Page 16 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

Why this works is because from the reader’s perspective, the copy
is all about them: their concerns, their motivations, their problems.
It’s like talking to someone at a party who asks you lots of questions
about yourself. We always warm to people like that because they
give us a chance to talk about ourselves.
Conversely, if you keep using “I” and “we,” your copy starts to
sound remote and boring. After all, they didn’t ask you to write a
mailshot or email to them, so you’d better make it relevant to them.
They may have stopped turning the page or clicking away because
your headline was compelling enough to make them want to know
more. But the moment you start banging on about yourself, you
lose them.

In practice

• When you’re writing copy, try to imagine a single reader sitting

in front of you. That’s who you’re writing to. Not your “audience,”
your “target market,” or your “visitors.” Just this one individual
with whom you hope to establish a relationship that will lead to
a sale.

• Aim for two to three “you”s to every “I.” This magic ratio

guarantees that your copy will be more about your reader than it
is about you. And that will keep them interested.

100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS • 7