Does your copy sound as dull and lifeless as an overcooked piece of cod?
You need to spice it up!
With some sense-stimulating details.
Here’s a quick video that gives you two easy ways to make your copy a lot more engaging and enticing to read.
Press play and take it away!
As I copywriter and copywriting coach, I’m always looking for ways to snazz up dull and dreary copy. And one of the best ways to do this is to get more specific and sensual by throwing out board, conceptual and overused words and phrases and throwing in some details!
For examples, here are some common phrases I see out there in Internet Land:
Find your own authentic way
Transform your life
Follow your dreams
Overcome your obstacles
The problem with these phrases is they don’t communicate anything real, tangible or irresistible. They’re so vague and amorphous they don’t engage your mind or your senses. Nor do they stir your emotions.
So… how can you avoid broad, boring phrases like these?
By adding details.
Let me show you how details can jazz up any piece of writing by asking you, which of the following two sentences do you find more engaging?
- The glass fell off the table, hit the floor and broke.OR
- The icy beer stein slipped off the greasy bar and shattered into a thousand glimmering shards as it hit the cement floor.
The second one, right?
Because it creates an image in your head. It has more of a dramatic, visceral pull. It wakes up the brain. It engages the senses.
And it’s a lot more fun to read.
So, let me give you 2 easy ways to add more details (and more zip, zing and zowie) to your copy so you can wake up your reader and get him or her more engaged in your message.
Story Snippets
One easy way to add more evocative details is to swap out adjectives for what I call “story snippets.”
Here’s an example. Take the phrase:
“I was flat broke.”
To add more punch and create more emotional pull, you could write a one phrase “story snippet” that shows what “flat broke” looks and feels like.
“I lived on nothing but Top Ramen and raw cabbage, refused to turn the thermostat higher than 50 degrees and asked every friend and even my ex for a loan… just so I could pay my rent.”
The details paint the picture of what it was like to be broke. And that gives the phrase more power and impact.
See if you can do the same.
Look for adjectives in your copy, especially overused ones, like: excited, confident, happy, overwhelmed… and see if you can swap them out for a story snippet.
Not all the time. But when your copy needs a kick or more of an emotional punch.
Dump the Ambiguous
Another great way to give your copy more impact and allure is to throw out any broad, conceptual phrases, and communicate the same idea with more specific details.
For instance, one phrase I see a lot is: “Do you feel like you’re meant for more?”
Now… it’s not a horrible phrase, but what does it mean? More? More of what?
Instead, you want to paint the picture of More.
“Do you see yourself leading sold out seminars, consistently scoring 5-figure months, and working only with clients who are eager to pay your top fees?”
Can you see how those details make that wished-for reality more alive and alluring? Can you feel how those details create an emotional, and even a physical, response in the reader?
Now… you may be thinking, “But that phrase is so much longer. Won’t all these details make my copy too long?”
Yes, adding details means adding words. And yes, that one phrase will be longer. But don’t be afraid to create a longer phrase IF it makes your copy more compelling and engaging.
And remember. Adding details is like adding spice. You don’t want to overdo it. Or you’ll have all spice and no steak. And your one-page email will turn into a 300-page novel.
Use detail to give your message more clarity. More emotional pull. More zip and zing. So your reader will feel what you’re writing about and be captivated by your message.
Your assignment right now is to take a piece of copy you’re writing or have written, and see if you can swap out some of those broad, ambiguous words and phrases for either a story snippet or some more descriptive details.
And hey, why not share your work in the comments below? I’d love to see your “before and after!”