The use of bullet points in copywriting is a controversial topic. On the one hand, they can be very effective at catching attention and summarizing key points.
On the other hand, some people say they are just lazy writing or “dumbing down” your content because you’re not providing detail or context for the reader.
When bullet points are used correctly, they can be quite effective. Here are 5 items I look for in bullet points:
1) Great bullet points draw attention to the key selling benefits of your product or service.
The bullet point should create curiosity about how you’re going to solve a need or pain that readers might have.
The benefit bullet point is the most common type of bullet point on many blogs and web sites, so if you want your bullet points to stand out from others, make sure that the benefits are clear and obvious because most people barely skim past them.
The bullet point must also contain some emotional content (preferably positive).
2) Great bullet points summarize key ideas in a few sentences.
The bullet point should contain some context or an explanation of why the benefit will be useful to the reader, but it shouldn’t take more than about 5-7 words.
By doing this, you’re telling readers what they can expect when they read your content (more bullet points! 🙂 ) and getting them fired up about reading enough to commit to take action by clicking through to your site or landing page.
3) Great bullet points create curiosity for more information .
The bullet point should include a few questions for the reader.
You can use questions like: “What if I told you…”, “Wouldn’t it be great if…”, or “Do you ever feel…” and so on.
These types of bullet point questions work because they subtly put the reader in a position where she must answer the question.
The bullet point is already compelling, but asking a question allows you to further compel your readers by creating curiosity that can drive them to click through and read more.
4) Great bullet points are specific.
Using bullet points with too much detail can be a bad idea because it slows down the reader.
In some bullet points, you can get away with providing less detail, but bullet points that are truly great also contain specific terms and phrases that will compel the reader to read the following content as well.
5) Great bullet points include numbers or statistics .
Numbers are a powerful tool in bullet point writing. We’re hardwired to pay attention to them, and they have an “objective” quality about them that makes us trust what is being said more.
For example: “You’ll save 10% on average by subscribing for auto-ship than buying at retail stores.”
That statement sounds more powerful than “sign up for our program today! You’ll save money on your purchases.”
Numbers also break up bullet points so that they’re easier to read.
In bullet points with too little detail, numbers and statistics can make up for the lack of other content. We remember bullet points with information in them more than bullet points without additional details.
Conclusion:
Great bullet points create curiosity in the reader about what comes next. They set a tone for the rest of the copy and tell the reader exactly what to expect when he reads it.
When done right, bullet point writing can be highly effective at selling an idea or product because of its simplicity and power.
It’s always best to try out different types of bullet point writing and see which ones work best for your product or service. You can write bullet points in a number of ways, but there are 5 bullet point styles that tend to work best:
- The benefit bullet point (what’s in it for me bullet points)
- The specific bullet point
- “How To ” bullet points (explaining how to do something)
- Status bullet points (what is currently happening)
- Numbers and statistics bullet points Questions bullet points
Bullet point writing works well when used correctly, but remember: you do not want to include too much detail in the bullet point because it might become difficult for readers to follow.
If you understand what makes bullet points great, then you’ll have no problem creating content that will compel your visitors to read about your product, service, or idea.
Are bullet points a good way to write copy?
