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Copywriting: Aida is more than an opera
Aida is more than an opera by Verdi Ask most people what Aida is and they will tell you it is an opera set in Egypt. Ask a marketing person and they will tell you that it is the sales formula that all advertising must incorporate if it is to be...
Ways To Promote Your Business When Your Passion is Writing
There are at least a "zillion" ways you can market yourself and your business. Marketing intelligently means finding what you're passionate about and then using your passion to market. If you are passionate about writing, below are some ways to...
Writing Newsletters Tricks of the Trade
Follow 10 simple rules of thumb, and youll soon be writing great newsletters and reaping the rewards. Company newsletters can be an amazingly successful marketing technique. Whether you want to up-sell or cross-sell, establish your brand or...
Writing To Overpower Your Competition
by Karon Thackston 2005 http://www.learn-copywriting.com "We don't have any competition. We're a truly a one-of-a-kind company." I've heard that line from clients for years. I wish it were true, but it's simply not. In fact, it wouldnt matter...
Your Writing Anxiety - 10 Ways to Bring Relief
Anxiety, apprehension, cold feet, consternation, dismay, distress, dread, fear, fright, horror, nervousness, panic, scare, strain, stress, tension, terror, trepidation, unease or uneasiness: whatever it's called, you've got it.
And the reason...
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Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional
Its time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe some web content. Youve done all your research, and youre staring at a blank computer screen. You want to look good in print. You want to put your best foot forward. And, of course, you want to make a barrel full of money.
Well, youre going to have to pick one, because you cant do all three.
Not, that is, if looking good in print means sounding like an educated professional. Or using perfect grammar. Because unless all of your prospects are English teachers, theyre going to respond better to more natural writing writing that reads like people actually speak.
Real people dont speak like professionals write. (Neither, for that matter, do most professionals.) Real people use sentence fragments. They start sentences with and, or and but.
Every now and then they kind of trail off like
One thing real people do not do is use big, fancy words when shorter ones will do. And neither should you.
Real people do not say things like, I am committed to finding the lowest cost alternative. Why, then, would you want to be focused on providing it?
Copywriting that uses stuffy, complex language just doesnt sell. You know what I mean: The verbose, impersonal, corporate-speak that sounds more like a mission statement (which nobody cares about) than a personal communication. The
kind that strokes the CEOs ego when it should be stroking the prospects.
With that in mind, here are some tips to help bring your writing back down to earth:
1.Picture your prospect. Get a mental picture of the one typical person youre writing to. If you have to, get a real picture from a magazine or even your family album and tape it to your computer screen as you write. Then write like youre talking to that one individual.
2.Read your copy out loud. If you stumble over anything, so will your reader. Rewrite until your words flow smoothly and sound natural.
3.Read your copy to someone else. Preferably a group of people. If, when you are finished, they tell you what a great job youve done, you have failed. Youve succeeded when they ask you how to get what youre writing about.
Never be afraid to be personal in your ads, web pages, sales letters any time you are communicating with a prospect. Make it sound like you are actually speaking to them.
If you still want to look professional, use the money you make and go buy some nice business clothes!
About the Author
Lisa Packer, author of "How To Dramatically Increase Your Business... Without A Blockbuster Budget" is an independant copywriter and marketing consultant. For more helpful articles like this one, visit www.dramatic-copy.com.
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