super awesome.” And, yes, you’ll be conveying that the product is really super awesome. But the main reason that I use it is for the word’s more classic definition, that of a story of a hero and that hero’s journey.

Tell an Epic Story

To make your client’s product stand out, tell a story about it—and not just any story. An epic.

You’re going to tell the story of how this product came into being and they problems in the world that it fights against. You need to set it up as the hero, railing against a villain or conflict with a goal and a moral.

But wait, before you think I’m looking for an Aesop fable or a Marvel movie (though I kind of am), let me give you an example.

Apple Tells Excellent Epic Stories

All of the Apple products aren’t just products: They’re heroes. Remember that classic ad from 1984 with the all of the grey-clad, conformist people sitting on benches and listening to propaganda about being “the same” and a woman runs in and throws a sledgehammer to smash the screen?

That’s how Apple positions all of its products. They are fighting a war against conformity and malaise. (Whether you believe this is the case or not, that’s their positioning.) Apple urges people to “think different” and rail against sameness. Their hero is their company and their products, the villain is those people (and companies) who would try to lull you with unoriginal, uninspiring technology, and their implied goal is to free the world from that tyranny.

A pretty epic story, right?

But, in the end, it’s just the marketing story for a computer company! It’s a little hard to imagine Dell or Hewlett Packard taking on such an epic story, but they’ve also never tried. Apple’s epic story works because they stand behind it 100%.

So, what’s your client’s (or your client’s product’s) epic story? What is it fighting against? How is it determined to change the world? Telling this story with passion and with complete faith and sincerity can be the key to unlocking a whole new way to set the product apart—and earn unprecedented loyalty from customers.

Is it easy? Of course not. But greatness never is. Tell the epic story and reach for the epic results.

Watch More

As a copywriter, you need to establish your own unique selling point or unique selling proposition (USP) that ells your prospective clients why they should hire you versus any other copywriter. What do you have that no other copywriter brings to the table? In this podcast, Nicki and Kate break down how to write a compelling USP that will make it crystal clear to your prospective clients why you’re the best copywriter for the job.

Your Turn!

What are some of your favorite epic marketing stories for products? Or what are some that have fallen short for you? Let us know in the comments below.

The post How To Distinguish Your Client From the Competition appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

If you’re writing emails as a copywriter, you know you need to provide your client with subject line options in addition to the copy of the email itself. But if subject lines are the most important piece of email copy, email snippets are probably the most overlooked email tactic.

Snippets, sometimes referred to as “pre-headlines” or preheader text,” are often-overlooked, but super crucial piece of copy to craft an effective email. And you need to make sure you’re providing your clients with copy for the snippet when you’re writing emails.

What Is an Email Snippet or Preheader Text?

An email snippet is the tiny line of text in an email that shows up at the very top of the email when you open it and, in many email services (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) shows up right after the subject line before you open it. They offer additional explanation for your subject line, enticing reader to actually open the email and/or take the action you want them to take.

A snippet should be a short summation of what the reader is going to find in the body of the email if they open it up. And if the purpose of the email is to get someone to take an action by clicking, the snippet should also include that link. That allows someone who reads your snippet and instantly knows they want to take that action to immediately do it instead of having to open up your email.

Why Are Email Snippets So Important?

Because a snippet gives your audience more context about the email, it’s a huge opportunity to bolster click through rates. Think of it as the subject line’s sidekick.

Snippets are often the first line of copy in the email itself. Sometimes you’ll see text written in very small type across the top of an email.

Most email providers, by default, will pull this first line of text and put this copy right after the subject lines in an email’s inbox. Which means they’re pretty important, right? Right. And so, obviously, all companies use them wisely, right? Mmm…no.

Just take a look at your own inbox—most companies waste that space with “This email was sent to xxxxxxxx@gmail.com…” or “Make sure you receive our emails! Put this address in your contacts list.” What a waste of valuable real estate!

Many email softwares allow you to customize the snippet copy. That means you don’t have to let the software pull the first line of text by default. Instead, you take control of what your audience sees.

2 Types of Email Snippets

For your snippet, you have two options.

First, you could give more details that support your subject line. Just be sure not to give so many details that the reader doesn’t need to open the email!

For example, if your subject line is “Win a music lover’s trip to California!” Your snippet could be something like, “3 nights in Palm Springs, tix to Coachella and more: Enter now!”

You could also use the snippet to pique their interest/arouse their curiosity more. For example, if your subject line were something like, “This will make travel easier than ever,” your snippet could be something like, “When this launches in 3 days, your life will change forever.”

The point is that your snippet should be used to give a little extra incentive to open the email and that means it has a really important role to play. You should craft your snippet just as carefully as your subject line and, of course, never let a company rely on pre-populated utility text (“You’re receiving this email because…”) because they’re wasting a huge opportunity.

Email Snippet Examples

Here are just a few examples of email snippets. You need to tailor your email snippet, like any piece of copy, to the message and goal of the email. Your creative brief will be a document you want to reference (again, just like any copywriting project!).

Sweepstakes/Giveaway Example

Let’s say we’re writing an email to promote a sweepstakes. We’ve created an email body that has all kinds of wonderful information about the prizes. Our subject line could be:

Get Away in Style! Fashion and Travel Prizes Galore

And our snippet, which, again, allows us to get into a little more detail, could say:

Here’s your chance to win a 4-nt trip to Manhattan, $500 at XYZ Store and more! Enter now.

Transactional Email Example

By transactional email, we mean an email you receive because you made some sort of purchase or requested something specific. These fall outside of promotional emails, in that companies can send you transactional emails, like receipts, even if you’ve opted out of their regular promotional emails.

A receipt from Delta airlines has the subject line “Your Flight Receipt” and the snippet begins: “[PASSENGER NAME] [DATE OF TRAVEL] Details on your recent purchase.”

This snippet makes it very clear who the receipt is for, the specific trip, and then “details on your recent purchase” reminds the reader that they made a purchase—this is not an email they want to delete or an email promoting low fares to random destinations.

Promotional Email Example

We’re heading back to our inboxes for this example. Our copy coach Kate’s favorite dessert comes from Milk Bar (and if you’ve listen to the podcast, you know she loves their brand voice). One of their email subject lines said, “Meet our Milk Bar Sampler” and the snippet said, “All your faves, now at a lower price!”

This snippet is hugely helpful as it gets in the benefit of a reduced price. Of course, this is one where we’d recommend testing getting more of a benefit in the subject line “Your favorite treats for less” and perhaps expanding on the product name itself in the snippet.

Welcome Series

A welcome series is a common type of email funnel that is triggered when you join an email list or join a program, for example.

When students join the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy (CCA), we have an email that goes out in the series with the subject line: “[CCA] Get your copy of the Action Sheets Workbook” and the snippet is “Every CCA Action Sheet, all in one place.”

Make sense? The snippet is just one more way to let your fabulous copy do more selling.

Many companies already include snippets in emails as a matter of course, but if they don’t (or if they do, they waste their snippet space to just say something like “Be sure to add us to your address book”), suggest it to them. It’s another way for you to add value and help make their emails as effective as can be.

Your turn! What are some of the best snippets you’ve seen? What about some of the worst? Let us know in the comments below!

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