Deciding What Voice to Use in Copy

You have to choose a character or an angle that you, the copywriter plays. Copy is interactive. There's a copywriter and a copy reader. As soon as one is gone, the relationship is over (at least for the time being). Readers don't have to stick around. There's no locked door. And they won't?if you don't keep them interested. So you need to write as if you are talking to that person directly.

How do you do this? Nine times out of 10, you need to use the present tense. The word "you" is like using the reader's name in a sentence. It perks up their interest.

But there are times you'll need a more institutional and formal tone. Decide that before you start writing. What will resonate most with the reader?

• Who are you to the reader?
• One of them
• One of them who discovered something the hard way
• One of them but far superior (the guru model)
• A peer
• A buddy
• An authority figure

Or are you a "gimmick" like the pet dog talking to the reader about his fleas or something like that?

You have to decide what will best resonate with your prospect. Selling is the transference of feelings. The prospect needs to feel that:

• He or she has been exactly where you are
• Shared feelings and experiences (for example, if you asked where were you when JFK died would you think of senior or junior? This goes back to doing your homework before you ever sat down to write)
• He feels my pain
• She speaks my language (If you're using jargon, you really need to get it right. One misstep and you've lost the trust. So be careful using jargon and insider language. For example you call something "sick" if you're a surfer and that's a very good thing. But if you used that lingo with a nurse, you'd get a very different reaction.)
• I wish I could meet him or her personally
• I feel so close, I want to share my story with him or her just like he did for me

It's how people feel not what they think or know that controls their buying behavior. It's not a logical process. So if you can present your benefits in terms of feelings like how the buyer will feel as a result of having your product and what negative feelings will go away. This is why we highlight problem, agitate, solve. We want them to recognize a problem that needs fixing and show them we are the solution. So what voice you choose, and how to communicate makes a monumental difference in whether or not your copy is effective.

Special Requirements for Reprint: we ask only that you include Lorrie's name and resource box, and keep all hyperlinks as live links.

World class copywriter, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero is the author of the highly acclaimed home study course, Red Hot Copy to Woo Your Target Market and founder of Copy Campus, a unique online copywriting school. Lorrie is also a direct descendent of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Learn more about her products and services at http://www.red-hot-copy.com/.

---

Google News Updated : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:06:27 GMT McPalin ready to “break some china” - FOXNews McPalin ready to “break some china” FOXNews - 1 hour ago by Mosheh Oinounou STERLING HEIGHTS, MI - John McCain is warning Washington that he and Sarah Palin are a “team of mavericks” ready to “break some china. John McCain, Sarah Palin, and "Rights" Huffington Post Comment by Deborah L. Rhode Dir., Ctr. for the Legal Profession, Stanford Univ Financial Times - Voice of America - Wall Street Journal - Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck all 1,755 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:08:24 GMT Republicans Take Heart; Heart Takes It Back - E! Online E! Online Republicans Take Heart; Heart Takes It Back E! Online - 10 hours ago AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato Ann and Nancy Wilson are hoping the Republicans change their tune—and aren't planning on waiting until November to find out. Republicans Lack Heart! TMZ.com Heart Duo Furious Over Republicans' Use of 'Barracuda' San Francisco Chronicle NME.com - MTV.com - eFluxMedia - Rolling Stone all 144 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:42:08 GMT McCain seizes on theme of ‘change’ - Financial Times Telegraph.co.uk McCain seizes on theme of ‘change’ Financial Times - 1 hour ago By Daniel Dombey in Washington John McCain accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night by seeking to wrest the mantle of change from Barack Obama in a speech that mixed appeals to patriotism, criticism of Washington and a promise ... John McCain and Barack Obama focus on job losses, economy Los Angeles Times McCain, Obama Vie For 'Reformist' Mantle Washington Post New York Daily News - Nevada Appeal - CNN Political Ticker - The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com all 1,672 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:07:54 GMT Silver State of Nevada Is 11th Bank Failure This Year (Update1) - Bloomberg Silver State of Nevada Is 11th Bank Failure This Year (Update1) Bloomberg - 21 minutes ago By Alison Vekshin and Ari Levy Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Silver State Bank of Henderson, Nevada was closed by US regulators today, the 11th bank to collapse this year amid a surge in soured real-estate loans stemming from the worst housing slump since the ... Regulators Shutter Silver State Bank Wall Street Journal Regulators close Silver State Bank in Henderson, Nevada Reuters USA Today - KXNT all 67 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:45:10 GMT Palin is catapulted into starring role - Financial Times Washington Post Palin is catapulted into starring role Financial Times - 1 hour ago By Edward Luce and Andrew Ward It was the loudest and most prolonged cheer since Barack Obama appeared on the podium last week in Denver. Video: "Change is coming," McCain tells convention - 05 Sept 2008 AlJazeeraEnglish Comment by John S. Baick Professor of History, Western New England College KCBD-TV - TIME - MSNBC - CBS News all 5,407 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:07:45 GMT Google Chrome Hit With Another Security Bug - CRN PR Web (press release) Google Chrome Hit With Another Security Bug CRN - 2 hours ago By Stefanie Hoffman, ChannelWeb Less than a week after the release of Google's new Web browser Chrome, security researchers detected a buffer overflow vulnerability that could enable remote attackers to completely take control of a user's computer. NetSuite boasts of Google Chrome support CNET News Chrome reflects need for internet speed Financial Times PC World - InformationWeek - San Jose Mercury News - InfoWorld all 183 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:33:46 GMT Some See a Fighting Spirit as Detroit Mayor’s Ruin - New York Times BBC News Some See a Fighting Spirit as Detroit Mayor’s Ruin New York Times - 48 minutes ago By SUSAN SAULNY and NICK BUNKLEY DETROIT - When it looked to most people around here as if a 31-year-old might be too young to win a mayoral election, Kwame M. Kilpatrick decided to take on the fight, and the reward was his inauguration in 2002 as ... Video: A Timeline of Detroit Mayor's Text Scandal AssociatedPress Kilpatrick, Cockrel to meet; 140 could lose jobs DetNews.com Los Angeles Times - Detroit Free Press - Wall Street Journal - CNN International all 5,085 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:18:12 GMT Rss Feed Reader Increase Search Engine Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

The Biggest Mistake Copywriters Make

Most of the sales pieces people ask me to rewrite... Read More

Step One for Copywriters: Understand WHAT to Say

Find a passage of poorly written copy, and chances are... Read More

Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional

It's time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe... Read More

Boost Your Conversion Rate In Three Steps

When I critique, edit or rewrite sales copy, I discover... Read More

Why Is FREE The Most Powerful Marketing Word You Can Use?

As the famous cowboy Will Rogers once said, "Even if... Read More

Copywriting FAQs

One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to... Read More

A Little-Known Secret To Writing Sales Copy, For Serious Copywriters Only!

Have you ever wondered how your copy sounds to your... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Effective Web Copy

On the Internet programmers and designers rule, not the writer.... Read More

Magic Words That Sell and What Words to Avoid

We all know words are powerful. Whether written or spoken,... Read More

How to Write for a Paper or Magazine

l. Introduce yourself to the editor of your local newspaper.... Read More

The Formulas Freelance Copywriters Employ When Creating Web Content

What is it exactly that copywriters DO when they produce... Read More

Kick-Starting Body Copy

Several correspondents to our newsletter, AdBriefing, say that they are... Read More

Creative Copywriting?

There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It... Read More

Is Freelance Hiring Right For You?

Assume you were faced with the task of hiring a... Read More

Help, Help, Help, Sell

Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for... Read More

3 Keys to Better Online Copywriting

Doing the copywriting for your own website without the proper... Read More

Copywriting: Drafting Rules for Professionals

As a professional contractor who wears many hats, you owe... Read More

How Your $2-an-Article Ghostwriter is Like a Cheap Pair of Pants

Web marketers: have you figured out that article marketing is... Read More

Writing Suitable Copy for the Press

Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning... Read More

Hey, Client, This Is Me! Sell With Your Writing Voice

In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More

A Quick Free n Easy Content Writing Course

I do not pretend that a one-stop shop solution to... Read More

Copywriting Makeover: Search Engine-Friendly Can Also Mean Visitor-Friendly

When it comes to search engine optimization, copywriting plays a... Read More

How To Become Qualified As A Proofreader

The field of proofreading is not as easy to get... Read More

Give Me $1 And Ill Have A Powerful Marketing Weapon

One of my most powerful marketing weapons costs me less... Read More

Steps to a Writing an Effective Press Releases

Want to get the most media attention and spotlight for... Read More