Dynamic Copywriting

Every several weeks or so, I find myself mentioning the name, “Marcia Yudkin.” The reason is because Marcia has had a big impact on my writing and even my decision to pursue writing professionally. Everything she writes is the real deal for those of us who are in a marketing or copywriting field.

One way to get a regular dose of her insights is to subscribe to her email newsletter, "Marketing Minute." Marketing Minute comes out every Wednesday and, as promised, takes no more than a minute to read. You can subscribe to Marketing Minute by going to http://www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm.

Here is a recent Marketing Minute that Marcia has kindly given me permission to reprint:

Eat your lima beans."

As kids, we hated to comply with commands like this. As
adults, we don't respond any better to pitches of products,
services or information that claim to be good for us.

If you notice "should" or "must" in your marketing copy, it
may indicate an evangelistic attitude that is sure to close
rather than open the minds of listeners.

You'll gain more converts if you set aside preaching and
instead, describe ways to reach a goal that you know your
target market wants. For instance:

"The Surprising Secret of Ageless Skin: Lima Beans"
"Add These to Your Soup for an All-Day Vitality Boost"
"Tantalize Your Taste Buds With the World's Most Unfairly
Scorned Vegetable"

Likewise...

BEFORE: Newly Promoted? The Top Three Mental Shifts You
Must Make in Your New Job
AFTER: Newly Promoted? Three Ways to Earn the Loyalty of
Direct Reports, Fast

BEFORE: Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't Use a Discount Broker
AFTER: Discount Broker or Full-Service Broker: How to
Decide

Eliminate commands, and let your customer decide that lima
beans might be the thing to try.

COPYRIGHT © 2006, Charles Brown