The other day I was talking with Kevin Rogers from Copy Chief.
He said one of the emails that got the biggest buzz during his entire launch was the case study email.
In it, he does something super cool I’ve never seen.
Most case study emails are, too be honest, lazy.
They’re not so much case studies as testimonials and copies of Facebook posts that say “OMG I love this program!”
Those are important for social proof. But they don’t do much to tap into the unique pain and desires of your reader.
Kevin did that in a way I’ve never seen before.
He showed the different TYPES of success copywriters can have with his course.
This is important. Because he’s not only painting a specific picture of what people want…
He’s making the email valuable and insightful by teaching the reader about themselves.
What readers learn from it can change the trajectory of their career. It helps them get what they want faster because it helps them define what they want. So even if they don’t join, this (and Kevin) can stick in their head. So when they are ready to join, they’re more likely to turn to Kev.
And because Kevin is teaching this concept of “different paths of success” through his success stories, there’s the added bonus that as you read it you realize how badass his program is and that you should buy it.
Pretty neat, huh?
Alright so let’s break down how he did it.
First, the Intro:
All he’s doing there is setting up this concept that there are three roads you can take. (And making it fun/engaging with the Frodo talk.)
The reader believes it because Kevin has been in the game so long. He knows what’s ahead of newbie writers.
He’s basically saying “There are 3 ways to be successful. Here’s how they are so you can pick what’s best for you.” Compelling idea for darn near anyone.
Part 2: The introduction
Okay now I feel douchy writing about someone who wrote about me.
But to be real I had no idea Kevin included me in this email. Or that I was the “all around freelancer” type.
Anyway, he goes on to say:
“Brian was stuck in a constant loop of “needing new projects” and underpricing himself. He worked hard, but barely made enough money to pay the bills. There was no doubt in his mind he had the experience and copy chops, but needed to break the cycle of insecurity that was holding him back.
Couple things going on: First, when describing the struggle, he talks about the external AND internal struggle. The working hard/not making enough as well as the doubt around having the skills to charge more.
It also covers covers more than the general desire to “make more working less”. But he includes the specific fear around charging more. Something most freelancers struggle with. And it’s implied this problem is solved through the program. (It would’ve been stronger if Kev said flat out the program helped me get over that, which it did.)
If I was Kev, I may have done more here to highlight the transformation and end result. Talk about the whole “Within 18 months he hit his income goals while traveling the world” thing.
Part 3: The second path (Okay, I realize “part three: the second path” is a confusing AF crosshead but whatever we are committed to this format now)
Here Kevin introduces the second path. He says:
“Next up is Angie Colee. She is one of the best representations of what success looks like as a Path 2 “Leave Me Alone To Write” Freelancer
Again, Kevin goes into the doubt and insecurity Angie faced.
He goes on to talk about how she wanted to work with just a few clients and not have to deal with “prospecting”. And how that makes her the “shut up and let me write” type.
So now, the reader has two options.
They can get all this different experience and try new stuff (like me) or hunker down with a couple of clients forever (like Angie.)
It would have been cool for Kevin to add a line or two on why each process is great. Like “Brian loves learning new things. So the idea of getting paid to suddenly learn all about the survival niche or parenting market keeps things fresh and exciting. While Angie loves the security, predictability, and close bonds that form through long-lasting partnerships.”
Okay, next part:
Part 4: Option 3 (God, these are the worst crossheads ever…)
Kevin writes:
Here Kevin shows the final option — using copy to start your own business.
Again this probably could’ve used a bit more detail. Like how she makes recurring revenue from her business (Join business of copy today! ;)) that covers her bills and so she can be picky about projects.
Part 5: The non-douchey close
Here’s how Kev closes the email:
See that, Kevin doesn’t need to sell hard at all in this email.
He lets the case studies sell for him.
If you click the link and read the story, you’ll get the option to click on over to the sales page.
So while everyone else is hammering their list on sales week, being like:
“Don’t you want to be like one of these random FB screenshots!? DON’T YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY!??! JOIN TODAY OR HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU!”
Kevin’s kicking back and sharing stories that relate to the EXACT pain people feel, helping them learn about themselves, better preparing them for their journey, and proving his course can take them from where they are to where they want to be.
Even though they may not have realized where they wanted to be until they read his email!
By the way, the whole reason Kevin could write this email was because he had bitchin case studies of me, Abbey, Angie and half a dozen others all ready to go.
I wrote all those for him.
If you want a bunch of bitchin’ case studies like this on your site, email me at [email protected]. I’ve got a whole process for cranking those bad boys out.