Who's it all about? Me, me, me or you, you, you?
Shout it loud. Did you know that Monday of this week is - wait for it - World Ego Day.
So - what better opportunity to talk about the worst word in copywriting - I - while at the same time celebrating the finest - You!
Let me tell you about my daughter, Hannah. This young lady would have made a great copywriter. What do you mean, “How do I know?”? It’s in her genes of course!
But no - it’s true. She has all the right instincts.
And this is how I know ...
Consider your audience
Let me take you back to one Sunday afternoon, some 5 years ago. Hannah and Nick turned up unannounced, each wearing big, wide, excited smiles. They had barely stepped into the kitchen, before piping up with,
“Guess what? You're going to be so excited! You’re going to be grandparents!”
Well, this was indeed fantastic news. But how does this incident inform us as to Hannah’s copywriting abilities?
Here’s what she could have said -
“Guess what? We're so excited! We’re having a baby!”
But she didn’t - and the point is this.
Hannah instinctively was thinking about her audience and what these glad tidings would mean to them.
Here are the opening words from a newsletter I recently received -
“I’m thrilled to tell you about our new VOIP XXX400 system, available at just £2.99 per month.”
The secret that Hannah understands so well, but the writer of the newsletter doesn't, is this
I’ll whisper it in your ear very quietly.
Your … customers … don’t … care … two … hoots … about … how … you … feel.
Hard to take I know - but it’s true.
And why should they?
Engaging with our customers is about empathy, about putting ourselves in their shoes - about considering how they might feel about our products or services.
That newsletter opener could perhaps have read -
“How much are you paying for your VOIP system? Well, we’ve just launched the all-new XXX400, which could save you £££s every month!”
So here's today’s lesson -
Whenever you can, write to your readers and for your readers.
They’ll love you for it.
They really will.
Find out more about how to Write Winning Words for your Website. See the growing collection of Web Copy articles right here. Give me a call - +44(0)7703 472207. It'll be great to talk.
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Till the next time ...
