Do Nuances in Copy Matter?
When buried under deadlines, it’s easy for a copywriter to just start cranking out the words to fill the space. But by not taking that extra few minutes to refine your copy you are missing out on one of the most powerful tools that a copywriter has—one that can make or break a product—and that’s nuance.
There can be big differences in nuance and selling power between words like “pants” versus “trousers.” Referring to a top as “sexy” versus “fun” or “flirty”—wow. And for your brand, one word might be right on the money, while another is completely out of character.
This is where brand kicks in
If you’ve never done a complete brand study, you are probably missing some of the most valuable words in your prospect’s vocabulary, used to describe the things they like and buy. (Those of you who attended the Summit got a nice outline showing some of our steps for doing a brand exploration and development project.)
Consider taking some time to work on a brand initiative and you’ll get much more than just great copy out of it—it’s opportunity across the board.
But meanwhile, for copy, know that this will help guide you.
Calling into a “lifeline”
There are other ways to get the words you need, too. Taking the time to look at the copy for products that are selling well can be valuable research for you. Looking at other catalogs that you know your prospect shops from. Seeing their words and looking for patterns of language, is another good way to explore and think of what nuances are appropriate for your copy.
And when you’re burnt out and stuck in place, there are some handy books on the market that will provide ideas to stimulate your word-smithing skills and even provide actual words. Resources like the books of industry icon Herschell Gordon Lewis are so beautifully written and so full of wonderful copy examples that they’re a great place to look for inspiration and ideas. I always keep a few, such as ”On The Art of Writing Copy” on my shelf, and those of you who sell to the over-fifty crowd should get his specialty book, “Silver Linings.” Writer Alan Rosenspan’s book, “Confessions of a Control Freak,” is also good for headline and concept ideas—how to sell a product in a different and better way.
There are also books such as “Words that Sell” by Richard Bayan that are just chock full o’ words all categorized for you. Mind you, you’ll need to sort through a book like this and choose the right words, but you’ll have a bigger arsenal to choose from than you may currently have on your tough, crank-it-out copywriting day.
Take on some of your copy that’s selling more important products just to see what a difference you can make by choosing the right words—and turn your copy from ‘utilitarian’ to ‘seducing, enrolling and selling’ copy.
Carol Worthington-Levy is creative partner at catalog consultancy Lenser.
