|
Home / Writing
“Super Verbs” Really Move Your Copy
By:Karon Thackston
By Karon Thackston © 2004
http://www.learn-copywriting.com
Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers. Why would you want to fill your copy with complacent words when you can conjure emotions and visual imagery in the hearts and minds of your readers? Sure, "run" and "hustle" both indicate that someone is moving fast. But "run" is a dull, ordinary verb while "hustle" evokes definite images in your reader's mind.
Hadn't really thought about it? You should! You can choose commonplace verbs like "talk," "make," and "like," or you can electrify your copy instead with verbs like "chatter," "discover," and "adore."
Look at these examples to see what I mean:
Before
Down Comforters Let You Get Warm
When it's cold outside, get into bed and warm up with our genuine goose down comforters. There's no reason to be cold when you can heat things up instead!
After
Down Comforters Let You Snuggle
When it's cold outside, leap into bed and burrow down with our genuine goose down comforters. There's no reason to shiver when you can snuggle instead!
See the difference? The latter paints a more vivid picture of the comforter than the former.
Review this one…
Before
Whether you're doing aerobics, Pilates, or any other workout, Ziox sneakers will give you the support you need. Specifically made for indoor low- and high-impact exercise, Ziox is created to keep you on the path to meeting your fitness goals.
After
Whether you're performing an aerobic, Pilates, or other workout, Ziox sneakers will offer you the support you need. Specifically engineered for indoor low- and high-impact exercise, Ziox is designed to keep you on the path to accomplishing your fitness goals.
What’s the difference? Why are the “afters” so much more powerful than the “befores”? Because compelling verbs were used. Verbs bring the action to your copy. They give the reader (or at least they should give the reader) something to envision. You need Super Verbs to entice your readers. For example, instead of just “get into bed,” we say, “leap into bed.” Instead of "being cold" and "heat things up" we say, "shivering" and "snuggle." When you read that, you begin to envision what action is taking place in a very specific way.
Where do you find these Super Verbs? Everywhere you look! Here’s a short list. You can also visit free sites like http://www.thesaurus.com for more.
Verbs vs. Super Verbs
·Accent – emphasize, underscore
·Break – smash, crush, demolish
·Eat – consume, devour, feast
·Forgive – pardon, excuse, overlook
·Hate – detest, loathe, despise
·Imagine – envision, conjure, conceptualize
·Improve – enhance, refine, perfect
·Jump – leap, lunge, bound
·Learn – discover, grasp, comprehend
·Like – admire, adore, cherish, delight in
·Make – create, engineer, design
·Promise – vow, swear
·Reveal – manifest, unveil, disclose
Take some time to go beyond the ordinary. Find a few Super Verbs to use in your copy in order to boost excitement and interest in the products/services you write about. That added attention, which Super Verbs bring, can easily correlate to additional sales.
About the Author
Karon Thackston is a professional copywriter with over 20 years of success. If you're tired of endlessly searching the ‘Net in hopes of finding the latest copywriting techniques, or if you need an up-to-date directory filled with the best ways to learn copywriting, then visit Karon's directory at http://www.learn-copywriting.com today for the widest collection of the most popular copywriting resources available.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
|
|
| Top Writing Articles |
|
|
- 2). Its Good To Be A New Writer: Breaking The Myth That Experience Is Everything By : Shelley Wake
Theres a rumor out there in the publishing world that an editor wont even look at the work of a new writer. It might be true for certain types of writing, but after interviewing hundreds of editors, Ive found that most are more open to new writers than you might think.
And there are a few major benefits to being a new writer too. So before you spend too much time trying to work out how you can appear to be a published professional writer when youre not, consider taking advantage of your current position as a newcomer.
|
- 3). Penguin Publisher Reveals What It Really Takes To Get Published. By : Sharif Khan
Mr. David Davidar began his career in journalism and is founder of Penguin Books India. Currently, he is Publisher of Penguin Canada and also is author of the novel, The House of Blue Mangoes.
How did you first get started in the publishing business?
Twenty years ago I was working in Bombay and there was a colleague I knew who had done a publishing course at Harvard.
|
- 4). A Few Magazine Publishing Terms By : Scott Lindsay
The business of writing for magazines is often speculative in nature. It can often seem fruitless to conduct research on available paying magazines, attempt to understand their style and unique requirements, write the article, send the article, and then wait for what can seem a never ending response.
It can be even more daunting when you have invested significant time and energy and have received multiple rejection slips.
|
- 5). The Psychology Of Effortless Writing By : Saleem Rana
Through writing I can convey my entire experience so that someone else can benefit from it and learn from that experience without having had to be there. So, by writing I can give others much more than I can in person. In addition, writing bends time and I can convey my experience to someone centuries away.
|
- 6). Tricky Decisions By : Kael
Some people know exactly what to look for at the bookstore others spend hours without finding what they have in mind
Did you ever mistake the body lotion tube for the toothpaste a sleepy morning? No? Good, its not the best way to start the day.
This might be an awkward approach if you're aiming at the problem of choosing literature, but frankly, havent you too picked the wrong book by a random grab at the bookshop or at the library? The book you put away with a sigh after three chapters.
|
|
|
- 8). Ebook Design (HTML) By : Shelley Lowery
When designing an HTML compiled ebook, you must create an HTML document (web page) for each page within your ebook. These pages should include
|
|
|
- 10). A Blank Paper By : William Ramos
A BLANK PAPERis what I came up with after racking my brain to sweet talk you, sweep you off your feet; but as I crown myse
|
| New Writing Articles |
|
|
- 2). Seven Ways To Sabotage Your Self Publishing Success By : Sanyika Calloway-Boyce
Are you sabotaging your success as an author? Would you like to know how not to waste time and money? Seven Ways To Sabotage Your Self Publishing Success reveals the secrets that you need to know and avoid so you can write, publish and promote your book to self publishing success!
|
|
|
- 4). How to Proofread Like a Professional By : Jaya Schillinger
Copyright 2006 Jaya Schillinger
Even as I wrote the title for this article, I got confused. Is "proofread" one word or two? I thought it was two, and my spell checker didn't have a problem with that, but when I double-checked myself with a popular on- line dictionary, I was able to catch my mistake. Proofread is in fact one word, "proofread v. tr.
|
- 5). Benefit We Gain from Problem Solving By : Carol Miller
The real fact on this Earth is that no human being has ever lived without problems a single day. This is impossible. People deal wit problems every day and problems do not fade away by themselves, they stay until the person resolves them. When a person gets strong enough to overcome stress and get to the core of things, then the amount of problems lessens.
|
- 6). Self Publishing, A Miracle Of The 21st Century. By : Josephine Stungger
Are you a writer with lots of talent but no one will give you the time of day let alone a contract? Would you pay a professional publisher to make your book but can't afford it? Do you need a better tool than your plain old word processor to make your work look more professional and desirable? Do you possess special knowledge that if packaged in a book.
|
- 7). Storylines Crop Up at the Oddest Moments By : chicho
There I was on a restful weekend by the sea; enjoying coffee and croissant in a quaint little caf at the end of the North Shore pier.
Looking outside through a musty rain smattered window my gaze was attracted to the contours of the magnificent edifice that is Blackpool Tower; drinking in the lines of the intricate steel framework that leads to the observation deck, to the twin platforms one above the other, and all the way up to the crows nest.
|
- 8). Choose Great Research Topics By : Denton Krypps
Doing research and writing research papers does not actually have to be as horrible as everyone makes it out to be. I have learned to enjoy the process of research from start to finish. Call me crazy if you will, but I guarentee that the future of your educational career can be much more enjoyable if you learn now to enjoy research. For me, enjoying it started with choosing the right research topics.
|
- 9). The Perils And Pitfalls Of Publishing: Who Can An Author Trust? By : Dee Power And Brian Hill
One out of every eight people call themselves a writer, which means there are roughly 24 million people in the United States who carry that banner. Unfortunately there are charlatans and scam artists just waiting to ambush the unsuspecting author. How can a novice writer protect themselves?
Anyone can call themselves a publisher. Always remember money flows towards the author from the publisher, not the other way round.
|
- 10). Jokes and Riddles - How To Write Them By : Steve Gillman
Just listening to or reading jokes and riddles may "wake up" your brain, but it is creating them that really exercises your brainpower. The process requires you to use both logical and lateral thinking skills. How do you do it, then?
Jokes and riddle don't come to mind randomly. In fact, after watching how many comedians create their routines, I am convinced that they use what I call "humor algorithms," even if they do so unconsciously.
|
|
|
