Word Wise Newsletter

Copywriting Basics and Writing Techniques to Help You Write Better

Volume 10, Number 8 ... ISSN: 1933-9690

Dear fellow writers,

Welcome back to Word Wise! Once or twice a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with practical and useful writing tips and copywriting basics to use whether you’re a marketing professional, nonprofit leader, or copywriting newbie -- to help you write better.

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FEATURE: Persuade Your Readers by Answering This One Question

Image: Daily Brain Teaser

Your job is to know the answer to that question and then present the answer front and center in your writing.

While your reader may be a genuine, generous, and compassionate person, even so her number one interest is not your organization. Her primary interest is in the benefit she will gain, whether tangible or intangible, from your product or service.

In other words, your reader wants to know what your product or service can do for him by providing things like …

• Good feelings . If you provide a weight loss product, your reader’s primary interest is in how the product will help her lose weight and look more beautiful (not in how you developed the product).
• Personal satisfaction. If you provide tutoring services for at-risk students, your reader’s primary interest is the personal satisfaction he gains knowing children learned to read (not in your issues in securing tutoring space.)
• Convenience.If your church is expanding to two campuses, your reader’s primary interest is which campus is most convenient for him (not the challenges you face in staffing.)

Get more details and how-tos to answer that question here. And check out other persuasive writing techniques on our Writing Persuasively Pinterest board.

Writing Tip: How to Position Your Number One Benefit In Your Piece

Position the answer the What’s In It For Me question in a strategic spot in your piece:

• in the email subject line
• in the article lead
• in the first paragraph of the web page
• in the title of the devotional
• at the top of the fold
• on the envelope carrier

More Writing Tips About Writing Persuasively

Finally ... A Wise Word