Copywriting for Astrology, Tarot and the
Mystic Audience
by Dina
Giolitto
These days, you don't have to traverse the
dark forest on the eve of the Full Moon to find a gypsy, psychic
or "intuitive" as many now call themselves. Chances are, the
local astrologist or tarot reader is making more than a comfortable
living for herself in a corporate complex near you. She's
probably dressed in proper business attire, scheduling consultations
from her art-deco office right now.
If you're a copywriter, the intuitive, mystical
or occult audience is an ever-growing market that's worth
tapping. Most Intuitives see the Web as an ideal way to attract
covert followers... and in that regard, their "intuition"
is dead-on.
Why all the secrecy? Pretend for the moment
that you're the typical astrology client. Maybe you feel a
little silly telling the naysayers at your office and even
in your family that you've been seeking answers in the stars.
Thanks to anonymity on the web, no one has to know that you
just ran your husband's birthday through that Astrological
Personality Profiler and are now clued into his Venus in Scorpio
that may be clashing with your Mars in Gemini which is why
sparks always fly in the bedroom after you've had another
one of your hair-raising arguments.
That said: the world's Intuitives are building
websites with the intent of keeping their Private Consultations
private... and they need web copy to advertise their services.
As a professional copywriter, that's where you come in.
Of course, the more knowledgeable you are,
the more likely you'll impress a potential client enough to
land a contract. So, if you're already a dabbler in Mysterious
Matters, you may want to self-educate just a bit more, to
get the voice down pat. Even if you're not an expert, mastering
basic concepts and terminology is the quickest way to prove
your worth to a potential client in this (or any) field.
Are you a Good Witch, or a Bad Witch?
Pagans sometimes use the terms White Magic
and Black Magic in their practice. Simply stated; White Magic
is the means to a positive or good end, and Black Magic is
the means to a negative or malevolent end. While many modern-day
Intuitives steer clear of such outdated terms like magic,
the underlying meaning remains. A Spiritual Advisor has an
ethical responsibility to guide her clients to a positive
end. If you function as her Web Scribe, that means you do,
too.
Folks who deal in the unknown view the Universe
in a holistic way. Theirs is a world of vibrations, frequencies,
channels, energy flow, positives, negatives and other such
intrigue. Therefore; in writing copy for the Spiritually Enlightened
audience, there will be many occasions when you'll have to
describe things as having a "negative" influence on your reader.
If you must cast a dark shadow with your intuitive interpretation,
do it in such a way that the recipient of the news can deal
with it.
Let's use astrology as an example since
it's probably the most familiar. Suppose after a customer
enters his birth information on an astrology website, the
"reading" that comes up goes something like this:
"Over the course of the next several
months, you may feel out of touch with relatives, coworkers
and friends; and even out of touch with yourself. You'll experience
a constant sense of anxiety and unrest lurking just beneath
the surface. Although you might think you're working toward
a productive end, this "out of sync" feeling can cause you
to become ineffectual in all of your dealings. People who
are experiencing the "heaviness" that this planetary influence
produces often turn to addictive behavior, typically drugs
and alcohol."
How do you imagine that an impressionable
reader might react to such news? She will either, 1. take
it to heart, becoming discouraged and depressed at the approaching
downer that's about to befall her, or 2. grow angry at the
relayer of the dismal forecast for insinuating that she is
anything short of perfect.
She might even head out to the liquor store
to load up for her upcoming bender that she didn't know she
was going on before the astrology website sealed her fate.
(And to think: she didn't even drink before this!)
It's true that not everything in this world
is positive, including whatever comes up on your computer-generated
astrology reading. But in dealing with the sensitive human
psyche, one who writes for this field should know how to comfort,
motivate, inspire and encourage. She should fill the reader
with faith and hope in herself and the world around her...
as well as the power to deal with whatever adversity may come
her way during the course of her lifetime.
Therefore, to lessen the blow of a "bad
reading," a good copywriter will know how to "break the bad
news gently." The same astrology client who received the dismal
report above might do well to hear something along the lines
of:
"During this period, energy is at an
all-time low. You may find yourself feeling ineffectual and
self-defeating, with positive relations being put on a temporary
back burner. Such "down periods" are the psyche's way of 'recharging'
its internal battery for more progressive action later. You
may wish to spend this time in deep reflection, or perhaps
taking a short repose from the pressing responsibilities of
life until the temporary stormclouds give way to brighter
days. Emerge stronger, more focused and more effective than
ever, for the transformation such a period ultimately brings."
Now, that doesn't sound so bad, does it?
If you were the recipient of such a reading, you'd surely
be armed with a better way of dealing with the oncoming discord
in your life. This, in effect, gives the Spiritually Hungry
what they really need: nourishment for their discontented
souls.
Aside from the havoc that "spreading bad
vibes" can wreak on the Universe alone, the Spiritual Advisor
should consider the impact of her words for marketing purposes
and the success of her business. If you were selling fruit
baskets on your website, would you ever tell the reader, "Beware
the occasional rotted pear in your gift sampler!" You certainly
would not, if you ever expect to sell anything. Likewise,
if you're pitching Enlightenment, you want your customer to
have full faith that you can deliver the Good (as opposed
to the Bad).
If a psychic's clients don't care for the
way she tells their fortune, guess what? They're probably
not coming back to her for future advice.
It's in an Intuitive's best interest to
remember the tender, vulnerable souls of her audience, and
deliver her readings with temperance, good intentions, empathy
for the human condition, and above all, Love. From both a
moral and marketing standpoint; if you're writing the copy
for her website, you're obligated to do the same.
Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com
Copywriting and Marketing. All rights reserved.
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