Killer writing resource – it does the hard work for you!

The website that does all the research work for you [The Writer’ s Life]( December 17, 2020 Hi {NAME}, "You need to know what environmental engineers eat for breakfast," the CEO roared at the 21-year-old version of me oh so many years ago … I was working for a scientific and technology publisher, putting together my first direct-mail campaign for a newsletter targeting — you guessed it — environmental engineers. What would they eat? … How would I know?! … Why do I need to know this?!? Fortunately, at AWAI, we have more effective (and less scary) ways of teaching fundamental copywriting principles like knowing your prospect. ;) And today, Mindy McHorse, Executive Editor of Barefoot Writer, shares a powerful resource she uses to get the insights she needs about her audience to produce persuasive copy that drives action. Of course, knowing your prospect is only one of the important fundamentals you need to know to become an effective copywriter … one who outperforms, and outearns, other writers. We [teach them all to you here](, using a proven method based on 23+ years of training copywriters in person and online … … as well as giving you the hands-on experience, feedback, portfolio of samples, and tactics for landing clients needed to help you start making money as fast as possible. [>> Check out all the details here.]( To your success, [Rebecca Matter’ s signature] Rebecca Matter President, AWAI Easy Domino-Effect Audience Research for Stronger Writing By Mindy McHorse [Female writer working on laptop with white shepherd dog at her desk] Thanks to all the pandemic lockdowns of this past year and distortion of life as we know it … Copywriters have had to hone some new tricks to getting the job done right. Because the core, the heart, the soul of our writing … Lies in our audience. Getting to know your audience — as in, actually going out and meeting them, talking to them, and observing them in their own version of the wild … Is the gold standard to good persuasive writing. Health Master Copywriter Carline Anglade-Cole perfected this art when writing about supplements to the older market. To really find out what was on their minds and haunting their dreams, she went and sat on a Walmart bench near the Pharmacy. She struck up conversations with them. Asked questions. Listened. And that's how she found out what bugged that cohort about the pills they took, along with what they preferred. And that's how — or at least, part of how — Carline went on to write blockbuster after blockbuster promotion, making her the million-dollar writing powerhouse she is today. So what do you do when life as we know it is all about social distancing and not befriending strangers? Here's your answer: Amazon! Obviously, the online world offers loads of clues about certain groups and their preferences. And there are countless ways you can conduct research into behavior patterns using Google as your research assistant, or even Facebook. But my favorite, and an often overlooked, single, easy go-to source, is the Amazon mega-shopping site. Here's why: Provided you know at least one item your audience is interested in … One book, or one kitchen gadget, or one trusted gardening tool … Then you can unlock all their other secrets without having to dance around the rest of the Web (and risk losing countless writing hours to research!). Let's say you're writing a promo on a new protein supplement for fitness fanatics. It's still new enough, you won't find mention of it on Amazon. So you look up something comparable and plug in a search with related terms: Vegan, collagen, and protein powder. Loads of options come up, of course … But here's where you make it interesting. First, scroll past any sponsored products. You're looking for something that's a genuine best seller. Start by clicking on a product that has a high star rating, preferably with more than 200 assessments (it's easy to fix the ratings game with fewer than 200; you want authentic reviews). Once you're looking at the product page, review the "About this item" section. What's being highlighted? What unexpected terms are used? From there, scroll down to see what types of other purchases are bought by people who viewed this item, as well as the products related to your item. In my example, people who viewed vegan protein powder also viewed or bought Sambucus elderberry gummies and super green tea packets. You can also click the "buy" button that puts the product in your cart, because that takes you to a new screen with even more related products. (You don't have to actually go through with the purchase; the goal is just to see the new product connections and dig out clues from there.) Product descriptions and related product suggestions can give you a solid collection of terms and phrases to describe your product, its features, and benefits. Really, you're getting insight into the vernacular of the world of the product. But the real gold mine is in the testimonials … Reading through the testimonials gives you loads of clues. You'll find out if the users are mostly men or women or a blend. You'll learn whether this was often bought as a gift, or to help with a health issue. You'll even learn user habits, such as the woman who wrote about sprinkling the protein powder "every morning into my coffee," or the one who "never misses a day" because she's addicted to the energy boost. In this example, several of the reviewers even share their ages and the deeper benefits they're getting. "I'm 61 and dealing with fine lines and wrinkles … I really feel like my skin is more radiant and my hair and nails are stronger!" What you're really doing here is gathering real-world information to piece together an avatar (persona) to write to. And when it comes to good copywriting, that kind of knowledge is golden! Now, keep in mind that these aren't statistical samples of happy users. And often on Amazon, some of the most glowing reviews were bought (you can counter this somewhat by looking for the words "verified purchase" next to the review). Still, when you're stuck at home and eager for real-world feedback … it's hard to beat this one-stop-shop (literally) for information. What questions do you have about getting started as a copywriter? [Share with us here]( so we can point you in the right direction. Editorial Note: Armed with the proper training, you can be making money as a well-paid copywriter in no time. Regardless of which writing path you ultimately choose, or writing projects you decide to take on, it gives you a foundation in writing copy and content that gets results. If you want to make a great living as a writer, it all starts with this [one brand-new, breakthrough training program](. [Get Full Details HERE!]( LAST CHANCE: You Get it All for Just $249 $49!! Until midnight, you can get our popular Writer's Starter Kit … Including all the tools, templates, resource lists, guides, and fee schedules you'll need to launch and run a successful writing business … And save $200! You'll even get a FULL YEAR to put it to use, completely risk-free. [Grab The Writer's Starter Kit Now!]( Join PWA for $1 … … And Get FREE Access to 21-Day Client Challenge For a limited time, get FREE mentoring from top copywriting coach Ilise Benun when you join The Professional Writers' Alliance for $1. Ilise will help you set up a proven, repeatable system for attracting clients to you. This mentoring normally costs $497. 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