Shownotes
Copywriting is one of the most important tools you can use to boost ticket sales, donations, and revenue across various platforms. And the best part is—it costs $0 to update the words you use.
In this episode, learn five actionable tips on how creating small, emotional connections through specific language creates a big and lasting impact on your revenue. Hone your copywriting skills as a no cost tool to grab your patrons’ attention, fill those seats, and bring in more donations.
Transcripts
Hey, Offstagers, hopefully if you are listening to this
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episode, you know this is a part two.
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It's a continuation of the last
episode on the topic of leveraging and
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up leveling the words we use in our
communications at arts organizations
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to make those words work harder for us.
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As I said before in the last episode.
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This is a topic that is the singular
most important thing you can do, in
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my opinion at least, if you want to
increase ticket sales, grow subscriptions,
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grow donations, if you want to
grow your audience and donor base.
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So if you haven't listened to
part one yet, I highly recommend
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you go back and start there.
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There is a lot of context and
just a ton of important tips
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and high value for you there.
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That episode is called do this one
thing to make the biggest difference
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in your sales and fundraising.
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And it's literally the
episode right before this one.
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So go there now if you haven't
listened to that one yet.
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So I don't know, maybe if you're
listening to this, you have listened
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to part one or here you are now.
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People think copywriting is not sexy.
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It is.
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It is sexy.
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Like we need a t shirt or something.
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Strong copywriting is sexy.
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Maybe that t shirt
already exists somewhere.
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It's probably next to the t
shirt that says data is sexy.
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But.
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I digress.
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It says a lot about the kind
of t shirts I want, I guess.
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But anyways, the point is, I talked
about this in the last episode, the
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part one, and that's to say that if I
had to answer the question, what's the
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one thing arts organizations can do?
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So many of you ask a
version of this to me.
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What's the one thing I can do
to increase sales and donations?
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It would be this topic of copywriting.
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The longer answer is that I think
there's more than one thing, but
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for everyone who's like, if you
had to pick just one, this is it.
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This is that topic.
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Why?
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Because we, arts managers, arts
organizations, arts administrators, use
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written word so much in everything we do.
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No matter your artistic discipline,
symphonies, operas, orchestras, chamber
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ensembles, theaters, museums, other
visitor based cultural institutions,
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you name it, dance companies, we
use the written word everywhere.
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So I listed these in part one,
but to name them again, website.
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First and foremost, more people
visit the website than we serve.
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Via any other means.
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So the copy plus writing copy for
the user, so, so important here.
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Program book.
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If you're at an exhibit based
institution or visitor based
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institution, that's the object labels.
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Social media, of course, for all
of us, multiple channels there.
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Press releases.
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So many press releases are.
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Just really, I'm pausing, but the word
is sterile, is what was coming to mind.
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Like, very clinical, there's
so much we can do to better up
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level the copywriting there.
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Email blast, no matter whether
that's for marketing or fundraising.
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Every piece of marketing and fundraising
collateral, so that's, Postcards,
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season brochures, all the donor
communications, solicitations, appeal
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letters, acknowledgment letters, so that's
another one that can be pretty sterile.
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Donor benefits, emails, brochures,
campaign case for support, website again
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on all the fundraising side, and then
of course digital, digital ads, and then
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I already mentioned the social media
feeds themselves, and on and on and on.
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It's just that we use words
more than anything that we do.
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We use words everywhere, and the
choices we make, the word choices.
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are so important.
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You know, the adage is just so true.
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The pen is mightier than the sword.
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I don't know if any of you out there are
using swords, but the pen is mightier.
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Uh, and I guess another thing I
should say is that the pen is a
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whole lot cheaper than the sword.
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Okay, I gotta get off this
analogy, but I've been there.
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The point is, when I was chief
executive at an orchestra, we had
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zero money when I first started.
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I've talked about this before, but zero.
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And so, for anybody who, you know,
feels like that right now, like, I got
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nothing, Aubrey, like, then take notes.
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And I've actually, the freebie for the
episode helps you with the cheat sheet,
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so you don't have to take notes, but
I'll share more on that in a second.
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The idea is just that.
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It's the best free solution to really
work on the skill of copywriting.
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And if you're part of a team, have
everybody on your team work on that
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too, the different people who are
responsible for writing different things.
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So I've just felt the pain where I
felt like I had no options, no money.
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And I'm telling you, here's an option.
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Best ROI, period, out there.
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So if you are either in the camp
of wanting one thing to improve
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your sales and donations this year.
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Or, in the camp of, we have no money,
these two episodes are your ticket.
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The last episode plus
this episode right here.
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Before we get going, if you know someone
or are thinking of someone in your mind
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right now and are like, this could be
helpful to them, or, you know, so and so
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should really hear this, do me a favor,
do your organization a favor, and do the
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field a favor, and share it with them.
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Bye bye.
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Because I am here to tell you that
if you get super serious about your
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copywriting, it will make a difference at
a cost to you of literally zero dollars.
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So copywriting is super sexy.
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Print the t shirts, folks, because
increasing sales and donations is sexy.
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Definitely in my book.
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There are no excuses.
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It's just plain old skill building.
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And I am here to tell you that.
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to help you do that.
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So part two on copywriting,
let's get it going.
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I'm Aubrey Bergauer and
welcome to my podcast.
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I'm known in the arts world for
being customer centric, data
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obsessed, and for growing revenue.
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The arts are my vehicle to make the
change I want to see in this world, like
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creating places of belonging, pursuing
gender and racial equality, developing
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high performing teams and leaders, and
leveraging technology to elevate our work.
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I've been called the Steve
Jobs of classical music and the
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Sheryl Sandberg of the symphony.
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I've held offstage roles managing
millions of dollars in revenue at
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major institutions and as chief
executive of an orchestra where we
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doubled the size of the audience and
nearly quadrupled the donor base.
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And now I'm here to help you
achieve that same kind of success.
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In this podcast, we are sorting
through the data inside and outside
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the arts, applying those Findings to
our work, leading out with our values
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and bringing in some expert voices
along the way, all to build the vibrant
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future we know is possible for our
institutions and for ourselves as
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offstage administrators and leaders.
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This podcast is about
optimizing the business around
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the art, not sacrificing it.
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You're listening to The Offstage Mic.
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Have you read CoreStorm's new
State of the Arts report yet?
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It's a data driven resource for all
things arts education in the past year.
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This one is for all the executive
directors of non profit arts
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organizations, teaching artists, and other
leaders in the arts and culture community.
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Imagine tapping into more than 10
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data to uncover invaluable
insights for your organization.
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CourseStorm has done the legwork
so you can make informed decisions.
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Things like what day and time
is best to hold your class.
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When do most people register?
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And which digital marketing
channel is most effective?
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Discover the successes and
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programs that not only weathered the
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Yes, you heard that right.
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Thriving.
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I love that the State of the
Arts report shares exclusive data
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from the top class registration
software company, CourseStorm.
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I got to see trends discovered
from CourseStorm's analysis of more
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than 1 million class registrations.
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And you'll want to see them too.
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So if you're ready to elevate your
education program, don't miss out
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on the state of the arts report.
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Visit Core storm.com/soar.
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That's slash SOAR, like the
acronym for State of the Arts.
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And download the free report today.
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We're back today on top Tunes
the music prediction, is it just
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me or does this sound terrible?
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Wait, I think I heard of.
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There's this company called Novo Music.
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They provide across the board audio
solutions, from recording repair,
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to audio editing, to original
music and sound design and beyond.
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Well, what are we waiting for?
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Today on Top Tunes, the
music Now that's better.
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Novo Music.
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Conducting your creative vision.
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Find out more at novomusic.
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co So, here we go.
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In total, last episode plus this
episode, all together, I am sharing
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nine copywriting tips for you.
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This is not an exhaustive list of all
you can do, but there is a lot of good
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value here, so we're sticking to nine,
nine tips to get you going and to start
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driving more emotional connections
and ultimately that desired behavior.
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And the desired behavior is ticket
sales, subscriptions, donations.
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Or, in the case of PR, press releases
that desired behavior is coverage,
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is a story being told about you,
inspiring that desired behavior.
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For social media, building emotional
connections that drive the desired
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behavior, that's likes, shares, comments,
engagement, stopping the scroll, right?
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For program book, the desired behavior
would be, we want our audience to
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have a feeling of understanding.
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We want to demystify the art, and we
want to be the guide for attendees
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to help them on their journey.
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We could do a whole other episode on
the idea of people reading the program
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book should feel like it's their trusted
guide, as opposed to a distant scholarly
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publication of some sort, right?
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Okay, whole other episode someday.
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The point is, our copy and the words we
used are to elicit an emotional response.
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that drives a desired behavior.
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That's why we're here.
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That's why we're covering this.
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That's why I think it's so important.
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So, okay, quick review on part one,
just to really quickly list it down.
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The first four tips I gave in the
last episode were, number one,
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talk like your customers talk.
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Number two, start with the juiciest,
most interesting line first.
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The purpose of that first line is
to get people to just keep reading.
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We just talked about the desired
behavior, but the first line
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is not about that behavior.
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The first line is about
get them to keep reading.
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Okay, point three.
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Write answers to what your customer
needs, wants, or has questions about.
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Do that in your copy.
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And four, add urgency.
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So again, if this is all new to you,
go back, listen to the last episode.
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It's all spelled out with tons of
examples, details, and explanations
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of what to do and not to do.
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So now, on to tips
number five through nine.
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I mentioned before you don't
actually have to take notes.
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I mean, you can if you want, of
course, but I've got it all for you
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in a free download for this episode.
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It's called The Do's and
Don'ts of Copywriting, 9
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Tips to Level Up Immediately.
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So it's the rundown of everything
we've covered in the last
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episode as well as this episode.
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Go to my website to get yours.
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It's aubreybergauer.
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com slash 27.
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That's number 27 for episode 27.
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And as we're hitting the
rest of these tips, I.
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I first want to talk about the role of AI,
because we haven't talked about that yet.
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So here's my take on AI.
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I am a big fan of efficiency, for sure.
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We are in a world where literally
every arts organization says they
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don't have enough time, people, right?
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So if we can get a boost or we
can get some help or something to
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improve efficiency, I am all for it.
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To dig a little deeper, my experience
with AI, I would say, is twofold.
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I think AI is good for drafting.
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So all these things we're talking
about, all the places we have copy,
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every single one of those channels
I've mentioned, it can really help.
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Again, as the draft, not the final thing.
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I've not, I don't think I've
used Chad GPT or any of the
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others I've played around with.
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Like once have I seen what they generated
and then was like, yep, that's the winner.
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So just no draft starting point.
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That's the main thing.
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But that's enough.
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Like sometimes we just need our
brains to kind of get the little
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jumpstart or have a little start.
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Spark.
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Or sometimes it's easier if you
have the list of tips in front of
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you if you go get the download.
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00:12:37,365 --> 00:12:42,214
You can see what the AI tool
generates and then be like, uh uh,
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but I can see how to make it better.
239
00:12:44,344 --> 00:12:47,844
So again, just sometimes having
that draft is just a big body of
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work that really helps, like I
said, kind of jumpstart our brains.
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So yeah.
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Good, good, good for
the first pass, usually.
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My other, I said it was twofold, so my
other piece of the experience with AI
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tools is that I, we, you, all of us, have
to learn to get better with our prompts.
245
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So I've learned.
246
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Chat GPT, for example, but I'm
sure the others too, can take
247
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a lot of direction, actually.
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For example, give it my prompt, draft
something, I don't know, whether it's
249
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social media caption or whatever.
250
00:13:23,175 --> 00:13:27,925
And then you can say, now write that
in a more approachable way with plain
251
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English that's easy to understand.
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00:13:30,134 --> 00:13:33,435
Like, you can literally say that
in the prompts for chat GPT.
253
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And so you're training it to
do exactly what I told you.
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Like, wasn't that tip number one,
talk like your customers talk in plain
255
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English that's easy to understand.
256
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Yeah.
257
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Okay.
258
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I just wanted to share those
additional thoughts, tips on kind
259
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of the role of AI in all of this.
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So it's a starting place, but we
can get better with our prompts and
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helping refine the voice of the AI too.
262
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Alright.
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00:13:51,890 --> 00:13:58,110
If you are wanting to explore AI and how
it can help you, by all means, go for it.
264
00:13:58,110 --> 00:13:59,700
I think is the moral of the story here.
265
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And I would say if we can use.
266
00:14:02,310 --> 00:14:05,189
Not just AI, but any tool available.
267
00:14:05,189 --> 00:14:09,170
There are so many now of all kinds
of different tools to save you time,
268
00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:11,460
brain space, create efficiency.
269
00:14:11,859 --> 00:14:15,659
I am probably always going to say,
explore that, do it, go for it.
270
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,490
We need all the help we can get, right?
271
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Like, we need all the help we
can get on our super lean staffs.
272
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Plus, I guess probably every business
in any sector wants to be more
273
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efficient, wants to get a leg up.
274
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So in that sense, all of this
is not particularly unique to
275
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nonprofits or arts managers or arts
organizations, for that matter.
276
00:14:35,665 --> 00:14:39,735
Okay, and I just want to share, I
was just recently reading before
277
00:14:39,775 --> 00:14:45,814
recording this episode, HubSpot's
2024 State of Marketing Report.
278
00:14:46,054 --> 00:14:48,155
And this is all about the
different marketing trends.
279
00:14:48,204 --> 00:14:51,864
And they just recently released this,
if you're listening to this episode.
280
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kind of around the time it comes out.
281
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And this is what they said on efficiency.
282
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They said, quote, efficiency leads
to innovative, more human marketing.
283
00:15:01,769 --> 00:15:03,849
I think that's really,
in some ways, profound.
284
00:15:03,849 --> 00:15:07,010
I don't mean to be too dramatic
about it, but efficiency leads to
285
00:15:07,070 --> 00:15:09,069
innovative, more human marketing.
286
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,390
I mean, that's exactly
what we're going for here.
287
00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:15,860
The report goes on to say, quote,
Today, marketers have a new assessment
288
00:15:15,885 --> 00:15:20,755
Assistant to help with everyday tasks,
brainstorming, research, content creation,
289
00:15:21,045 --> 00:15:23,545
data analysis, reporting and automation.
290
00:15:23,884 --> 00:15:26,114
Your friendly neighborhood AI tool.
291
00:15:26,415 --> 00:15:29,384
And so, you know, I was talking about the
prompts and getting better at the prompts.
292
00:15:29,384 --> 00:15:33,524
You could even say, here's the
concert program, insert all the info,
293
00:15:33,525 --> 00:15:35,224
performers, all that kind of stuff.
294
00:15:35,615 --> 00:15:38,755
And you can say as your prompt,
brainstorm 20 different potential
295
00:15:38,755 --> 00:15:40,145
titles for this concert.
296
00:15:40,494 --> 00:15:41,545
I think that's so cool.
297
00:15:41,574 --> 00:15:43,744
And then even if it doesn't nail it.
298
00:15:44,310 --> 00:15:49,010
You are reading that list, and
you have just, I keep coming back
299
00:15:49,010 --> 00:15:51,750
to this word jumpstarted, you've
just jumpstarted your own brain.
300
00:15:51,750 --> 00:15:55,979
It puts you in the critical and creative,
that combination of critical and
301
00:15:55,979 --> 00:15:59,840
creative thinking space, so that your
brain is working in the background.
302
00:16:00,030 --> 00:16:03,780
And by the time you read that list
and get to idea number 20, you
303
00:16:03,790 --> 00:16:05,580
will have others coming to mind.
304
00:16:05,590 --> 00:16:06,840
If you don't believe me, try it.
305
00:16:06,860 --> 00:16:10,000
It just is going to spur
new and more ideas for you.
306
00:16:10,515 --> 00:16:12,585
Honestly, I am working on this myself.
307
00:16:12,615 --> 00:16:18,194
I have to confess, the default in
me is often the old way that relies
308
00:16:18,215 --> 00:16:21,964
a hundred percent on myself or
somebody else on my team or their
309
00:16:21,965 --> 00:16:24,095
own creativity or my own creativity.
310
00:16:24,524 --> 00:16:29,104
And, um, That is actually
holding me back, holding us back.
311
00:16:29,285 --> 00:16:32,545
When I think about jumpstarting
my own creativity, that's an
312
00:16:32,545 --> 00:16:34,415
advantage plus a time saver.
313
00:16:34,435 --> 00:16:37,875
So I am playing around with AI myself
a little bit, trying to get better
314
00:16:37,875 --> 00:16:41,804
at it, trying to push myself in this
area because I see the benefits.
315
00:16:42,064 --> 00:16:45,074
And then lastly, the tech is
only going to get better, right?
316
00:16:45,074 --> 00:16:49,374
This technology is not
going away for sure.
317
00:16:49,724 --> 00:16:51,395
So I would say.
318
00:16:52,170 --> 00:16:55,699
Not only am I encouraging this, but
encouraging at least dabbling, playing
319
00:16:55,699 --> 00:17:00,910
around, getting familiar with the
technology and the tools because it is
320
00:17:01,049 --> 00:17:03,579
only going to serve you going forward.
321
00:17:04,098 --> 00:17:07,260
Okay, let's call all of
this free bonus tip 4.
322
00:17:07,310 --> 00:17:07,770
5.
323
00:17:08,659 --> 00:17:12,260
We left off with tip number four
in the last episode, and now
324
00:17:12,579 --> 00:17:16,040
let's move on to tip number five.
325
00:17:16,460 --> 00:17:18,040
Be specific.
326
00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:22,898
Any time you are writing a
list of benefits or features.
327
00:17:23,858 --> 00:17:25,970
Take away and more.
328
00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:27,210
Like, we see this all the time.
329
00:17:27,210 --> 00:17:30,980
Like, somebody says, I don't
know, the upcoming opera has great
330
00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:33,270
sets, awesome costumes, and more.
331
00:17:33,919 --> 00:17:34,929
Don't say and more.
332
00:17:35,370 --> 00:17:38,079
Instead, you have to say
exactly what you're selling.
333
00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,730
This is important to the shift
in consumer behavior today.
334
00:17:40,739 --> 00:17:43,969
And more is kind of a lazy catch
all, and we have to stop doing
335
00:17:43,970 --> 00:17:45,230
it because it's not effective.
336
00:17:45,230 --> 00:17:48,540
Not because I'm criticizing lazy
copywriting, just because it doesn't work.
337
00:17:48,550 --> 00:17:50,550
And that's the part I'm trying
to help you get away from.
338
00:17:50,830 --> 00:17:53,500
So instead, you have to
find something else to say.
339
00:17:53,875 --> 00:17:55,604
instead of the vague and more.
340
00:17:56,515 --> 00:17:57,005
What is it?
341
00:17:57,005 --> 00:18:00,905
Great sets, awesome costumes,
and special choreography.
342
00:18:00,935 --> 00:18:01,315
I don't know.
343
00:18:01,315 --> 00:18:02,145
I'm making this up.
344
00:18:02,534 --> 00:18:06,225
But similarly, avoid rhetorical questions.
345
00:18:06,534 --> 00:18:11,004
So many times we waste that first line
of copy with a rhetorical question.
346
00:18:11,014 --> 00:18:12,274
Sometimes it's okay.
347
00:18:12,504 --> 00:18:13,644
Sometimes it's okay.
348
00:18:13,854 --> 00:18:18,294
When you're defaulting to that, a
fair amount, flex that copywriting
349
00:18:18,294 --> 00:18:19,564
muscle, and try to do better.
350
00:18:20,054 --> 00:18:24,945
Occasionally, like I said, like, like
an example of when it might work is when
351
00:18:24,965 --> 00:18:28,315
it's an actual question your customer
is asking, like we noted before.
352
00:18:28,594 --> 00:18:32,754
But a lot of times it just weakens
the copy, kind of wastes words, so
353
00:18:32,764 --> 00:18:34,264
find a way to reword it when you can.
354
00:18:34,264 --> 00:18:38,455
Just jump to the answer, usually, is the
solution to this copywriting challenge.
355
00:18:38,785 --> 00:18:42,195
So here's a great one when
we're talking about be specific.
356
00:18:42,315 --> 00:18:47,655
You can also Use a number to
convey specificity and credibility
357
00:18:47,965 --> 00:18:53,295
and Specific numbers are more
believable than round numbers.
358
00:18:53,495 --> 00:18:57,825
Don't just say, you know, when
we've got up to 90 people on
359
00:18:57,835 --> 00:19:03,235
stage, say we have 72 members in
the orchestra or whatever it is.
360
00:19:04,115 --> 00:19:08,884
Or literally the way I set up the title of
this episode, nine tips for copywriting.
361
00:19:09,895 --> 00:19:13,115
Be specific and don't give a round number.
362
00:19:13,875 --> 00:19:16,445
That is intentional even in
the title of this episode.
363
00:19:16,945 --> 00:19:19,485
Tip number six, drop the superlatives.
364
00:19:19,735 --> 00:19:20,125
Think.
365
00:19:20,710 --> 00:19:21,630
Just the facts.
366
00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,640
This is really a blast from the
past, but did anybody watch Dragnet?
367
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:26,920
Dragnet, when did it come on?
368
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,810
The 50s or 60s, I want to say.
369
00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,499
I could be wrong on that, but I think it
was black and white originally, so that
370
00:19:31,500 --> 00:19:33,220
gives some semblance of a time period.
371
00:19:33,509 --> 00:19:35,620
But the detective would
say, just the facts, ma'am.
372
00:19:35,780 --> 00:19:36,560
That's where that came from.
373
00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:37,450
It came from Dragnet.
374
00:19:37,830 --> 00:19:41,650
And that's the other way to
say, drop the superlatives.
375
00:19:41,690 --> 00:19:45,380
And this is definitely research
based and definitely applies
376
00:19:45,380 --> 00:19:47,110
to so many arts organizations.
377
00:19:47,110 --> 00:19:48,080
So hear me out.
378
00:19:48,605 --> 00:19:53,195
There is a study that found, they actually
measured this, like how many superlatives,
379
00:19:53,195 --> 00:19:57,695
these like flowery adjectives,
performed better in copywriting.
380
00:19:58,115 --> 00:20:05,405
And in their copywriting, they
found that zero or one superlatives
381
00:20:05,474 --> 00:20:07,755
performed best in all of their tests.
382
00:20:08,035 --> 00:20:12,895
And the more superlatives than that, two,
three, four, however many adjectives,
383
00:20:12,895 --> 00:20:14,405
flowery words people put in there.
384
00:20:14,745 --> 00:20:19,115
The worse the click
throughs, opens, reads, etc.
385
00:20:19,125 --> 00:20:22,175
So zero or one superlatives.
386
00:20:22,465 --> 00:20:23,795
That is what you need to know.
387
00:20:23,975 --> 00:20:25,004
Drop the superlatives.
388
00:20:25,024 --> 00:20:27,984
I literally went to, here's more
examples for you, literally went to a
389
00:20:27,984 --> 00:20:31,664
major orchestra's website and clicked
on the first concert on the homepage.
390
00:20:32,344 --> 00:20:35,335
And this is what that landing page
said, clicked on the whatever they were
391
00:20:35,335 --> 00:20:38,565
promoting on the homepage, took me to
this landing page for the concert, the
392
00:20:38,565 --> 00:20:43,494
program overview page, and it said,
quote, two orchestral innovators tackle
393
00:20:43,494 --> 00:20:45,555
the complexities of the human condition.
394
00:20:45,955 --> 00:20:50,504
Ricard Strauss passionate and provocative
symphony poems plumb the psychological
395
00:20:50,504 --> 00:20:52,514
depths of his literary sources.
396
00:20:52,874 --> 00:20:56,200
Maurice Ravel wrote Wrote his dark
and intense piano concerto for
397
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,820
the left hand because the Austrian
pianist who commissioned it lost
398
00:20:59,820 --> 00:21:00,940
his right arm in World War I.
399
00:21:01,610 --> 00:21:05,980
The warped and tender waltzes of La Valse
are the Frenchman's response to the dream
400
00:21:05,990 --> 00:21:08,760
of Viennese refinement in a murderous age.
401
00:21:09,529 --> 00:21:11,599
Okay, first of all, that's a lot of words.
402
00:21:12,140 --> 00:21:14,410
Second of all, that is
a lot of superlatives.
403
00:21:15,060 --> 00:21:20,480
So, I will say, to give credit, the
second sentence is actually really good.
404
00:21:20,630 --> 00:21:24,850
Maurice Ravel wrote his dark and intense
piano concerto for the left hand because
405
00:21:24,860 --> 00:21:28,779
the Austrian pianist who commissioned
it lost his right arm in World War I.
406
00:21:28,780 --> 00:21:31,429
I would say there's probably
more in there than needs to be.
407
00:21:31,429 --> 00:21:36,475
You could probably quell that a bit, drop
some of these words, but Why it's good
408
00:21:36,475 --> 00:21:37,705
is because that's an interesting fact.
409
00:21:37,705 --> 00:21:38,794
The work is cool.
410
00:21:39,014 --> 00:21:41,145
It uses words that are
more understandable.
411
00:21:41,185 --> 00:21:42,294
Oh, it's for the left hand.
412
00:21:42,294 --> 00:21:44,874
Oh, because the person who
commissioned it had lost his right
413
00:21:44,874 --> 00:21:46,465
arm, so he needed only his left hand.
414
00:21:46,814 --> 00:21:51,054
So that's pretty good, but it's buried in
the middle of this big, long paragraph.
415
00:21:51,054 --> 00:21:53,560
So Drop the superlatives.
416
00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:58,810
Also just to be crystal clear, words
like world class and beloved are
417
00:21:58,810 --> 00:22:02,479
definitely superlatives and you should
definitely stop using those words.
418
00:22:02,479 --> 00:22:05,909
It goes back to point one
on using language like how
419
00:22:05,909 --> 00:22:07,800
your customers actually talk.
420
00:22:08,170 --> 00:22:09,560
What do people actually say?
421
00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,319
They say words like
awesome or crazy or best.
422
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,540
Like just talk like people
talk and use interesting facts.
423
00:22:16,590 --> 00:22:19,590
That's definitely better and
easier to understand than.
424
00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,300
Viennese refinement in a murderous age.
425
00:22:22,970 --> 00:22:25,170
Like I said, this was literally
the first orchestra website I
426
00:22:25,310 --> 00:22:27,960
went to, literally clicked on the
first thing on the first page.
427
00:22:28,630 --> 00:22:31,809
This stuff is just pervasive, so I
really am not trying to throw shade
428
00:22:31,809 --> 00:22:33,029
or throw anybody under the bus.
429
00:22:33,340 --> 00:22:35,450
It's just not effective copywriting.
430
00:22:35,460 --> 00:22:38,820
So here are these examples to
try to help understand what's
431
00:22:38,820 --> 00:22:42,989
happening and what we can do to be
more effective, to drive results.
432
00:22:42,989 --> 00:22:47,330
That's what the copywriting is all
about, driving the results we need.
433
00:22:47,580 --> 00:22:49,240
Tip number 7 of 9.
434
00:22:49,615 --> 00:22:52,945
Use the active voice,
not the passive voice.
435
00:22:53,045 --> 00:22:57,725
So, for example, a social media post
that says something like, The orchestra
436
00:22:57,725 --> 00:23:00,374
shines under the baton of conductor name.
437
00:23:00,584 --> 00:23:01,384
That's passive.
438
00:23:01,694 --> 00:23:05,024
Versus, they make it look effortless.
439
00:23:05,625 --> 00:23:08,665
That's more active, it's also a
little juicier, it's a better hook.
440
00:23:08,915 --> 00:23:11,574
Or, they did this on just two rehearsals.
441
00:23:12,065 --> 00:23:15,575
That one line brings together
a lot of these other points.
442
00:23:15,635 --> 00:23:16,435
It's active.
443
00:23:16,455 --> 00:23:18,995
It's a specific number, two rehearsals.
444
00:23:19,175 --> 00:23:21,974
Plus it's a fact matching
the point on being specific.
445
00:23:22,115 --> 00:23:24,165
Plus there's no false enthusiasm.
446
00:23:24,204 --> 00:23:26,994
It's talking like your customers
talk, like that one line, they
447
00:23:26,994 --> 00:23:28,454
did this on just two rehearsals.
448
00:23:28,654 --> 00:23:30,645
That is a much more powerful.
449
00:23:31,010 --> 00:23:31,820
line of copy.
450
00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:36,690
And you know, it's so funny because
we internally in the arts, especially
451
00:23:36,690 --> 00:23:39,880
in the orchestra world, we're almost
never impressed by an orchestra
452
00:23:39,910 --> 00:23:42,819
doing a performance after just
two or three rehearsals because we
453
00:23:42,819 --> 00:23:45,989
know they do it all the time, like
literally week after week, right?
454
00:23:46,379 --> 00:23:48,719
But customers don't know that.
455
00:23:49,170 --> 00:23:53,600
And it just makes me think about, this is
about using the active voice, but the sub
456
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:58,150
tip would be, you know, don't be afraid
to say the things that feel obvious to us,
457
00:23:58,150 --> 00:24:00,150
but they're not obvious to our customers.
458
00:24:00,525 --> 00:24:03,315
I've been thinking so much about
Caitlin Clarke lately, like for anybody
459
00:24:03,315 --> 00:24:06,995
who's been following the Caitlin
Clarke phenomenon, nobody is saying.
460
00:24:07,999 --> 00:24:12,019
Yeah, but she scores over 40 points
every game, so it's old hat now.
461
00:24:12,269 --> 00:24:12,610
Right?
462
00:24:12,629 --> 00:24:18,389
Like, nobody is saying, like, she's old
news because she excels every single
463
00:24:18,389 --> 00:24:20,229
time and she does it every single time.
464
00:24:20,239 --> 00:24:23,029
That's not, that's not the
topic of conversation with her.
465
00:24:23,309 --> 00:24:27,269
The topic of conversation with her
is like, holy cow, she's exceptional.
466
00:24:27,279 --> 00:24:30,310
So the things that Really
do make our artists so
467
00:24:30,310 --> 00:24:32,699
exceptional, like, talk about it.
468
00:24:32,939 --> 00:24:36,019
Nobody is saying Simone Biles
landed the most difficult vault
469
00:24:36,060 --> 00:24:37,969
ever done in women's gymnastics.
470
00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:40,600
Again, snooze fest, right?
471
00:24:40,610 --> 00:24:43,720
Like both of those examples
are of greatness because
472
00:24:43,740 --> 00:24:44,990
they do it again and again.
473
00:24:44,990 --> 00:24:46,730
And it is the same with our artists.
474
00:24:46,969 --> 00:24:49,039
They just did that on two rehearsals.
475
00:24:49,369 --> 00:24:50,149
Active voice.
476
00:24:50,229 --> 00:24:51,519
One more I just thought of.
477
00:24:51,549 --> 00:24:55,009
Somebody was telling me, this was
a few years ago, but somebody was
478
00:24:55,009 --> 00:24:56,439
telling me about their friend.
479
00:24:56,830 --> 00:25:00,060
watching Long Long Play Piano
on YouTube for the first time.
480
00:25:00,070 --> 00:25:04,110
They did not know him, they
didn't know who he was, and my
481
00:25:04,110 --> 00:25:05,520
friend had shown this video.
482
00:25:06,029 --> 00:25:06,739
To their friend.
483
00:25:06,810 --> 00:25:07,229
Okay.
484
00:25:07,750 --> 00:25:08,879
I don't know what the copy on that.
485
00:25:08,919 --> 00:25:10,080
I'm going to tell you
what the friend said.
486
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,409
Talk about talking like your
patrons talk or your customers talk.
487
00:25:13,469 --> 00:25:16,860
I'm going to tell you what they said
in a moment, but instead what I did
488
00:25:16,909 --> 00:25:20,249
as I was, this was coming to mind in
preparation for this episode, I go
489
00:25:20,259 --> 00:25:23,830
back to Instagram, open it up and I
thought, okay, let's just see what
490
00:25:23,830 --> 00:25:26,059
posts are talking about a piano player.
491
00:25:26,999 --> 00:25:28,110
All right, here's what I got.
492
00:25:28,120 --> 00:25:30,820
First two posts I came across
talking about a piano player.
493
00:25:31,389 --> 00:25:36,590
Quote, experience the striking stage
presence and jaw dropping bravura
494
00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:39,180
of Yefim Bronfman in a solo recital.
495
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,850
On the program, and
then list of composers.
496
00:25:42,169 --> 00:25:42,760
Next one.
497
00:25:42,970 --> 00:25:45,240
I keep scrolling a couple
more later, another pianist.
498
00:25:45,770 --> 00:25:50,319
Beatrice Rana and conductor name on
stage with insert big orchestra name
499
00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:54,900
performing insert piece of music name
at insert venue name this past weekend.
500
00:25:55,399 --> 00:25:58,759
Like, do you think the friend said
that when this person watched Long
501
00:25:58,759 --> 00:26:01,800
Long Play for the first time, which,
by the way, is what we want happening
502
00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:05,429
on our social channels, whether that's
YouTube or Instagram or wherever,
503
00:26:05,970 --> 00:26:07,049
do you think the friend said that?
504
00:26:07,060 --> 00:26:09,960
Like, wow, look at that
jaw dropping bravura.
505
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:10,730
No.
506
00:26:11,530 --> 00:26:14,800
The friend said, wow,
his hands are blurry.
507
00:26:15,570 --> 00:26:19,600
Like he is playing so
fast, his hands are blurry.
508
00:26:20,090 --> 00:26:21,130
That's active voice.
509
00:26:21,130 --> 00:26:24,130
That's actually what the
customer is thinking or saying.
510
00:26:24,605 --> 00:26:28,935
It's such a better line of copy
that could've gone for any of these
511
00:26:28,935 --> 00:26:30,565
pianists I just used the examples of.
512
00:26:31,085 --> 00:26:32,345
Wow, their hands are blurry.
513
00:26:33,395 --> 00:26:35,864
So much stronger than these other words.
514
00:26:36,045 --> 00:26:39,455
These are actual examples in my feed
two seconds after I opened the app.
515
00:26:39,634 --> 00:26:40,064
Okay.
516
00:26:40,515 --> 00:26:42,295
Use active voice, not passive voice.
517
00:26:42,475 --> 00:26:43,134
Number eight.
518
00:26:43,145 --> 00:26:44,985
Tip number eight of nine.
519
00:26:45,455 --> 00:26:47,015
Use white space.
520
00:26:47,595 --> 00:26:51,015
Okay, this is now more
important off of social media.
521
00:26:51,015 --> 00:26:52,845
There's definitely, it's definitely
important on social media.
522
00:26:52,845 --> 00:26:56,454
You need line breaks and things
like that, but this is all kinds
523
00:26:56,455 --> 00:26:58,655
of other copy we write as well.
524
00:26:58,945 --> 00:27:05,385
So we need to help our copy look
clean, look uncluttered, and create
525
00:27:05,385 --> 00:27:06,915
visual balance and breathing room.
526
00:27:06,915 --> 00:27:12,715
This is important because We need
people to understand and take action.
527
00:27:12,715 --> 00:27:14,834
We're using, we're trying to
drive an emotional reaction
528
00:27:14,834 --> 00:27:16,205
to drive the desired behavior.
529
00:27:16,205 --> 00:27:16,485
Right?
530
00:27:16,855 --> 00:27:22,504
So we need our white space to help
us do that, to help somebody's brain
531
00:27:22,645 --> 00:27:26,955
process what we're writing in this As
little time as possible, you know, we're
532
00:27:26,955 --> 00:27:28,624
talking milliseconds or seconds, right?
533
00:27:28,814 --> 00:27:30,364
So the whitespace helps us do that.
534
00:27:30,735 --> 00:27:34,344
That means add in space between
sections of the email or website,
535
00:27:34,635 --> 00:27:36,415
lots of paragraph breaks.
536
00:27:36,425 --> 00:27:39,464
Sometimes even in my own
copy, it's treating a sentence
537
00:27:39,465 --> 00:27:40,494
like a paragraph, right?
538
00:27:40,495 --> 00:27:41,374
You write a sentence.
539
00:27:42,030 --> 00:27:43,830
Basically, a paragraph break after that.
540
00:27:44,050 --> 00:27:45,130
This is by design.
541
00:27:45,140 --> 00:27:47,910
It's so people can process
what they're reading.
542
00:27:48,030 --> 00:27:49,980
And another way to say
this is that people skim.
543
00:27:49,990 --> 00:27:51,520
They don't read, they skim.
544
00:27:51,749 --> 00:27:53,140
So help them skim.
545
00:27:53,150 --> 00:27:57,080
If you want to increase conversions,
you have to help them read less.
546
00:27:57,100 --> 00:27:58,990
Like maybe this sounds counterintuitive.
547
00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:00,040
But it's not.
548
00:28:00,180 --> 00:28:01,700
People are going to do what
they're going to do, right?
549
00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:05,980
So help them get what they need or want
in the shortest amount of time possible.
550
00:28:05,980 --> 00:28:07,140
Whitespace helps with that.
551
00:28:07,620 --> 00:28:10,910
I see so many postcards and
brochures that come in the mail.
552
00:28:10,910 --> 00:28:14,130
It's kind of season brochure time
right now as I'm recording this.
553
00:28:14,525 --> 00:28:17,675
and it is a C of black type.
554
00:28:17,915 --> 00:28:20,135
This is bad copywriting.
555
00:28:20,155 --> 00:28:21,905
I know you have a lot to say.
556
00:28:22,295 --> 00:28:26,055
We're going to talk about some of that in
the next and final tip, but you do this in
557
00:28:26,055 --> 00:28:28,265
your own life too as a consumer yourself.
558
00:28:28,265 --> 00:28:29,814
You don't read every word.
559
00:28:30,015 --> 00:28:34,654
You skim to see if that email
or post or letter or postcard
560
00:28:34,654 --> 00:28:36,385
or brochure is worth your time.
561
00:28:36,415 --> 00:28:42,315
So help the reader take in what they
need in that like very short millisecond,
562
00:28:42,354 --> 00:28:43,875
couple seconds chance we're given.
563
00:28:44,610 --> 00:28:49,260
And then, like I said, this segues into
our next and final point, point nine
564
00:28:49,260 --> 00:28:54,879
of nine, tip nine of nine, cut the copy
in half and then cut it in half again.
565
00:28:55,410 --> 00:28:58,220
Sometimes longer form copy is effective.
566
00:28:58,300 --> 00:28:59,069
Sometimes it is.
567
00:28:59,069 --> 00:28:59,679
That is true.
568
00:29:00,139 --> 00:29:04,889
But, generally speaking, for the
website, email, direct mail, and even
569
00:29:04,889 --> 00:29:09,400
fundraising appeals, try to say what
you need to say in half the words.
570
00:29:09,889 --> 00:29:10,819
I know that's hard.
571
00:29:10,819 --> 00:29:12,909
Even in the fundraising appeal,
oh man, I've been there.
572
00:29:12,919 --> 00:29:13,549
It's hard.
573
00:29:13,789 --> 00:29:16,610
But again, most people
aren't really reading.
574
00:29:16,610 --> 00:29:21,290
So it is a skill to be able to cut
it in half and cut it in half again.
575
00:29:21,300 --> 00:29:24,479
Anybody who's worked for me has definitely
heard me say this, cut it in half.
576
00:29:24,490 --> 00:29:26,919
So I'm just a longtime
broken record on this.
577
00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:28,930
There is so much more
to say on this topic.
578
00:29:28,950 --> 00:29:34,790
Just recently in one of my academy
office hours, a participant brought
579
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,579
their appeal letter to the office hours
and said, can we look at this together?
580
00:29:38,590 --> 00:29:39,920
Can we talk about what to cut?
581
00:29:40,350 --> 00:29:42,060
And there's a lot more to say.
582
00:29:42,060 --> 00:29:45,429
Also, we also looked at like what the
research says about storytelling and
583
00:29:45,430 --> 00:29:47,379
how to do that well across channels.
584
00:29:47,380 --> 00:29:50,770
There is so much more to say on this
topic of copywriting, but before
585
00:29:50,770 --> 00:29:52,200
we call it, I've got one more.
586
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,570
Let's call it the bonus 10th tip.
587
00:29:55,150 --> 00:29:58,860
And that is that practice makes perfect.
588
00:29:59,550 --> 00:30:04,910
Doing all of this is not easy, definitely
not easy at the beginning, and that
589
00:30:04,910 --> 00:30:07,630
is why great copywriting is a skill.
590
00:30:07,889 --> 00:30:10,110
It takes work to do all these things.
591
00:30:10,110 --> 00:30:13,539
It takes mental work, mental
capacity, some mental gymnastics.
592
00:30:13,549 --> 00:30:15,060
It takes brainstorming.
593
00:30:15,339 --> 00:30:17,249
It definitely takes iteration.
594
00:30:17,259 --> 00:30:20,140
You have to write, you have to rewrite,
you have to cut, you have to try it again.
595
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,280
Brainstorm a bunch of different
versions of the headline or the hook.
596
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:24,510
Like, that's, that's work.
597
00:30:24,980 --> 00:30:28,450
It takes being able to cut
things that are good, not great.
598
00:30:28,490 --> 00:30:29,410
That's hard too.
599
00:30:29,410 --> 00:30:31,950
I, cutting in half is hard
because, you know, you get really
600
00:30:31,950 --> 00:30:33,240
attached to what you're saying.
601
00:30:33,269 --> 00:30:34,690
And I definitely do this myself.
602
00:30:34,690 --> 00:30:37,130
So for sure, constantly working on this.
603
00:30:37,660 --> 00:30:39,709
It means you can't always
bang it out in two seconds.
604
00:30:39,710 --> 00:30:44,205
And I think so often in the arts, you
We're having to bang it out in two
605
00:30:44,205 --> 00:30:45,515
seconds because we don't have time.
606
00:30:45,515 --> 00:30:46,265
It's due tomorrow.
607
00:30:46,265 --> 00:30:47,915
It's due yesterday, basically.
608
00:30:48,215 --> 00:30:51,164
So it makes it hard to just
take the time to really try to
609
00:30:51,165 --> 00:30:53,105
build the muscles to do this.
610
00:30:53,135 --> 00:30:54,414
But keep practicing.
611
00:30:54,625 --> 00:30:56,094
Keep building those chops.
612
00:30:56,155 --> 00:30:57,414
It will pay off.
613
00:30:57,445 --> 00:30:58,665
I can promise you.
614
00:30:58,990 --> 00:31:03,760
That, and that is why big brands
and ad agencies, they have people
615
00:31:03,860 --> 00:31:05,750
solely dedicated to copywriting.
616
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,280
Like it's their full title,
full job, copywriter.
617
00:31:09,020 --> 00:31:14,170
They know the words we use are so
critically important to motivate action.
618
00:31:14,390 --> 00:31:18,010
We at arts organizations
use words in so many places.
619
00:31:18,495 --> 00:31:22,425
And being strategic about the
words you use makes the biggest
620
00:31:22,425 --> 00:31:24,135
difference to your bottom line.
621
00:31:25,945 --> 00:31:29,575
All right, folks, I hope you found
these last two episodes really packed
622
00:31:29,575 --> 00:31:33,954
with actionable tips to immediately
increase your sales and donations via
623
00:31:33,955 --> 00:31:36,094
the words you use in your copywriting.
624
00:31:36,495 --> 00:31:40,255
I want you to have all the tips from
this episode and the last episode,
625
00:31:40,285 --> 00:31:43,935
parts one and two, on this topic
of copywriting at your fingertips.
626
00:31:44,175 --> 00:31:47,414
That way, next time you are writing
something, whether that's for a
627
00:31:47,414 --> 00:31:52,025
website, collateral, brochure, social
media, fundraising appeal, a letter,
628
00:31:52,044 --> 00:31:57,155
email, whatever, you can refer to
these pointers and level up what
629
00:31:57,155 --> 00:32:00,505
you're putting out into the world to
get the results you want and need.
630
00:32:01,185 --> 00:32:03,165
Go to my website and
get your free download.
631
00:32:03,185 --> 00:32:06,155
It's called Do's and Don'ts
of Copywriting, 9 Tips
632
00:32:06,155 --> 00:32:07,785
to Level Up Immediately.
633
00:32:08,055 --> 00:32:09,965
Head to www.
634
00:32:10,015 --> 00:32:10,874
aubreybergauer.
635
00:32:10,874 --> 00:32:12,575
com slash 27.
636
00:32:12,874 --> 00:32:15,435
That's number 27 for episode 27.
637
00:32:16,165 --> 00:32:21,015
And to best use this download, I would
say next time you're writing something
638
00:32:21,015 --> 00:32:26,425
for your organization, My recommendation
is either to first look at the list,
639
00:32:26,435 --> 00:32:30,815
scan the tips, and then instantly that
puts your brain in the right brain space
640
00:32:30,825 --> 00:32:34,765
to write great copy, and of course you
can refer to the tips and guide as you
641
00:32:34,774 --> 00:32:40,475
go, or if you have something already
written, like webpages, for example,
642
00:32:41,195 --> 00:32:45,705
the other recommendation or option is
to use the tips and compare against
643
00:32:45,705 --> 00:32:49,925
what's already there so you can make
Smart, better choices about what to keep,
644
00:32:50,165 --> 00:32:54,755
what to cut, and what to modify so that
that copy is working harder for you.
645
00:32:55,085 --> 00:32:56,475
Again, it's aubreybergauer.
646
00:32:56,514 --> 00:33:00,884
com slash 27, number 27, for episode 27.
647
00:33:02,905 --> 00:33:04,144
That's all for today, folks.
648
00:33:04,395 --> 00:33:08,880
Thanks so much for listening, and if you
like what you heard here, Hit that button
649
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:10,820
to follow or subscribe to this podcast.
650
00:33:11,250 --> 00:33:12,970
If you're new, welcome.
651
00:33:13,050 --> 00:33:15,280
I am so glad you made it.
652
00:33:15,790 --> 00:33:19,710
And if you've been listening for
a while, I love so much that you
653
00:33:19,710 --> 00:33:20,870
were getting value from this.
654
00:33:21,570 --> 00:33:25,809
So if that's you, please take just two
seconds to leave a quick one tap rating.
655
00:33:26,230 --> 00:33:29,140
Full on review isn't even
required if you're short on time.
656
00:33:29,580 --> 00:33:32,250
To all of you once more, thanks again.
657
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:33,740
I'll see you next time right here.
658
00:33:33,905 --> 00:33:34,875
On the Offstage Mic.
659
00:33:35,425 --> 00:33:39,365
The Offstage Mic was produced by me,
Aubrey Bergauer, and edited by Novo
660
00:33:39,365 --> 00:33:44,245
Music, an audio production company of
all women audio engineers and musicians.
661
00:33:44,804 --> 00:33:47,665
Additional podcast support comes
from the Changing the Narrative
662
00:33:47,665 --> 00:33:51,144
team and social media brand
management by Classical Content.
663
00:33:51,715 --> 00:33:53,725
This is a production of
Changing the Narrative.
