7 Steps to Writing Attention Getting (and Keeping) Copy
Whether you're writing copy for a newsletter, a full blown
website, or traditional newsprint ads, keeping certain key
principles in mind will help you to appeal to the wary
reader/consumer of today.
In today's world of information overload, people are becoming
burned out on all the hype that's presented to them on a daily
basis, especially online. The old protocol of trying to
establish trust with the reader is harder than ever to do.
Today's savvy web-surfer wants information presented in a
succinct manner, with the big question being "In 2 seconds
flat... what you can do for me?"
1) Choose the single most important benefit of the service or
product you provide. Highlight only one upfront. Is it the
price, reliability, uniqueness? Listing too many things out of
the gate tends to give the distinct impression of pushiness. If
the most important thing you have to offer doesn't catch their
attention, chances are the rest of what you have to offer
probably would not have been enough to keep them in the seats,
either.
2) Use attention-getting headlines, but make it approachable.
Using too many capital letters for instance tends to "scream" at
the reader, and looks too much like hype. If you want to draw
their attention to a point, use bold letters, or underlining.
Don't overuse. Avoid the following: "It's Hot!" or "Create
Serious Wealth!" How many times have you seen these tag lines?
And do you believe them? Exactly.
3) Use bulleted lists to describe the features of your product
or service: