I have a riddle for you today.

Ready?

Here it is:

What can a copywriter hold but cannot see?

Take some time to think about it.

Don’t continue reading! Actually look away for 10 seconds and think about it.

Gotten an answer?

Are you sure?

Well, the answer is …

Attention!

Good riddle? Bad riddle?

Okay okay. However you feel about my riddle, it is actually quite important for copywriters to be able to get and keep the attention of readers. In fact, you need to be extremely paranoid about it as your copy lives and dies based on how well it can hold attention.

And one of the best ways tips I have heard about getting attention comes from the public speaking world.

I heard it during an interview with Barry Baher (who used to be top-level a sales consultant for a large corporation) and he said whenever he notices people are no longer paying attention during his speeches, he simply says these words:

“Alright, the next segment is going to be either about dating or segz”.

And all the eyes in the room light up — attention returns. (Btw, that tells you something about the human species).

Of course, this is like a nuclear option. Something you can only use once in a speech and never again (at least not to the same set of people), so be careful how you use it.

Another example?

Hollywood. They have this figured out already.

If you’re a big fan of movies you will probably agree that a good movie draws you in. You almost lose sense of the real world and you’re purely invested in the movie. You begin to develop emotions for the characters and many times even cry, shout, and laugh based on how the movie is going.

At that point, you are no longer watching a movie, you are an … active participator in the movie!

This is something you should always strive for when writing copy.

As people read your copy, they need to be active participators. They should not just read words. They should see scenarios, feel emotions, experience pain, fear, love & joy through your copy.

Vivid … distinct … clear pictures of what you are describing should fill their minds.

That is what great copy is all about.

Allowing the reader to experience something mentally … before they ever see it or experience it in real life.

If you can do this in your copy, you can almost never lose.

For more marketing and copywriting tips like this, visit https://ikonmedia.net

Fola.