Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers. Why would you want to fill your copy with complacent words when you can conjure emotions and visual imagery in the hearts and minds of your readers? Sure, "run" and "hustle" both indicate that someone is moving fast. But "run" is a dull, ordinary verb while "hustle" evokes definite images in your reader's mind.
Hadn't really thought about it? You should! You can choose commonplace verbs like "talk," "make," and "like," or you can electrify your copy instead with verbs like "chatter," "discover," and "adore."
Look at these examples to see what I mean:
Before
Down Comforters Let You Get Warm
When it's cold outside, get into bed and warm up with our genuine goose down comforters. There's no reason to be cold when you can heat things up instead!
After
Down Comforters Let You Snuggle
When it's cold outside, leap into bed and burrow down with our genuine goose down comforters. There's no reason to shiver when you can snuggle instead!
See the difference? The latter paints a more vivid picture of the comforter than the former.
Review this one?
Before
Whether you're doing aerobics, Pilates, or any other workout, Ziox sneakers will give you the support you need. Specifically made for indoor low- and high-impact exercise, Ziox is created to keep you on the path to meeting your fitness goals.
After
Whether you're performing an aerobic, Pilates, or other workout, Ziox sneakers will offer you the support you need. Specifically engineered for indoor low- and high-impact exercise, Ziox is designed to keep you on the path to accomplishing your fitness goals.
What's the difference? Why are the "afters" so much more powerful than the "befores"? Because compelling verbs were used. Verbs bring the action to your copy. They give the reader (or at least they should give the reader) something to envision. You need Super Verbs to entice your readers. For example, instead of just "get into bed," we say, "leap into bed." Instead of "being cold" and "heat things up" we say, "shivering" and "snuggle." When you read that, you begin to envision what action is taking place in a very specific way.
Where do you find these Super Verbs? Everywhere you look! Here's a short list. You can also visit free sites like http://www.thesaurus.com for more.
Verbs vs. Super Verbs
Take some time to go beyond the ordinary. Find a few Super Verbs to use in your copy in order to boost excitement and interest in the products/services you write about. That added attention, which Super Verbs bring, can easily correlate to additional sales.
By Karon Thackston © 2004
http://www.learn-copywriting.com
About The Author
Karon Thackston is a professional copywriter with over 20 years of success. If you're tired of endlessly searching the 'Net in hopes of finding the latest copywriting techniques, or if you need an up-to-date directory filled with the best ways to learn copywriting, then visit Karon's directory at http://www.learn-copywriting.com today for the widest collection of the most popular copywriting resources available.
IF PUBLISHING ON A WEBSITE, USE THIS RESOURCE BOX:
Karon Thackston is a professional copywriter with over 20 years of success. If you're tired of endlessly searching the 'Net in hopes of finding the latest copywriting techniques. If you need an up-to-date directory filled with the best ways to learn copywriting then visit Karon's directory at Learn Copywriting today for the widest collection of the most popular copywriting resources available.
1. Isolation technique It doesn't matter how good your... Read More
If you've been writing web articles to help promote your... Read More
Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a... Read More
When you create headlines, do you put benefits into your... Read More
Now that you've decided to hire a copywriter, how do... Read More
Your sales copy is the life source of your business.... Read More
New to tech-writing, or thinking about starting? The key to... Read More
So many copywriters think that it's enough to be a... Read More
Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for... Read More
Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is... Read More
Most of us have seen a heckler at a baseball... Read More
Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large... Read More
Get a Good Start for Sales SuccessThe headline to a... Read More
Pretty or elegant? Good or scrumptious? Nice or delightful? There... Read More
Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an "art." While... Read More
Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make MoneyDiscover the Master... Read More
If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure,... Read More
Want to get the most media attention and spotlight for... Read More
When you come to 'know' something, there is a temptation... Read More
We all know that words have the power to persuade,... Read More
Whether you run a home-based business or Microsoft, one thing... Read More
How do you make your fundraising letters creative and fresh... Read More
One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions... Read More
Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More
Lately, I've been getting emails from other copywriters who ask... Read More
Assume you were faced with the task of hiring a... Read More
Many professional freelancers will go their entire career without ever... Read More
I've seen this ongoing debate debate jump up again recently... Read More
Writing headlines for your ads is the most important part... Read More
You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material... Read More
About once a month I fly off somewhere to give... Read More
Anyone who's ever tried marketing IT products or... Read More
A few weeks ago I wrote some copy for a... Read More
Building a professional reputation requires a campaign founded on your... Read More
One of the keys to writing good marketing copy is... Read More
If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure,... Read More
Web marketers: have you figured out that article marketing is... Read More
Nothing irritates me more than being told that there are... Read More
Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning... Read More
Quality is what you need. What you don't have is... Read More
All the world's a story. Video games have storylines; newspapers... Read More
Several years ago, when I was working for an agency,... Read More
If you find that your progress is blocked by a... Read More
In the world of web copywriters, many will try, but... Read More
Writers write just like painters, paint on canvas. This is... Read More
Most people would love to make a living from freelance... Read More
Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make MoneyDiscover the Master... Read More
Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what's commonly referred to as... Read More
In the competitive marketplace of the new millennium, the demand... Read More
Yes indeed, that's all you've got, 30 seconds to make... Read More
One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More
In part one of this article series we began looking... Read More
So, you have something you want to sell. It may... Read More
Freelancing is a competitive business, especially in today's fast-paced, e-focused... Read More
Overlooking simple steps such as proofreading and grammar can affect... Read More
If you are interested in creating information products, you will... Read More
So many copywriters think that it's enough to be a... Read More
We all know words are powerful. Whether written or spoken,... Read More
Is it out there? The chance to be a freelance... Read More
Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough... Read More
We all know that words have the power to persuade,... Read More
You've probably seen web sites with testimonials - they can... Read More
According to Branding and Advertising legend, David Ogilvy: 5 times... Read More
Many people feel uncertain when dealing with copywriters. Like any... Read More
You've done it. Gotten that press release written. Now you're... Read More
About 50 years ago, movie serials kept theater crowds coming... Read More
Copywriting |