The Way “Copywriting” Got It’s Name
Baffled by the label “copywriting”? You might be wondering, “what does copying have to do with writing, anyway?”
Here’s perhaps the simplest way to answer the question. All writers borrow; no one starts just from scratch. Copywriters are merely more upfront about it.
It makes more sense if you consider the purpose of advertising itself, which is to trigger certain emotional responses and move people to make a certain action. If the desired action is made then the writings purpose has been accomplished.
Copywriter know the human beings are complex. Just what causes us to take action isn’t always clear.
So, copywriters will often start with an advertising piece that they know is effective, and will then borrow elements from it. Every aspect of a sales letter is modeled after other, earlier, successful pieces, starting with the headline.
A classic headline from the previous century went like this: “They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Began To Play…”. This particular headline has been the basis of hundreds of later headlines. Why is it effective? There are at least two emotionally charged ideas present, and probably more. The skilled writer knows what tool is required to achieve a certain effect, and moreover knows how to use it.
There are certain elements usually present in well-written headlines.
Numbers can be an effective means to draw the reader in. For example, headline writers will often refer to “The Five Steps You Must Take…” or the “Seven Tricks…”. The human mind appears to love specific numbers.
Another well-known technique is the word “secrets” or some variation. This idea is used in at least two senses. Firstly, people love the idea of obtaining secret information that will give them an upper hand. On the flip side, no one likes the idea of other people gaining this secret knowledge and keeping an advantage over themselves.
My final “widely-copied element” mention today is the use a story in a headline. It only takes a few words to tell a story. The famous “One Legged Golfer” headline is based on a completely true story. I’ll point out that true stories are often the best.
With these three elements, we could construct a headline like this:
“Blind Welfare Mother of Three Discovers the 5 Hidden Secrets To Opening a Checking Account, Even If You’re On ChexSystems ‘Black List’ “.
I hope this article has helped you see that when copywriters “copy”, they are merely borrowing ideas, not the actual words of other writers.
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