The Mighty Bullet Point: How to Write Love-Based Bullet Points That Inspire Your Ideal Clients to Take Action

I’m going to start by making a bold statement about the mighty bullet point:

In addition to being benefit-rich, as I mentioned in The Bullet Point: The Holy Grail of Copywriting, if you want to inspire your ideal client to buy, your bullet point should come from a place of love, rather than fear.

As you know, it’s my mission to give heart-centered and conscious entrepreneurs the information they need to build their businesses in a love-based way. In fact, I wrote a whole series of books on doing just that (check out the Love-Based Copywriting books here).

It only stands to reason, then, that I believe every piece of your marketing copy should be love-based … including your bullet points.

There are two places in your copy where this is especially applicable:

• Introductory bullet points, where you let your readers know whether they’re in the right place by touching on their pain and emotions.
• “What-you-learn” bullet points, where you highlight specific teaching points in a benefit-rich way.

Let’s talk about each one in depth.

The Introductory Bullet Point.

Its job description: to acknowledge that you understand your ideal client’s pain, what’s keeping her up at night.

What to include: descriptions of the “outer” and “inner” problems; for example, an outer problem may be that your ideal client has spent thousands of dollars putting up a website only to find it doesn’t generate sales (outer problem), and therefore, she’s frustrated (inner problem).

How to write it in a love-based way: mention the pain, but don’t twist the knife!

What to watch out for: using the pain to make your ideal client feel worse.

Here are some examples of effective love-based introductory bullet points:

• You spent countless resources—time, money, and energy—to write, format, launch, and market your new book, but it’s just not selling, and you’re starting to feel discouraged.
• This whole “content marketing” strategy seems so mysterious, and with all the information out there, you’re not sure what works and what doesn’t. It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?

Do you see how each of these bullet points contains an outer problem and the resulting inner problem?

Here are some examples of those same introductory bullet points written in a fear-based or ineffective way (caution: I do not recommend using these as models!):

• You spent countless resources—time, money, and energy—to write, format, launch, and market your new book, but it’s just not selling. Now you’re starting to think your writing is terrible, you’ll never make it as an author, and you’ll be forced to choose between working odd jobs or starving your children.
• This whole “content marketing” strategy seems so mysterious, which is why so many people fail at it—and therefore, fail at business, too.

Do you see how each of these examples paints a pretty scary picture of the future for whoever is reading it?

The What-You-Learn Bullet Point.

Its job description: to give your ideal client a taste of what she will learn, and how that will benefit her: how her life will change as a result of taking action on the offer you’re presenting.

What to include: a specific-yet-mysterious description of a concrete teaching point, and how that teaching point will contribute to a transformation; for example, you may mention, “The most important marketing strategy you’ll ever use (this is a teaching point, and it’s mysterious because you don’t reveal what the strategy is), and how it will have ideal clients knocking on your door” (clients knocking on the door is the potential transformation).

How to write it in a love-based way: present the benefit in terms of a solution, so you’re providing hope.

What to watch out for: lack of specificity and giving away the “whole enchilada.”

Here are some examples of effective love-based what-you-learn bullet points:

• The Number One reason many entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed when they first launch their businesses, and what to do about it, so you can enjoy running your company while still reaching your goals quickly.
• Three mistakes you may be making as a startup coach, and how to avoid them, so you can finally attract your ideal clients and make the money and the impact about which you’re so passionate.

Do you see how these bullet points mention a specific teaching point, but don’t give away exactly what the reader will learn? Also, notice that they offer a positive solution, giving the reader hope.

Here are some examples of those same what-you-learn bullet points written in a fear-based or ineffective way (caution: I do not recommend using these as models!):

• Why your inability to prioritize leaves you overwhelmed and burned out, and why, if you don’t change it, you’ll never enjoy running your company.
• Three mistakes you’re making as a startup coach, and why, if you don’t nip them in the bud, you’ll never get clients, or make an impact or a good living.

Do you see how the first of these bullet points tells readers that that “Number One” reason is, and how both bullet points paint a scary picture of the reader’s future if he doesn’t learn the teaching points?

When you nail the writing of the bullet point, you’ll dramatically improve the results you get with your copywriting and marketing efforts!

If this topic resonated with you, you may want to grab your own copy of “Love-Based Copywriting System: A Step-by-Step Process to Master Writing Copy that Attracts, Inspires and Invites (Volume 2 in the Love-Based Business Series).”