What do Dumplings and Herbs have to do
with Advertising?
by Rhonda Hailey
Being from the south, no chicken soup recipe is complete without herb
laced dumplings. If you have been advertising online for any
length of time, you will have learned the importance of your
headlines. If your advertising copy were likened to chicken soup, then
your HEADLINE would be the chicken. Online, your headline is probably
THE most important ingredient.
So, if headlines are the Chicken, then when we are cooking up
irresistible ad copy, "herbs" are your Fonts, and Magic
words are your "dumplings". Fatal Words would be the pesky
bones you want to be sure and remove before you start spooning out
your soup.
You didn't know you were going to need a spoon to write your ad
copy, did you?
Spice it up with FONTS
You can ruin a good soup with too much spice. SO add just the right
amount of HERBS for flavor and eye appeal.
Use plain readable Fonts and avoid special characters or caps. Use
caps only to EMPHASIZE specific words. For instance, if you scan
back over this article; you will note that I have used CAPS where I
would have EMPHASIZED a word. Had I been speaking to you in public,
you would have heard an emphasis on CERTAIN words and been aware of
pregnant... pauses.
In print, you can use Caps to draw your readers eye to Keywords or
MAGIC words (which elicit an emotional response). For this chicken
soup recipe, Magic words are your DUMPLINGS.
Ever been the last one to the kettle to find all the dumplings
gone?
Dumplings are something we all want... satisfying, comforting, and
DESIRABLE!
Examples of DUMPLINGS for your soup:
| Free |
Love |
Safe |
| New |
Benefits |
Right |
| You |
Alternative |
Security |
| Sale |
Now |
Winnings |
| Introducing |
Win |
Fun |
| Save |
Gain |
Value |
| Money |
Happy |
Advice |
| Discover |
Trustworthy |
Wanted |
| Results |
Comfortable |
Guaranteed |
| Proven |
Proud |
Why |
| Announcing |
Healthy |
Easy |
Now you would never ladle up your Chicken Soup with bones in it. So
before you serve up even a single helping of your ad copy, be sure to
remove those PESKY BONES...
In copy writing, the BONES would be any words that squelch the desire to
buy or take action, or stir up negativity in any way.
Strain your copy for PESKY BONES, such as:
| Buy |
Difficult |
Death |
| Obligation |
Wrong |
Order |
| Failure |
Decision |
Fail |
| Bad |
Deal |
Cost |
| Sell |
Liability |
Worry |
| Loss |
Hard |
Contract |
Now... Now with just a splash of guarantee or even a limit on
availability, your soup is ready and sure to have them coming back for
seconds.
Bon Appetit!
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© Rhonda Hailey, publisher of RUMBLES from the Jungle Ezine
An ongoing safari thru the jungle of online advertising. Begin your own
cost effective ezine advertising safari here.
