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Articles Copy writing articles How "Copywriting" Was Named
Articles Copy writing articles How "Copywriting" Was Named
| How "Copywriting" Was Named |
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Baffled by the label "copywriting"? You might be wondering, "what does copying have to do with writing, anyway?" The simplest way to answer that question is this: every writer borrows from other writers; that is, no one starts completely from scratch. Advertising writer are just more upfront about the process. It makes more sense if you consider the purpose of advertising itself, which is to trigger certain emotional responses and move people to make a certain action. If the desired action is made then the writings purpose has been accomplished. Copywriters recognize that human beings are complex. Exactly what motivates us to take action is often unclear. Copywriters will usually start with an advertising piece that they know is effective, and will borrow elements. Every area of a sales letter is modeled from an earlier, successful piece, starting with the headline. A classic headline from the last headline went like this: "They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Began To Play...". This headline has been the basis of hundreds of hundreds of later headlines. Why is it effective? Because there are emotionally charged ideas present. The skilled writer knows how to use this. There are certain elements usually present in well-written headlines. Sometimes numbers are used as an effective means to draw the reader in, like in headlines like, "The Five Steps You Must Take..." and "Seven Tricks...". The human mind sometimes loves specific numbers. Another widely used technique is the word "secrets" or some variation. This idea is used in at least two senses. First, people in general love the idea of gaining secret knowledge that will give them an advantage over others. Second, on the flip side of the coin, people don't like the idea of others having this same secret knowledge and keeping an advantage over themselves. Kevin Trudeau has largely built his publishing career on just this notion (big companies and the government are deliberately keeping information from you). My final "widely-copied element" mention today is the use a story in a headline. It only takes a few words to tell a story. The famous "One Legged Golfer" headline is based on a completely true story. I'll point out that true stories are often the best. With these elements together, we could come up with a headline like this: "Blind Welfare Mother of Three Discovers the 5 Hidden Secrets To Opening a Checking Account, Even If You're On ChexSystems 'Black List' ". I hope this article has been helpful, and that you see that when copywriters "copy", they are borrowing ideas, not actual words of other writers. About the Author: If you are looking to get more visitors to your web site, see Darrel Hawes' site for tips in getting more visitors, and generating more leads. |
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