How "Copywriting" Got Its Name

Written by Darrel Hawes

Saturday, 28 March 2009 03:15

Some may be rather confused by the word "copywriting". After all, what does copying have to do with writing?

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.

Think about the purpose of advertising: to trigger emotional responses in the prospect; move them to make a specific action.

Copywriters understand the complexity of human beings. What motivates us to make an action is often unclear.

Copywriters will usually start with an advertising piece that they know is effective, and will borrow elements. Every area of a sales letter is modeled from an earlier, successful piece, starting with the headline.

A classic headline from the last headline went like this: "They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Began To Play...". This headline has been the basis of hundreds of hundreds of later headlines. Why is it effective? Because there are emotionally charged ideas present. The skilled writer knows how to use this.

It's usually the case that certain elements are present in successful headlines.

Numbers can be an effective means of drawing the reader in. Consider headlines like, "The Five Steps You Must Take..." or the "Seven Tricks...". The mind sometimes loves specific numbers.

Another widely used technique is the word "secrets" or some variation. This idea is used in at least two senses. First, people in general love the idea of gaining secret knowledge that will give them an advantage over others. Second, on the flip side of the coin, people don't like the idea of others having this same secret knowledge and keeping an advantage over themselves. Kevin Trudeau has largely built his publishing career on just this notion (big companies and the government are deliberately keeping information from you).

The last widely used element I'll mention today is the utilization of a story in a headline. It's possible to tell a "story" with just a few words. One of the most famous is the "One Legged Golfer" headline. It's an absolutely true story, and I shall point out that the greatest stories are often the true ones.

With these elements together, we could come up with 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 I've helped you understand that when copywriters "copy", they are simply borrowing ideas, not other writers' words.

About the Author:

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