I guess the passing yesterday of J.D. Salinger got me thinking about how powerful words really are. His character, Holden Caulfield, (from his 1951 classic "Catcher in the Rye") in it's own way, shaped a generation of readers. Holden's discontent resonated with young readers who grew up to be the college kids in the early 60s.
Of course King Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) knew how powerful words were. He's quoted as saying, "The tongue has the power of life and death." And of course the only reason we know what Solomon or Jesus or Shakespeare or…Salinger said is because those words were written down. The written word multiplies the power of the spoken word because it can reach beyond the here and now.
Here's what I think…everything starts with good writing. Everything. Have you seen a great television show or a great movie or been moved by a powerful piece of music? Or how about listened to a great preacher or heard a moving presentation. Chances are…all these things started with great writing. The simple (but not easy) craft of rearranging our 26 letters into words can influence others like little else.
So if that's true, why are you writing to merely inform? Informing is the very least you should be doing! Words, well-written words, can do so much more. They can motivate and inspire. They can create change, they can alter opinions, they can move, they can empower. They make you laugh or cry or make you furious.
So with all that power in the palm of your hand, why in the world would you sit down to write copy for your website and say, "Welcome to our Web site!" Seriously, is that all you can come up with? People want to be amazed. They are looking for you to be remarkable, they want to be surprised and fascinated and enthralled. And so you write "Since 1967, we've been recognized as the best camp and conference center in the tri-state area!" Really? Please. Already, I don't care and I've clicked away before I've reached the end of the sentence.
You've got the pen in your hand (or the keyboard), HIT ME! Roy Williams says you've got to throw the cat in the punch bowl. Right off the top you've got to grab me by the collar and don't let go. How about starting out your web copy by identifying with mom. "You know, raising kids today is the toughest thing you'll ever do." Or, "The world is a pretty scary place to raise kids…and to raise them right. Finding the right examples and environments to put your kids in might just be your most important job."
When you talk like this you identify with what your primary customer (mom) is feeling anyway. When she reads that statement, she immediately thinks "these people know how I feel, they get it" and most importantly she continues to read. So don't let go. Follow up with, "we've seen campers go on to become missionaries and doctors and teachers and dads and moms (who send their own kids to camp). We know how to help you raise your kids."
Sitting down to write copy for your web site, newsletter, fund raising letter, brochure isn't something to be taken lightly. This is a big deal. Your copy is so much more than just the blocks of paragraphs that surround the pretty pictures. You'll be evaluated and chosen or rejected based on the words you choose. So choose wisely.
(or hire me to write for you)
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