When you work with a copywriter on your website content, you soon realize that some words and phrases will be more productive than others. Some phrases will actually drive prospects away. For example:
“Discover” communicates excitement and adventure; “learn” suggests work.
“How to” headlines have always been effective, but some copywriters say that a “How you can easily do x…” will deliver even stronger results in some markets.
Choosing words and phrases to describe business decisions will be even more critical. (It’s like copywriting for your own business planning.) A long time ago, I banned the word “expensive” from my vocabulary. I might say, “I choose not to spend $100 – or $10,000 – on this purchase.” But “expensive” drains my energy.
For example, I’m getting lots of compliments on my new caricature logo. At first I hesitated to invest in this simple drawing. But it made more sense than trying for the ninetieth time to get a decent photo of me without the dog.
The *value* of this small drawing? Off the chart.
Recently I removed another phrase after listening to Pamela Bruner, a business coach who operates mostly under the radar. Pamela urges us to stop saying, “I’ll think about it.”
My first reaction was, “I need to think about it.” But experimenting with alternatives led to, “What does my business really need?” Much more powerful.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Cathy,
The way I see it, “I’ll think about it” ranks right up there with “Possibly”, “Perhaps”, “Maybe”, “We’ll see” and “I might have an answer for you next Tuesday”.
Melanie
Fantastic tips Cat. I’m off to tweak my landing page! (Well, first thing tomorrow, it’s now midnight)
Krishna
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