Words That “Pop”
I know I touched a bit on my love of words on my “About” page. In case you missed it, let me reiterate (as tool-ish as I feel quoting myself):
“Words shape opinions, evoke emotions, set moods, persuade. To put it bluntly, words have power, and it is this power that we can wield to our benefit, or detriment. This is why proper marketing is so crucial; the words you put out there become a consumer’s first impression of your company.”
Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you, right? Well, they might not physically harm you, but they CAN cause mental anguish. Figuratively speaking, they can cut, they can bite and tear down. You never forget the first time a kid called you “stupid” or “ugly” in class, no matter how hard you tried to let it roll off your back like an inconvenient rock. Sometimes we even carry the scars of those rolling rocks into adulthood. However, as much as words can wound, they can also lift up. We tend to fixate on hurt, but we also embrace kindness. The bottom line is that we remember words for what they make us feel.
When it comes to advertising, the companies that stand out the most are the ones that appeal to our emotions. The products that promise to fix something that we might have thought beyond repair. The companies that tickle our funny bones. The businesses who appeal to our sentimental side. In short, a company has to connect with people while not coming across as disingenuous. Because let me tell you, the general public has a nose for deception. Most of them have a built-in B.S. meter, and once it starts beeping, redemption is hard-won. However, the words we put out there for marketing — good marketing — aren’t meant to deceive. They’re meant to highlight what makes an individual, their product, or service unique apart from the competition. They’re meant to resonate with people. They’re meant to sell.
Words that are full ! of ! excessive ! exclamation !!! points, full of empty promises, full of dull and redundant phrasing, or full of (gasp) typos… those will never elevate a brand. People will see through it, roll their eyes at it, and ultimately keep scrolling. The worst part is that these mistakes are made often, and easy to overlook. A person may have a plethora of amazing business ideas in his or her head, but is just coming up short as to how to effectively communicate said ideas to the public.
That’s where we copy and content writers come in to play. Our objective is to take the product pitch tossed at us, and knock it out of the park. A business owner’s specialty is their business; ours is helping them put the right words out there to sell that business. We offer that extra written nudge to make the casual internet scroller pause and say, “Hmm, yes, I need to know more.” Ideally, we want to get them to a web page and keep them there until a sale is made, or until further information is requested. We’re not talking about turning a website into a Las Vegas casino, trapping the reader in an endless, confusing loop until they’re forced to panic-gamble. No, we’re simply talking about using words and style that pop.
So, let’s get poppin’ 😊
~J.B.
