Rich in active verbs, concrete nouns and the ability to connect with consumers on a personal level, great marketing content has the power to immediately seize the attention of readers jaded by the sheer volume of uninspired copywriting blighting the Internet. Since the ultimate goal of marketing content is to attract and retain paying customers, it is imperative that the first sentence reach out in some kind of personal, “one-on-one” way to establish a connection with the target audience. In other words, marketing agencies interested in hiring writers who are capable of penning excellent content don’t want writers who begin a content piece by simply hard-selling the service or product. Instead, agencies might think about contracting writers who are adept at selling the idea that something is lacking in the customer’s life and that certain something demands the benefits provided by the product.
For example, copywriters describing the benefits of an organic shampoo shouldn’t begin a piece by simply stating the health advantages of all-natural ingredients for hair (less harsh, no chemicals, etc). Marketing agencies should advise their writers to give it a personal edge by targeting people who are more apt to purchase organic shampoo, such as those who suffer from sensitive skin or prefer green products over synthetic products. The article could begin by discussing how embarrassing it is to suddenly have an overwhelming urge to scratch your scalp when in a public place or even worse—on a date. This could be a smooth lead-in to how organic shampoo won’t irritate the scalp by overdrying. To appeal to “back to the earth” people, writers might write a descriptive sentence or two regarding the plants used in making the shampoo: “Growing in the lush, untouched rainforests of New Guinea are vividly purple orchids possessing botanical properties that give even the dullest hair shine, bounce and fullness you can only get from a salon”.
Passionate writing is persuasive writing; persuasive writing is passionate writing. However, this kind of writing does not mean putting a “!” after every other sentence or hyping your content with unnecessary adverbs. Instead, marketing agencies hiring writers for the purpose of passionate copywriting need to suggest using similes, metaphors and analogies to describe how a product or service will benefit a customer’s life. Unless the client specifically instructs you to create a bulleted list of basic features and specifications, the most effective way a copywriter can write to sell is to make sure each sentence promotes a vivid idea or image.
Persuasive strategies for effecting copywriting are essentially the same as those used in writing persuasive essays. These include:
- Tying an anecdote to the product or service
- Asking a rhetorical question that you can expand on using active verbs and descriptive nouns
- Although facts based on statistics may not be the most passionate writing technique, sprinkling a few that are meaningful and emphatic throughout the piece enhances the persuasiveness of a soft sell
- Challenging the reader at the beginning of the article with a hypothetical statement, such as, “Imagine if somehow you were locked in a room for three days but were only allowed to eat once a day. What kind of food would satisfy your hunger and provide enough nutrients to keep you healthy?”
With a little thought and research, even the most mundane product can be written about passionately and persuasively by speaking to readers as though they had been your long-time next door neighbors.
Kimberly M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
