REVEALED: Peter Jackson’s Secret to Banking $2.91 Billion By Enraging Purists Everywhere…
Filed under copywriting, Hollywood Story, marketing by on Aug 20th, 2010. Comment. 
Love him or hate him… you can’t deny Peter Jackson has a pretty good grasp on the movie business.
After all… he took a 45-year old book only the nerdiest among us had ever read… and turned it into a film trilogy grossing almost three BILLION dollars in box-office takings alone.
Even more impressively… despite with one of the most accomplished literary works of the 20th century… his project garnered massive critical acclaim.
Sure… Tolkien purists would argue that much of the deep characterization had been stripped from the masterpiece… replaced with cheap thrills that no true fan could ever enjoy.
But between you and me… I don’t think Peter Jackson worried too much about their reaction.
Because Jackson understood what any marketer or copywriter would do well to write on a post-it note and stick on their monitor…
Entertainment sells.
You see… Jackson knew what kept audiences interested 40 years ago wouldn’t keep people interested today.
People are working longer hours… have more bills to pay… and are finding it harder and harder to squeeze in quality time with friends and family.
Mix that with social media… smart phones… Playstations… iPods… Youtube… and a ton of other technological phenomena… and you end up with prospects with dangerously short attention spans.
So how does this relate to marketing?
Simply put… today’s consumer views their time as very precious.
And frankly… they’re not going to waste it by reading a boring, stodgy sales pitch.
They want to be wowed… entertained… and excited.
And if you can’t deliver that to them… they’re more than happy to go to someone who will.
But it’s not all doom and gloom…
In fact… like Jackson… smart marketers can turn this phenomenon to their advantage to bank some serious dough.
How?
By electrifying their marketing materials with excitement… entertainment… and interest.
Granted… this isn’t always easy.
It’s why the guys who DO know how to do it get paid the “big bucks”… because smart marketers know just how much it can add to their bottom line.
However… it IS a skill that can be learned… and in just a moment I’m going to share some tips with you that will help you do that.
First, though… a caveat.
Every single word you write should be done with one intention, and one intention only…
…making the sale.
These techniques are NOT meant to replace your selling skills.
Instead… they’re designed to work alongside them… producing something that is more than the sum of its parts.
And like any great technique… when they’re overused… they lose their effectiveness very quickly.
Finally… the tactics I’m about to share with you are by no means a complete list of ways you can make your marketing materials more entertaining…
…but they’re a great start.
So… without further deliberation… here are…
Four Sizzling Selling Secrets Proven to Entertain Prospects… Glue to Their Eyes to the Page… and Have Them Whipping Out Their Credit Cards in Record Time!
#1: Make it Easy on the Eyes!
Remember… people have short attention spans.
And to most of them… reading is damn hard work.
But if you’re going to sell a product or service using text… as many of us do… you need to use a lot of words.
So what’s the answer?
Well… there are actually two.
The first part is to make your material visually exciting. This means using lots of subheads… images… eye-catching colors… highlighting… and much more.
The second part is to make sure your text isn’t intimidating to your readers.
Try breaking your paragraphs up… using short, punchy sentences… and leaving lots of white space.
I guarantee you’ll see a huge bump in conversions.
#2: Open With Your Big Guns
Don’t bury your most exciting and interesting facts deep in your body text. Bring them to the forefront and display them proudly in your headlines… subheads… and Johnson boxes.
If you’ve got an irresistible offer… a never-before-seen system… or a fascinating story… don’t make your reader have to dig to find it. Put it right up front where they simply can’t miss it.
#3: Make Your Writing Sizzle With Powerful Word Choices 
I’m fortunate enough to know a lot of great copywriters (many of whom feature on this blog in some way). And one thing they all do brilliantly is to deliver excitement and energy through their word choices.
Their writing is never dull or stale… it crackles with energy and has you hanging off every word.
And that’s a skill you need to master if you want the kind of paydays the market leaders make.
After all… if you can’t show excitement about your own product… show is your prospect supposed to?
#4: Use Suspense to Keep Their Eyes Glued to the Page
Do you know what the human mind can’t stand?
I’ll tell you later!
(Just Kidding) The answer is… unanswered questions.
Any time you give a hint of what’s coming up next… or promise to reveal an answer later on in the copy… you’re practically forcing your visitors to keep reading.
In fact… if you read through this post carefully… you’ll find a lot of examples where I’ve deliberately left tiny amounts of suspense in your mind to keep you reading.
Heck… sometimes when I write copy for a client I´ll leave a question unanswered for multiple pages… compelling them to read every word just to find that gem of information and finally lay their curiosity to rest.
Of course… you don’t want to leave a question unanswered for TOO long… or to make your prospect think you’re trying to hide something from them.
But that’s a story for another day…
For now… I want to hear from you guys.
What do YOU do to keep your readers entertained? Do you have a tip you want to share that wasn’t covered here… or even some copy that kept you on the edge of your seat until you bought the product?
I’m sure we’re all curious.
Until next time work hard… play hard… and bank big.
–Daniel Scott
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Comments on REVEALED: Peter Jackson’s Secret to Banking $2.91 Billion By Enraging Purists Everywhere…
Okay…
First let’s all welcome Daniel as a regular contributor to the Clambake. He has assured me he’s going to try to share with us at least once a month.
Now let’s talk about entertainment in sales copy…
Most gurus preach against it. And rightly so…
It’s hard as hell to get right.
For those without actual writing chops it’s pretty much impossible. That’s one of the reasons most don’t dare.
The good news is Daniel uses the word entertainment a little more loosely. He’s using the classic definition that isn’t about staging a Cole Porter Musical Comedy Revue.
The definition of entertain is “…to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably…”
And these strategies he shares are great ways to do just that.
Now… the reason you want to hold attention is simple. The only way I know to get someone to click on a link or call an 800 number is to make sure they get to that part of your sales letter. To do that, you had better keep their attention.
Just getting them to your buy button in no way guarantees they click on it. But NOT getting them there guarantees they DON’T click on it.
Of course story-telling bridges the gap between definitions of “entertainment.”
And Zeigarnik is quite advanced. We’ll talk more about that later… but first, here’ s Skip with the weather.
Dan, great article by a great writer.
One thing I’m doing right now in a letter I’m writing is to associate a an entertaining hook with a dull-as-dishwater product. So you’ve got your boring-ass product…
Lets say for example that it’s a practical “pocket” scorecard you carry around to track your productivity during the day. Now that’s rather dull isn’t it?
But then you couch the thing in Hollywood terms… so the user suddenly becomes the “action-hero” of their own life… not needing to rely on living vicariously through Matt or Angelina, but able to experience adventure and excitement as they see their goals come to pass before them (and in glorious real-life surround-sound!) That sort of angle.
The question I ask a lot is: How can I make this sound cooler? That helps me up the entertainment factor. I love me my movies… my TV… so that helps give me inspiration.
— Ross
P.S. Nice sign-off
@Vin Montello:
Don’t be hatin’ on my Cole Porter Musical Comedy Revues.
— Ross
Awesome post Daniel. All of the great info here ties together with the basics that every copywriter should know, but most seem to forget about when writing copy. And it starts with really knowing who you’re writing to. Research may be the boring part, but without it you can’t know what your prospects find interesting and entertaining. I hated Lord of the Rings, but obviously I wasn’t their target market because it made a few dollars.
Looking forward to your next one Dan!
Traci
Awesome post Daniel. All of this great info ties into the basics of what every good copywriter should know, though most seem to forget when actually writing copy.
Entertaining your reader starts with the boring part: research. If you don’t research your prospects, you really know what entertains them and keeps them interested. I hated Lord of the Rings, but obviously their target market loved it.
Looking forward to your next post Dan!
Traci
Daniel good job. I like this post a lot. Another thought that comes to me is… how can you create an event or good story around your marketing?
Maybe it’s a blowout sale because of the surprise IRS bill… a new baby into your life or birthday celebration… or there’s a conflict between you and someone in your life that relates to the product and the prospect.
You might even tie your piece into a holiday around the corner… or a contest where the prospect has a chance to win. All of these add a “fun”… eye-grabbing quality to your promotion.
This article ROCKS my socks off
Hey, Daniel! Leave us nerds alone!!
*hiding dog-eared copy of LOTR*
seriously though, the entertaining letters I’ve read definitely kept my eyes glued to the page. And I can’t STAND to read “but before I tell you that, let me share a story” or some such… because I just CAN’T stop reading until the writer gives up the goods.
Time for me to dig deeper and examine those letters that pull off the entertainment factor well.
Glad you guys all dug it.
As Vin said… I’ve got some ideas for more articles and will probably contribute once a month or so… assuming you guys are happy to have me.
And Anila… just so we’re clear… I am a massive LoTR nerd.
Heck… I’m a massive nerd in general. I’m even going to my weekly DnD group tomorrow. Thanks goodness I work out so the bullies don’t beat me up
I still have my carefully “contacted” copy of the LoTR my dad gave me for my 13th birthday… and was one of the purists enraged by Jackson’s treatment of my beloved series.
But… as a marketer I respect what the guy’s done to ensnare the mass market.
If you are producing information products don’t let the story end with your sales letter.
People love to be entertained. If you make your product interesting, enjoyable and disgestable, people will refer friends to you as well.
We all have a story. Most of us have just had it trained out of us during traditional school education.
Talk to any 5-9 year old. They can tell you a story that is entertaining exciting and all about an ant they found on the driveway.
Imagination needs to be encouraged for all of us.
Great article.
“As Vin said… I’ve got some ideas for more articles and will probably contribute once a month or so… assuming you guys are happy to have me.”
Yeah man… This was right up my alley.
It confirmed a belief I had about copy that no one’s talking about + I learned a thing or two.
You rock.
Would love to see more.
I’ve never read LOTR, but I have read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevski.
Do I qualify to be a nerd?
I like the way you guys use pictures for bullets.
I did the same for a client where I placed a picture of the dish I was writing about.
It really makes them stand out as opposed to the usual dots and numbers.
@Jason Parker: C’mon Jason… you can’t give a tease about “a belief that no-one is talking about” and then leave the dang thing hangin’. I need narrative closure gawd dammit!
Daniel, this is great–I think trying to be funny might kill things–or at least leave most of us running for this hills. That’s whether we’re trying to be entertaining, or watching someone who thinks they are.
That’s a pain that no one needs
So i guess the idea is, how do you be entertaining with a large storyline or sales letter? How do you know other people ‘get’ the jokes?
Food for thought.
Lawton
@lawton chiles: Lawton,
Thanks for joining us, but I have to say the idea of not being funny is, in my opinion not a true one.
While sales letters are a tough minefield to navigate when it comes to “the funny” comedy has sold in other forms for longer than any of us have been alive.
On a side, somewhat related note: I remember growing up in the 70′s and the most popular restaurant/bar in Brooklyn NY was “The Crazy Countryclub” which marketed itself as the home of “Warm beer and lousy food…” Definitely a usp created for humor purposes and not for its accuracy.
But comedy continues to sell to this day. Direct response tv commercials do it successfully too.
I’ve have some of my largest successes online using humor also.
Now… that said…
With humor, when you get it wrong, you really get it wrong. So… it’s a delicate dance you must do. There are easier things to try.
IMO the problem seems to be that most people who think they’re funny, just aren’t. And marketers and copywriters usually fall into that group.
@lawton chiles: Lawton, just to clarify, in my mind entertaining doesn’t necessary mean using jokes or humor.
Entertainment means building interest… often using the romantic or the sensational a little bit. Think how Cosmo or the tabloids do it – they often have great headlines.
Personally, I use humor in my copy *very* sparingly because I’m just not that funny. I’ll joke around with friends and get laughs but when it comes to client’s businesses I take things VERY seriously – and that means knowing where my strengths are (and aren’t).
Hope that clarifies my position a little.
Dan,
Wow, can’t believe I didn’t see this post sooner (think I need to unsubscribe to a few lists, and concentrate on the few good ones…) — anyway, great to see you’ve joined the “Clam Crew”!
I couldn’t agree more with your post.
With the constant bombardment of marketing messages nowadays… and the average Joe thinking a bit harder before shelling out the dineros… copy needs to be more compelling and interesting than ever.
And I also agree with Ross — LOVE your sign-off (in fact, I might need to swipe that some day
haha)
Peace,
Dave
Hey Dave – great to see you here.
I liked the sign off too. Too bad the pic’s pretty creepy, but hey… I’m a copywriter, not a model!
How’s the job in Colorado going? Have they given you the massive promotion you deserve yet?
-Dan
Haha, you’re too kind
It’s going good here… how’s it going in sunny Australia?
Keep the articles coming!
Cheers,
D
Really nice post,thank you, best website ever