Page 80 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

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Using the mood of command doesn’t mean your reader will place

that order. But it will push the waverers off the fence, some onto

your side. You could go further than the straightforward statement

of the product or service being ordered and recap your main benefit

and offer. When you’re writing your call to action, here’s a checklist

of language attributes. Your call to action should be:

• Clear. • Simple. • Urgent.

• Short. • Direct. • Irresistible.

If nobody never asked for nothing, nobody would never buy nothing.
[Er, what?—Ed.] Oh, all right. In Plain English, if you don’t ask, you
don’t get. Don’t be afraid to be specific in asking your reader for
what you want. You might be pleasantly surprised.

In practice

• Don’t ask for the order, tell them to order.
• If you find an errant “If you would like to place an order . . .” at

the start of your call to action, delete it and replace with “Order
today and you will . . .”

100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS • 71