How to Write Copy that Keeps Readers Riveted on You and What You Do
by Dina Giolitto
Do you ever get emails that say things like, "I'm about to tell you how to get more clients and sales!"? What's your impression of a message like this? Does it make you want to click? Or are you immediately bored out of your head and hurrying away to the next thing?
Many marketers make the grave mistake of not being edgy enough with their message. Sure, we ALL want more customers and sales. But who hasn't been promised this, only to be let down time and time again?
I don't know about you, but a message like "Get more clients and sales" tends to fall on deaf ears when it enters my corner. Even if the article really did contain some pretty nifty tricks, it's not likely that the headline would even make a dent. And if the headline doesn't do its job, who's reading your awesome copy? Nobody, that's who.
Notice the headline of THIS article: "How to Write Copy that Keeps Readers Riveted on You and What You Do."
No, it doesn't mention customers or sales (which, again, is what we all want), but it's UNDERSTOOD that if people are riveted, they're more likely to buy things from you.
(In other words: this wording gives you the benefit of the doubt. I figured you'd understand what I meant. I'm not going to INSULT your intelligence and spell it out for you with a big, red, Sharpie marker).
Let's talk about words that create "energy" in your writing. These are strong words, typically verbs, that bring a sense of movement which compels your readers to take action.
The word "riveted" works well in the above headline. Why? Because it's an impactful word that grabs attention.
Other hard-hitting words that mean the same thing might be...
enthralled
enchanted
fascinated
glued
mesmerized
Do you see how the simple decision to choose a word that packs a little more oomph makes all the difference in your headline's effectiveness?
Next time you're looking to beef up your headlines, grab your thesaurus or go to http://thesaurus.com and look for words that snap, crackle and pop off the page. High-energy words are so much better than just "benefits" (like the aforementioned clients and sales) because they get people moving and shaking!
Another way to keep readers riveted: be specific with examples in your copy. As you're reading that "typical" article on how to attract more clients and sales... how many times have you come across advice like, "Write a powerful headline" -- but then the author never explains how!
The "how" in this case would be the use of those strong, emotion-filled words we talked about earlier.
Next time you're writing an article, make a concerted effort to go deeper with your copy - by using energizing words that paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind. Convey your intended meaning by providing examples that take the copy to another dimension.
Copyright 2008 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing . All rights reserved.
Want more? Sign up for Word Food, our Copywriting and Marketing Newsletter .
Go to the page where we list all copywriting and marketing articles
get a copywriting or website marketing quote
Thanks for visiting Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing. If you're interested in a copywriting, web design or web marketing quote, please include project details such as:
-
Type of Project (web copy, sales letter, articles, etc.)
-
General Project Details (target audience, product, etc.)
-
Number of Pages
-
Links to Previous Ads
-
Links to Competitor Ads Whom You'd Like to Emulate (or not emulate!)
-
Anticipated Due Date
Please email to Dina@Wordfeeder.com with the subjectline "Copywriting Quote".
Need a referral for a web designer, virtual assistant or search engine optimization expert? Just say the word! We work with only the best service providers.
Thanks!
More Copywriting Articles
Recently Added Articles:
How
Do You Market Coaching Services During a Sluggish Economy?
Blog or Website?
The Trick to Getting Your Newsletter Read and Bringing in New Business Each Month
2009 and Prior - Listed in Alphabetical Order:
10 Simple Ways to Punch Up Your Copy, Redirect Your Website Traffic and Dramatically Increase Sales
11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and Why They're All Poor Excuses)
11 Ways to Caffeinate Your Copy: Give it More Juice, Get More SALES
13 Ways a Copywriter Will Kick-start Your Marketing
5 Critical Aspects of Website Design that Can Lessen the Impact of Your Copywriting
5 Ways Web Copy is Different From Print
7 Quark Express Tricks Every Copywriter Should Know About
7 Points of Contact in Your Marketing Copy
9 Things a Copywriter Can Do to Successfully Capture the Brand
Accelerate Your Freelance Copywriting Career
Analogy Marketing: How to Think Like the Web's Top Paid Professionals
Are Your Keywords Making You Sound Less Intelligent?
Articles and Branding: 5 Steps to Success
Article Marketing Master Plan
Article Marketing Online: The Real Reason Why Shorter is Better for Your Web Traffic
Article Marketing Submissions Sites
Article Marketing: the Better Offpage SEO Solution
Article Marketing: Work It On the Diagonal So You Can Go Vertical (from our ezine)
Article Writing: 5 Tips on How to Pull and Hold the Reader
Article Writing Dos and Don'ts
Article Writing: How to Improve the Quality of Your Content as a Means of Attracting a Higher Caliber of Clientele
Article Writing Service from Wordfeeder: Get Noticed in Your Niche
Article Marketing: What is it and How Can I Use it to Grow My Business?
Articles: The Perfect Branding Tool
Bad Copy, Good Copy: A Show-By-Example Guide to Writing Stronger Web Content
Branding to Multiple Audiences: How to Retool Your Existing Content
Business Blogger: Are You Competing for Traffic... With Yourself?
Copywriters and Blog Marketing: What Can You Farm Out Today
Copywriting and Branding Exercise: Determining Your Company Mission and Values
Copywriting and Marketing: 5 Ways to Get the Word Out About Your Website
Copywriting and Marketing Resources
Copywriting: Drafting Rules for Professionals
Copywriting for Astrology, Tarot and the Mystic Audience
Copywriting: How to Become a True Authority on the Web
Copywriting: How to Write a Tagline for Your Company
Copywriting: How Different Should Your Brochure Be from Your Website Content?
Copywriting Tip: How to Keep All Eyes Riveted on Your Sales Letter
Copywriting to the Rescue: How to Connect Deeply With Your Readers to Get More Sales
Copywriting Tricks: Mastering the Voice
Copywriting: Why It's Better to Write the Homepage Last
Direct Mail Copywriting Tip: How to Tackle Your First Postcard Campaign
Does Your Sales Letter "Smoke" Your Product? How to Tell if You Need to Tone Down Your Sales Copy
Editing and Writing Tips that Will Have Your Book or E-book Flying off the Shelves
Email Newsletter Process: Critical First Steps
Email Newsletters: Your Most Pressing Questions Answered
Google and Your Article Marketing: Shifting the Focus Back to Ezines Again?
Headline Writing Styles: Have You Been Told the Rules?
How Does a Copywriter Blog for Someone Else?
How to Add "Awesome" to Your Testimonials
How to be Colloquial in Your Copywriting
How to Blog Like a Champ
How to Create an Aggressive Article Campaign That Gets Results Without Breaking the Bank
How to Create a Press Kit that Attracts Positive Media Attention
How to Create a Web Page That Gets Instant Targeted Traffic
How to Leverage Your Existing Content for the Most Exposure
How to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot And Get the Most Bang for Your Advertising Buck
How to Tell if Your Sales Letter is Too Long
How to Write a Web Article in Record Time
How to Write a Tagline for Your Company
How to Write Copy that Keeps Readers Riveted on You and What You Do
How to Write Headlines That Beg to be Read (from our ezine)
Keyword Copywriting: the Key to Your Success
Leverage the Power of Article Marketing
Marketing During a Recession?
Marketing Your Business with Articles: What You Should Know
Monthly Article Marketing - the Ongoing Process
Mouth Watering Copywriting: How to Paint Pictures With Words
One from the Copywriter's Bag Of Tricks: Back Your Claims With Numerical Data
Pacing and Leading Your Copywriting Assignments
Pain, Pleasure, Persuasive Copy and Your Ego (from our ezine)
Postcard Marketing
Power Writing 101: Tips and Tricks to Get You Taken Seriously!
Sales Letter Copywriting and Logistics: the Method Behind the Madness
SEO and Your Web Copy: 7 Tips
Special Report: 10 Best Places to Showcase Your Web Articles (from our ezine)
Special Report: 10 Reasons Why Your Sales Copy Doesn't Convert: and What You WILL Do Better Next Time
Split Testing With Your Sales Letter (ezine issue)
Tagline Writing Tips and Tricks
The Formula for Writing a Sales Letter
The Long Sales Letter: Should You Use it In Your Advertising?
The Web Copy Facelift in Ten Simple Steps
Too Much Build-Up: Over-Zealous Ad Copy Can Break The Sale
Top 7 Tips for an Organically Grown Subscriber List
Web Copywriter or Virtual Assistant: Who Should You Hire?
What a Web Copywriter Can Do for Your Business that a Freelance Writer Can't
What is Copywriting and Why do You Need it for Your Business?Around
Why Your Info Product Isn't Selling and What You Can Do About It
Web Copywriting: How to Make Short Articles from Long Ones
What is Copywriting? The Basics of the Trade
What Makes Web Press Releases Different from Traditional Ones?
Why an Email Newsletter?
Why Your Info Product Isn't Selling and What You Can Do About It
Wordfeeder Ebook Editing Services
Wordfeeder Email Newsletter Service: Connect With Your Future Customers
|