Subtle Emotion - The Key To Copy That Works
Say the word "emotion" to a man, and he'll immediately jump out of his seat and run from the room! Utter the word "emotion" to a woman, and she begins to conjure up thoughts of romantic, long talks centered around feelings. However, speak the word "emotion" to a copywriter and s/he should see dollar signs. Why? Because a good command of subtle emotion is the key to copy that works. The Difference Between Subtle and Obvious Emotion Confusing obvious and subtle emotion is a common mistake among copywriters. Let's say your copywriting client tells you his product should make the end user feel classy and sophisticated. He wants the copy you write to convey that message. What happens when writing with obvious emotion is this: --------------------------------- Our silverware patterns will make you feel classy and sophisticated. They will decorate your table in an upscale manner so you and your guests will think you're in a fine-dining restaurant. --------------------------------- Obvious emotion tells readers what they will think, see or feel. This approach is clumsy and awkward and rarely has the result the client is looking for. On the other hand, subtle emotion has a much greater appeal. Why? Because it deals with imagery. When you show people, rather than tell them, how they'll feel or what will happen after they buy your product or service, you evoke core emotions rather than shallow feelings. Here are several examples of subtle emotion at work: --------------------------------- Graceful and elegant, these silverware patterns are sure to bring compliments from your guests. With an exceptional display of taste and style, you can adorn your table with distinctive stainless or sterling silverware that highlights every element of your table setting. --------------------------------- As peaceful and charming as a Sunday afternoon on grandma's front porch, these metal gliders are recreations of the WWI originals. Rock the afternoon away with a big glass of lemonade and a little nostalgia wafting through the air like a gentle summer breeze. --------------------------------- Spend lazy days and restful nights in this poster bed dreaming about romantic interludes. Finished with Gabon mahogany veneers, your bed has reed posts, a removable canopy frame and a louvered headboard reminiscent of a shuttered window. --------------------------------- Do you see what's happening in the copy examples above? No one came right out and said, "Your table's gonna look real classy if you use our silverware," but the notion is there. From the description given, you pick up on the fact that this silver will do more than make your table look good. It will make you look good in front of your guests and give you a little boost of confidence due to all the compliments you'll receive. The metal glider chair copy never said your blood pressure would be reduced as you sat on your porch de-stressing from a long, hard workweek, but that's the distinct impression you get from the copy, isn't it? And the poster bed? Just the mention of the materials (Gabon mahogany, reed posts) and romantic interludes gives a feeling that this bed is something special, although the copy never actually says so. By using subtle emotion, by painting a picture of what the customer will get from these products, by incorporating them into the customer's everyday life, you - as a copywriter - are able to pique interest and increase sales. Ah! The power of words! © 2005 http://www.marketingwords.com
Other Articles
Copywriting: The Secret Key That Rescues Falling Response Rates Your prospect is being hit by an average of 240 advertising impressions every day – many, many more if he surfs the internet.He’s constantly besieged by benefit-based headlines that scream, “I want to sell you something!” Is it any wonder he’s becoming immune to them?The fact is, more companies are mailing more packages to the same ...How To Write Powerful Headlines I want to tell you how I go about writing headlines. I like to keep swap files of headlines around for future use. And how I go about doing it goes something like this...I'll find a headline I like, wherever it may be, and then I don't copy it word for word, instead I'll use a "fill in the blank" approach. That way I get a generic headlin ...Blowing The Lid On The $1 Copywriting Racket The internet has created a global marketplace in which products and services can be procured from anywhere in the world. Small businesses now have access to skilled freelancers and service providers globally. You no longer have to rely on your local area to find talented professionals for your projects.Nowhere has the growth of the global ...Do You Need a Copywriter for Directions to the Emergency Room? If you are marketing an online business as an army of one...and many of us are...then communicating effectively is critical to your success. Notice that I did not say good writing or good copywriting, but communicating effectively. Is there a difference?Imagine you are on a business trip in an unfamiliar city. It's late in the evening and ...Make Your Words Sell: A Guide to Internet Copywriting and Marketing When it comes to selling and communicating on a web page, it is the written word that makes the vital difference between satisfying your viewer or losing her as she clicks through to the next web site.If you are not sure what to write or how to write for an Internet audience, then one of the best guides is the ebook, Make Your Words Sell ...Internet Marketing 102: Copy What Works Internet Marketing- Forget the experts, latest software program or even that book that someone is selling to get on the "best seller list" and the 200 free ebooks they are offering you. Here is what REALLY works, and it's something that you learned in kindergarden.Although less than 2% of you reading this will ever "get it", every once i ...Copywriters and Article Marketing: What Should You Write? So you've decided to market your home-based copywriting business through article writing. Fantastic! Now comes the hard part: narrowing it down to a topic. What the heck are you going to say in your article?A friend of mine recently suggested that I write more articles about copywriting. Not such a bad idea, being a copywriter and all. Bu ...Keep Your Copywriting Profits High And Your Workload Low It's no mystery that one day -- no matter how brilliant and potent they are, and no matter how much money they pull in now -- your control ad will fail.It's just a matter of time.Sooner or later another copywriter will beat it or, if you write ads for your own business, your response will start to sag and even die off altogether. ...Freelance Copywriter Secrets: How To Sell Discounted Dollars Could you sell dollar bills for 75 cents each? Of course you could, but it’s not that easy to sell your products or services, is it?Well maybe it is. Let me introduce you (or more likely, re-introduce you) to Return-On-Investment (ROI) selling. Once you master this approach to your copywriting, everything you sell will be dollar bills ...Common Mistakes That Can Kill Your Web Copy Sometimes learning what not to do is as important as learning what to do. Copywriting is no exception. I oftentimes see copy that is well written, but obviously created by an amateur. How do I know? One or more of the following five mistakes was made and that killed the copy… dead.Once you understand why these mistakes are, in fact, m ...Copywriting: Specialize For Your Own Sake - Part 1 of 3 Specializing as a copywriter can mean setting yourself apart from the competition, increasing your business (and pay), and doing more of the work you prefer. Sound too good to be true? Just listen to what other copywriters are saying.MAKE YOURSELF INCOMPARABLE AND AVOID THE 'MUSHY MIDDLE'Here's some wisdom from Anne Pepper of Peppe ...71 Ways For A Writer To Make Money There are so many ways for writers to make good money by writing. Some people love to write, even as a hobby. You can turn your writing skills into income. Here are a brief list for your reference.GENERAL WRITING:1. Copywriting for television commercials2. Copywriting for radio commercials3. Copywriting for newspap ...Break the Writing Rules: 5 B2B Copy Myths You Should Shatter Correctly executed, the written word can be a powerful means of establishing your business in the hearts and minds of your potential customers. Many of us are inhibited, however, by popularly held, yet largely mistaken, ideas of what good business-to-business copywriting should be. Here are five of the most common and destructive myths that may ...In Direct Mail Marketing Copywriting, Specifics Outsell Generalities Lilly Tomlin, the American comic, once said: “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific.”In direct response advertising and direct mail selling, as in life, specifics sell. Generalities don’t.Consider, for example, a direct response ad that I have in front of me. I tore it from ...Ten Eye Popping, Jaw Dropping Ad Copy Secrets In order to make more sales and get more profits for your business, fist of all, you should have a good ad copy. Once you master the knowlege for how to get traffic, you will get a lot of visitors to your site. If your ad copy does not sell, your advertising and traffic are wasted. Here are a few tips for your reference.1. Use positive wo ...The Formulas Freelance Copywriters Employ When Creating Web Content What is it exactly that copywriters DO when they produce new text for a site makeover? You often see the advertisements; a designer is looking for a freelance web writer who is going to create content around a number of keywords. There’s not a lot more information about the process. What are the tricks of the trade and how do you get value for m ...The Purpose and Practice of Writing Successful SEO Articles I was so excited to read his post! Google-icon Matt Cutts was blogging on August 21st and hit the nail on the head (as he does quite frequently). The title of the post was, "SEO Advice: Writing useful articles that readers will love." That, in and of itself, says it all. Why is this such a thrilling post? Because it reinforces what I've bee ...Freelance Copywriter Secrets: But Wait, There's More In the 1970s, television commercials were forever changed when the first Ginsu Knives commercials aired (yes I am that old). They had a campy, kitschy tone to them that became fodder for late night comedians and newspaper columnists.Some of the phrases from these commercials quickly became part of our cultural language like, “but wait, t ...IT Marketing: Benefits Focused Sales Letter No matter what niche you're in, you should write a benefits-focused sales letter. In this article you'll learn how this letter can improve your IT marketing.Your high school English teacher probably told you that when you're writing a business letter, keep it nice and short and sweet. Put that advice away. (Your high school English teache ...Copywriting Tip: How to Format HTML for Clients When You Don't Know HTML If you're a copywriter who works with web designers, there may come a time when you're asked to send the document in HTML format. The bad news: you don't know HTML. The good news: thanks to the many HTML editors available for use on the web, you don't need to know HTML. Learn how to produce quick HTML coded copy drafts in Ten Easy Steps. ...5 Ways Web Copywriting is Different from Print There is no hidden secret to writing great copy for the web. All that you need to know is already before your eyes. After you read this article, go visit your favorite web hangout and take a good look around. Chances are you'll begin to notice some of the characteristics of web copy that I've listed below.1. Web copy calls for keywords ...Copywriting for Non-Copywriters: Getting Your Message Heard "Grant Pasay is a Vancouver copywriter whose satisfied clients value his good, fast and affordable work."That's my message. But I can guarantee you it's unlikely to get heard unless I write my website content with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind. The same is true for your message.WHAT'S SEO?Search Engine Optimizatio ...Copywriting: Specialize For Your Own Sake - Part 2 of 3 In Part 1 of 3, we saw how specializing as a copywriter can mean setting yourself apart from the competition and increasing your business. In part 2 of 3, we pick up where we left off by exploring how specializing as a copywriter can shape your business to suit you best by increasing your pay and attracting more of the work you prefer.DO ...UK Advertising Copywriting - The Top Ten Cliches and Why You Should Avoid Them We’ve all seen them plenty of times. Frankly, once is too many. Copy clichés are more likely to put off prospective customers than convince them to buy your product or service. If your advertising copywriter comes up with them, find another advertising copywriter. Here are the worst offenders in the UK – and the reasons why you should never use ...
|