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I do! I do!
Tired of reading headlines that begin with the lifted and unimaginative ‘Who Else Wants . . .’? I know I am and I’m shocked at the number of professionals that continue to use it.
Copywriters just starting out, them I understand. They’ve got a temporary pass because they don’t know better — yet.
But the writers charging for their copy and using that prehistoric artifact . . . yeesh. I can only imagine how you would feel as someone’s client, i.e., someone who pays professionals to craft copy that produces results, when one of these slackers recycles that one from the boneyards.
Heck, some of you have paid copywriters top dollar only to later discover they lazily swiped that tired headline mechanism, and that incident inspired me to address the issue in this post.
Aw well, at least it thins the herd a bit, so maybe I shouldn’t complain. Heh . . . maybe I should encourage my competitors to use it, yeah that’s the ticket! Hmmm.
I doubt anyone has studied this but it would be interesting to attach actual numbers to show whether ‘Who Else Wants . . .’ still actually works or not. When I’ve been asked if such-and-such is a good sales writer, if I see an ‘Who Else Wants . . .’ headline in their copy written after 2001 - then I tell them to pass.
Why? Because while obviously it may have worked for that writer at some point in the late nineties, in 2007 they’re in a doomed repeating loop trying to recapture those glory days.
Don’t laugh, it’s more common than you think.
Flush ”Magical” Writing Too!
While we’re at it, I’d also put into the ‘Words That Should Be Retired’ category: the use of the word “magic” and that includes variations such as “magical” and “magically” ad nauseum in the sales copy. This is no longer the more innocent times of the late 50’s and 60’s, nor is it the psychedelic 70’s.
Today’s buyers are a bit more savvy. They’re more technological. They’re more sophisticated. And they’re sure as hell more skeptical. I and every worthwhile professional I know spend the bulk of the copy overcoming this innate and in some cases, deserved skepticism.
So when someone uses ‘The Magical Widget That Solves All Your Woes In Seconds,’ I think they’ve just created one more barrier, one more hurtle they’re going to have to overcome to persuade that visitor to buy. That’s why I steer clear of it in my copy because I don’t want to throw up barriers to my clients’ customers buying.
It’s bad for business. Mine and theirs.
So tell me, what other sales copy like headlines, and body content to you see that makes you roll your eyes and say, “Yeah, right!”
Like what you read? Then click here to buy me a coffee.
By Walter |
Topics: Client Top Secret, Pet Peeves, Pro Analysis |
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