Readers are sick and tired of being pummeled with launches.
Nobody wants email after email pressuring you to go to a sales page.
“Gotta buy now! Learn all about my amazing program here!”
That’s why I like what AMP My Content did in their evergreen sequence. (They’re a company that helps you get more traffic.)
Instead of pushing the reader to the sales page, they pulled them in.
They sent the reader to a compelling case study that taught them a nice life lesson. While also showing a compelling journey and results that make the reader WANT to learn about the program.
It’s a huge advantage. Do this, and readers will actually want to read your sales page to see what your product is all about.
Here’s how they do it:
Step 1: Disguise your sales pitch in a life lesson
Amp My Content sent an email to their list with a story about “overthinking.”
It was all about how the fears we have often never come true.
Then they turn that to show how it applies to the reader’s business.
They use an example of a student who had a bunch of fears — how she lacked confidence, was overthinking, and consumed a lot of material –but she couldn’t get results.
Then they talk about how she used their program and got great results. And they give you a link to read her story.
So a couple things are happening here.
In this email, they are:
- Connecting with the reader by showing the struggle someone just like them dealt with
- Proving there is a way out by sharing the results that person got
- Disguising the sales pitch by making it a lesson (or theme) in how the things we fear rarely come true.
It’s a strong way to get people over to your case study page.
Step 2: The “Results” open
Quick note: I’m not going to do a step-by-step breakdown like I did for Tim Ferris’ case study.
Because that takes a long time. And frankly, there are a couple things on this page that I have no clue why they’re there.
So I’m just going to focus on what I think is done really well. Cool?
Anyway, they open up the case study with a brief bit of background. They quickly state how she’s a full-time content writer and edits videos. This lets people with a similar job see this is for them.
Then they go straight into the results she got and how quickly she got them. This is big because people are want to know when to expect results.
Then they give you a chance to check out the sales page before going into more detail on her story.
Having a call to action this early ensures hot prospects won’t cool or be lost. But it’s also subtle enough so people interested in the story can skate right past it and get to the part they want — the story.
Step 3: Challenge the reader to be courageous
After the intro, they talk about how we make decisions with our “lizard brain” — which is true but I don’t get why it’s needed.
But then they do something cool.
They get back to that theme of how we all have fears around doing new things. We worry “What if I fail?”
Then they reframe it by challenging you to instead ask “What if I succeed?”
They’re adding value here. They are giving you a new way to think about things that can help all areas of your life. Since they’re teaching you and being helpful it builds trust and you’re willing to hear more from them.
Then they do something even cooler.
They talk about how SOME people have the courage to “roll the dice” in the face of fear. They are willing to take the risk. And they learn that the thing they were afraid of never happens.
This challenges the reader. It’s like saying “Hey, wanna be lame and live in fear or be a badass who spits in fears face and gets shit done anyway?” Except it’s way more subtle/gentle than that.
So now, joining the course isn’t just about getting traffic. It’s about being that brave, admirable person who takes risks. And also, it’s implied that their fears/worries about joining likely won’t come true. So they really aren’t risking anything.
Pretty cool, eh?
Step 4: The reverse SMIQ
You know how the Ask Method uses the Single Most Important Question to figure out your audience’s biggest struggle? So you can create a course around that and become all rich and stuff?
Welp, asking that same question to your successful customers is a great way to get clear, specific quotes on how you helped them.
Instead of asking “What is your single biggest challenge with X (getting traffic, losing weight, whatever you sell.)
Ask your successful students: “What WAS your single biggest challenge with X.”
This helps them paint a clear picture of what life was like before working with you.
This is important because the clearer that picture the more readers will resonate. They’ll go “Oh that’s just what I’m struggling with!”
In this case, we read this great answer on how she “lacked clarity” and tried all this stuff but none of it worked. That’s going to resonate with a lot of people.
And keep this part in mind once we get to step 7…
Step 5: Overcoming objections
Your readers have objections about working with you.
Most people try to overcome objections by telling the person they don’t need to worry about it. “Oh you’re a single mom? Yeah this can still work for you. Here’s the link to join!”
A far more powerful method is to SHOW how other people overcame those same objections.
That’s what AMP My Content does with that next question. They ask what doubts she had and then they show how she overcame them.
In this case, it was doubt about the content being good and her ability to follow through.
Then she shares how she overcame those doubts by learning more about him and “having faith.” And how her other objection — the fact she didn’t trust herself to follow through — was solved by the guidance and support she got into the course.
This is huge. Many readers likely have the same objection. Sharing how she had it too — and how she overcame it — shows them a proven way around that objection.
It’s like if you’re in a car and there’s a giant boulder sitting in front of you blocking the road. Then someone’s head pops out from behind a tree and says “Hey! Over here! There’s a path around the boulder that’s safe for cars.” And you squint a little and realize oh hey, there is.
That’s what’s happening here. You’re showing them the path to overcome that objection by showing how someone else already did.
Step 6: Show the results
Great copy puts a picture in people’s heads of what their life will look like after they use your program.
Having that picture makes what you’re selling clear and more desirable.
And the easiest way to put that picture into your reader’s head is to literally show them a picture.
In this case, they show a logo of one of the companies that tried to hire this woman, as well as Rain Wilson (Dwight from The Office) since he was involved with the other company that tried to hire her.
The pictures keep the copy engaging. And also help the person understand what their life can be like with your help.
Just think of how much better this post would be if I put cool/helpful pictures in it and you’ll get what I mean.
Step 7: Show how life has changed
One of the last questions they ask is “How has your life changed?”
Not how has your business changed, or how has your traffic changed (they already covered that.)
By asking this question, they are going a level deeper. They are showing the results of the results — why more traffic and better business matters to her.
And her answer beautifully ties back to the challenge she had before joining the course.
Remember, she said her challenge was lacking confidence and not having clarity.
Now, she talks about how she has both those things.
The big problem has been solved! Horraaaay!
Step 8: The crossroad close
After the story, they go into the traditional “crossroad close”
They tell the reader how they can continue going like their going…
Or they can make a change — like the person they just read about.
Then they give you a link to the sales page. So you can learn more and go on a similar journey.
You can’t see it now becasue the sale is over, but they even gave you an option to buy right there on the case study page.
This is smart because it remove friction from the people already eager to give you money.
Things to make it even better:
This is a very solid case study. But the annoying thing about copy is it can always be better.
Here are a couple of things you could add to a case study like this to give it even more pop:
- Add a recap. After the story and before the close, drive home the main point. Tell them what you told them. Give them a clear message you want stuck in their brain.
- More emotion in the close. It’s pretty standard “you can keep going like you are or you can change!” It’s worth going into more detail on the pain and struggle of where they are now and the joy and euphoria of what that change can be like.
- Show a real picture or video of this person. It adds believability.
- Expand on what it was like to go through the course and some big lessons she got from it.
- Raise the stakes. Why was this so important for her? What did it feel like to achieve those results? There could be a whole tearful compelling story buried here that was never touched on.