Template: Session 7 The Inverted

Pyramid
SMU102 Digital Copywriting Session 7 | The Inverted Pyramid
Use this template to guide you through using the inverted pyramid
writing strategy for your online brand messages. The questions below
are provided to prompt you to reflect on the brand message you have
been developing throughout this unit.
Use the copy you produced for the Template 6 activity to answer the
following questions:

Question 1: Leading with your strongest point

Did you lead with your strongest point, rather thanputting it elsewhere
or leaving it for the last line? If not, how will you fix it?
[Type your answers here]

Question 2: How strong is your first sentence?

Does the first sentence of the text follow through on the promise of the
headline? If not, how will you fix it?
[Type your answers here]

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .

Question 3: How strong is your Lead?

By now, you should have a strong headline (i.e. scoring at least 35% using the
Emotional Value Calculator). Now look at your first sentence and your first
pagarph.
How powerful is your central premise? How easy it for a reader to get
the central thrust of your proposition? What are your power words? What
words convey the emotion and/or drama in your brand message?
[Type your answers here]

Question 4: Your Primary Lead

How effectively have you handled your summary of who, what, why,
when, where and how (or as many available for use without clutteringthe
lead)? How effectively have you introduced your singlmost outstanding
fact? Why was it important to use these to open your story with?
[Type your answers here]

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .

Question 5: Promise follow-through

Does the first sentence of the text follow through on the promise of the
headline? If not, how will you fix it?

[Type your answers here]

Question 6: Fulfilling your promise

How does your body copy fulfill the promise of your headline and
opening? If it doesnt, how will you fix it?
[Type your answers here]

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .

Question 7: Concrete & specific content

Is the information provided in the body of your copy specific and
concrete? Is the tone of the copy enthusiastic? If not, how will you fix it?
[Type your answers here]

Question 8: Secondary lead and supporting points

How effective is your secondary lead in furting the drama? How have
you used supporting points to differentiate your rband, provide benefits,
further provide emotional triggers? Keep the conversation interesting &
relevant?
[Type your answers here]

Question 9: Believability
Is the ad believable, backed by testimonialsor evidence as necessary?
How have you established a basis for trust?
1

[Type your answers here]

Question 10: Persuasive copy

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .

Is your copy persuasive? Ddoes it create a desire forthe product or

prove its superiority? What is the emotion appeal? Did you paint vivid
pictures that appeal to the emotions as well as the intellect?
[Type your answers here]

Question 11: the Buying Environment

How have you phrase the ad so that the reader will naturally agree with
your statements as s/he reads them, and will therefore be in the right
frame of mind to agree when you tell him or her to buy your product?
[Type your answers here]

Question 12: Audience-focused copy

How have you put the readers understanding ahead of anything else?
[Type your answers here]

Question 13: Solving the readers problem

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .

Have you told the reader why they needyour product? Did you show how
your product can solve the readers problem. Did you make buying your
product the quickest route to that solution?
[Type your answers here]

Question 14: The readers imagination

Does your writing get the reader imagining how theyd feel when using
your product?
[Type your answers here]

Question 15: Closing summary

Have you summarised the key benefits and/or point of difference in your
closing?
[Type your answers here]

Question 16: Call to Action

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .

Do you have a clear call to action that tells the reader exactly what they
should do next? Does your call to action stand out? (This may be a design
element).
[Type your answers here]

Question 17: Sense of urgency

Have you created urgency for the reader to act now?
[Type your answers here]

This resource was created by Social Media U and released as an open educational resource for SMUs free
online Digital Copywriting course. 2014 Social Media U

This work by Social Media U is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License .