The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert holds a special place in my yellow heart.
It’s the first copywriting book I’ve ever read.
The wisdom inside these letters has helped me build my copywriting skills, launch my career and have directly resulted in thousands of hard-earned coinage over the years.
The same can be true for you.
There is a treasure chest worth of copywriting principles, tips and strategies just waiting to be discovered by aspiring copywriters.
I’m going to share 6 valuable lessons from The Boron Letters that have transformed my copywriting.
Just one lesson can make you a more persuasive writer and boost your sales almost overnight.
Apply all 6 to your writing, and you’ll be in a league of your own.
In this blog post…
I’m going to quickly cover who Gary Halbert is, what The Boron Letters are, and reveal 6 money-attracting tips to help you write better copy.
Who is Gary Halbert?
Gary Halbert, The Prince of Print, is probably the most famous copywriter who’s ever lived.
He revolutionized copywriting as we know it and has fathered thousands of successful copywriters through his ads, seminars and courses.
Gary specialized in direct response copywriting in the ‘60s.
Over his 40+ years of writing copy, he has sold billions worth of products through his magnetic ads.
One of his ads, The Coat of Arms Letter, is the single most mailed piece of advertising in US HISTORY.
Halbert has a success record as long as a giraffe’s neck, filled with blockbuster ads, world-famous clients and dozens of successful business ventures.
What are The Boron Letters?
The Boron Letters is like the bible for copywriters.
Gary Halbert wrote 25 letters to his son, Bond, while serving time in Boron Federal Prison.
I’m glad he went to prison...
Because these letters hold some of the greatest lessons on copywriting, marketing, sales & business.
They are extremely fun, engaging and quick to read.
You’ll learn the basics of direct response copywriting and discover tons of valuable tips to explode your writing skills.
As you read The Boron Letters, pay extra attention to Gary’s writing style.
The lessons he teaches are dynamite, but studying Gary’s structure, flow and writing style will help you understand good sales copy like nothing else.
Go here to read The Boron Letters online for free:
The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
6 Copywriting Secrets from The Boron Letters That’ll Turn You Into a Pro Copywriter
1. The #1 Copywriting Formula
Gary spends a few letters specifically on his favorite copywriting formula:
AIDA.
AIDA stands for:
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
This is a foolproof structure to follow when writing sales copy.
It’s the essential steps (in order) that you must make to craft a persuasive sales message.
Here’s how it’s done:
Grab your ideal reader’s attention by flagging them down and appealing to their self-interest.
Then…
Suck them into your copy and get them reading like a pimply geek by piquing their interest with interesting facts about your offer/topic.
Then...
Turn things up a notch by talking about all the juicy benefits of your product. What will these benefits DO for your reader? How will their lives change? What new, desirable life will they gain?
Now…
Seal the deal by telling them exactly what to do next. Give them crystal clear instructions. Stress how easy it is to buy and tell them WHY they should buy NOW.
Follow this structure the next time you write copy. You’ll be shocked at the results.
2. Why Clickbait is for Losers
Gary primarily wrote direct mail advertisements (you know, the pieces of paper you throw in the trash each day).
To prevent getting spiked into the garbage can, Gary would use “grabbers”. Lumpy objects to grab attention, like coins, bags of sand, widgets, etc.
However, he always explained WHY he included these grabbers, within the first few sentences.
Waaaay too many marketers and copywriters who have not gotten this message.
NOBODY LIKES CLICKBAIT.
You know, those ridiculous articles, social media posts and ads that trick you into clicking something totally irrelevant.
This sleazeball shenanigan may get a quick click, but it pisses people off and burns bridges.
Do not do this in your copy.
By all means, grab your reader’s attention any way you can, but pay it off FAST in your copy.
3. The Power of Awareness
Gary explained how a big determining factor between those who make it in copywriting vs those who don’t, has to do with awareness.
You must be aware of what’s going on in your reader’s world.
More specifically:
How are current events, news and industry trends affecting your readers?
In the wise words of Robert collier:
You always want to enter the conversation your readers are having inside their heads.
Well, by paying attention to what’s effecting your readers, and then strategically bringing it up in your copy, you are entering the convo inside their head.
This instantly builds rapport and shows them you are one of them. Plus, people will read just about anything that interests them. Stay inside their world, and you cannot lose.
4. Believability
Gary Halbert revealed that believability is one of the most important ingredients of brewing steaming hot copy.
One of the easiest ways to get readers to believe your claims is to give exact details.
- Numbers
- Facts
- Stats
Load your copy with specific details about your product, benefits, features… stories you tell… your reader’s problems, desires, and so on.
The more details you give, the more believable your copy will be.
And the more believable you make your copy, the more sales you’ll rake in.
5. Common Sense
I love this quote from The Boron Letters...
“If you use good common sense, your chances of success are excellent. Where people go wrong is by making it too complicated
One of my favorite books is Obvious Adams.
It’s all about the concept of simplifying things.
Often, the answer to our big problems is so obvious and simple, it’s silly.
The simplest way for you to write knockout copy is to study your market intensely.
Solely base all your copy on what your READERS want, need and are interested in.
If you dig deep enough, you’ll almost always find the answers poking you in the face.
6. Reason Why
Believe it or not, writing is not the most important part of copywriting.
In fact, it’s only 20%.
Ad success = 40% the market + 40% the offer + 20% the actual writing.
Gary gave away solid gold for writing killer offers…
Add a reason why your offer is so good.
For example, if you offer a discount, add a quick reason WHY you are giving a generous discount.
It’s not hard to do.
You can practically say anything:
- I’m slashing 20% off because it’s my birthday
- My warehouse burnt down and only 50 products remain
It only takes a few sentences (or words) to back up your offers with reasons why. And the results can be night and day because they make your offers more believable.
Conclusion
Apply these 6 lessons from the Boron Letters to your writing ASAP.
Plus, make sure you read The Boron Letters many times.
You can grab The Boron Letters online here:
The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
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