How to pump up your copywriting with "micro-hooks

Nobody really talks about them.

The "hook" or the "Big Idea" is one of the ways we get people to read our ads.

And since you know the more people read, the more they buy, you'll want to sprinkle "micro-hooks" in your advertising to jack up your readership, your conversion rates and your bottom line.

Since humans are a curious lot... leaving things temoprarily incomplete is a secret weapon I use to keep them engaged with my copy.

It makes people slightly uncomfortable... at least until they get the answer. But most importantly, it keeps them reading until they do.

It's psychology 101... but it's something you can use to keep the odds in your favor.

My pal Mark Joyner is a master of this. He calls it the Zeigarnik Effect.

In the ad I wrote for Marks 7 Day business turnaround, there were hooks galore in the body copy.

Here's a sample:

In a section of the copy, I was explaining the exact steps involved in a business turnaround. I explained the 4 step process that made any turnaround work.

Then I said

"That's it. Pretty simple... at least on the outside. With that strategy alone, you could engineer a turnaround. If you know the tactics to accomplish each step, my work is done here. Go forth and execute. If you don't... keep reading to uncover your answer. Okay, seems pretty simple doesn't it?"

But I didn't give them all the details... but enough to give some real information.

But they were told that if they didn't, they should just keep reading and the answer would be revealed.

How many people were hot to find out the answer?

No doubt many were intensely curious... and searched for the answer.

Let me give you one more example from that salesletter.

A little ways further down in the salescopy, I explained how turnarounds worked.

I wrote:

"That's the process for your 7 Day Turnaround. It's the same thing a Fortune 500 would do, just made so bloody simple a 2nd grade teacher could do it (more about that in a minute)"

How about that?

Now I know teachers are not stupid... but it still sounds irrisistibly easy!

And writing "more on that in a minute" ratcheted up the curiosity to the point where readers HAD to find out.

That leter is a clinic on "micro-hooks".

It's a fantastic lesson on keeping people engaged in your advertising.

One more thing....

You gotta close the loop on the curiosity!

If you don't give them what you said you would... they won't trust you. And that kills your sales.

If you don't, they'll still be mentally processing the open loop, and that kind of mind isn't ready to buy, because those little things will drive them crazy.

But of course, you do want them to feel like the whole answer cannot be fulfilled until they buy your product

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