Advertising

Hype-free Copywriting Made Simple

| Print |

E-mail

Written by Ray Edwards

Tuesday, 06 May 2008

by RayEdwards

Every day, I see online copy filled with hype. Despite the fact that hype turns off readers, clients, and even other copywriters, it is still with us. Truth be known, I've been guilty of writing hype myself, probably more than once. So how can we get away from writing hype instead of great copy?

Today's site, http://thecopydoctoronline.com - The Copy Doctor, will help you to fine-tune your copy, avoiding hype while maximizing its impact.

Here are three simple methods to eliminate hype from your copy:

Feel your reader's pain. Your reader's pain is the focus of their awareness. Empathize with them. Use language that tells the reader you understand and you have a solution to offer. Even if you make other extraordinary claims about your product, your reader won't see it as hype when it is relevant to their problems and their life.

Tell Stories. Your copy shouldn't be just about facts and figures. Tell your readers a story. Politicians are masters at this. Ask any politician a question, and chances are you will get a story: "Well, I'm glad you asked me that. Just last week, I was chatting with Millie Pye, who also lives on Social Security, and she ". Off they go, into a story. Of course they rehearsed it, were waiting for this very question so they could tell their tale. Story-telling works because it draws you in (whether you like it or not). It's pretty hard to argue with a story!

Detail over description! Too many adverbs and adjectives can make your copy look like hype. Don't believe me? Look at this phrase: "We have the greatest company in the world! Our boss is fantastic!" Sounds like a load of bull, doesn't it? With a bit of work, it can change to this: "Our CEO, Bob Smith, graduated from the Harvard School of Business. Over the past ten years, he has increased the profitability of this company by over 15% every year." While the first example is full of hype (and not much else!), the second example offers simple details of Bob Smith's education and career all hype-free.

About the Author:

For an inside look at the techniques of a sought-after web copywriter, visit the site of Copywriter Ray Edwards. Claim your podcasts, marketing tips, videos and copywriting advice.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.