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vangogh
03-27-2009, 03:31 PM
Nice post from Copyblogger on how the right words help you sell better (http://www.copyblogger.com/sell-with-words/). Quick tips you can apply right away.

1. Paint the Right Picture in Their Mind
2. Play on Curiosity to Hold the Reader’s Interest
3. Give Sharp, Concrete Examples
4. Make Your Message Easy to Read


All are great tips (details in the post), but I want to focus on the first one. Here's a quote from the post:


Injecting your copy with “feeling” words like “cozy” instead of small or “colossal” instead of large can instantly produce a vivid picture in your reader’s imagination.

Painting a picture can be very effective in keeping your writing interesting in general. It can be a subtle technique to convey a lot more than the words alone.

Brian Clark, the man behind CopyBlogger, though not the author of this particular article, has offered advice in the past about your copy trying to get the visitor to picture themselves using your product or service.

If you can get visitors to picture themselves buying from you, you've done much of the work in making the sale.

Do you use any of these tips in your writing and have you found one works better than the other for you?

rezzy
03-27-2009, 04:18 PM
Its intersting you mention "cozy". Recently I was looking at apartments, and we came across a very small one. I believe 3-400 sq ft. And she admitted some people called it small, but she insisted it being cozy.

I think re-working something in a particular way can redirect focus on something and make it more likeable.

cbscreative
03-27-2009, 05:39 PM
I do try to use these in my writing, and like other writers, I find there is always room for improvement, and often a need for the reminders. I never read that quote from Mark Twain before, or maybe it just never stood out to me, but it made a great illustration.

I couldn't help thinking as I read that post about how changing one word in copy has been known to increase response rates by 1000% and more. Word choices can make a huge (or colossal) difference.

vangogh
03-27-2009, 06:22 PM
Bryan when you think about it 'small' and 'cozy' were both accurate descriptions. Which one would make you want to see the place more? Cozy sounds warm and inviting. Small just sounds small.

Steve I've seen that quote a few times, but not for awhile and it was good to see again. I have or used to have a Mark Twain quotes site bookmarked. I'd pull quotes from it for blog posts. I really wish more people here would pay attention to this section, because of how much of an effect a few 'right words' can have.

Patrysha
03-27-2009, 07:03 PM
Well much of my work is about using words to build and promote a specific perception of a product or service...so of course, I fully endorse the importance of words in sales.

Of course, I also combine it with communication strategies so that hopefully if I don't get the message right the first time, it will make an impression by the tenth or hundredth time...

vangogh
03-27-2009, 07:38 PM
I'm glad you mentioned having a strategy. I think that gets lost sometimes as people focus on specific tactics without considering whether or not the tactic fits within their overall strategy. I've been thinking about that idea quite a lot lately, but I'll save my thoughts for another post since they would really fit in this one.

Do you find that replacing one or two words in a specific marketing piece completely changes the message and the effect of the piece? I'm sure you do, but it would be interesting to hear some examples if you have any to share.

Patrysha
03-27-2009, 08:08 PM
Small changes make a huge difference in words as much as they do in real life.

For instance, one of my clients is a toy store. I went in and relayed information about layout and it's relation to sales that I had picked up from a book I had read. She moved a few things around and reported an immediate upswing in sales the following week. Changes that cost absolutely nothing to implement...

But I can't really think of a word example that was quite that profound.

I could probably find some in a case study hiding in one of my files, but nothing from personal experience. So really, it is at this point just theory to me.

Dan Furman
03-27-2009, 11:10 PM
I'm almost ashamed to admit that I don't think about this much. I just write, and go with what sounds good for the situation that I'm writing for. I use my thesaurus sometimes when I don't think the word fits, but again, I'm not one to talk about "selling words" (or action words, etc etc)

Although in general terms, when copywriting, I'd use "cozy" or "intimate" or something similar instead of "small" by default. Maybe that's why I'm a writer?

vangogh
03-28-2009, 02:19 AM
Dan I think you end up using the right words by default. Your business is writing and after all this time those words come naturally. I find in my own writing I'll see advice like given in the article I linked to and for a few weeks I'll be conscious of say adding stronger action verbs to my writing. After a few weeks it's becomes natural and I don't have to think about it anymore. I think you long ago reached the stage of not having to think about it.

Patrysha I was thinking how small changes in design can make a huge difference too. A slight change in color, moving something from the bottom of the page to the top. Sometimes things that seem minor end up having a huge positive effect.

KristineS
03-30-2009, 01:25 PM
I'm with Dan, I tend to write more toward a specific feeling or situation and let the words come from that.