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October 10, 2013 by Donna Thornton

How to Write Compelling Copy that Begs to Be Read | Creative Inspiration

By Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero

“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius.” Ralph Waldo Emerson~  Want to know one of my secrets to getting my copy très conversational?  Bridge phrases! You know. That throw-away language my journalism school professors called “empty and useless.” The connector phrases that keep the pace going – like a bucket brigade! Direct mail copywriter Maxwell Ross used that concept to illustrate how copy should flow.

Let me take you back to when the West in America was young. When men were rugged.  And women didn’t have to diet. I’m talking about the time before there were fire departments. Oh, there were still fires. Just no organized way to put them out. So they came up with the bucket brigade system.

When a blaze got going, the townspeople pulled together. They’d line up and pass water – bucket by bucket – from the nearest water source to the fire. Being careful to keep the water moving along briskly. No let up. No slow down. Can you picture it?

Well, that’s what we aim for in copy. It needs to move along briskly. No let up. No slow down. Each sentence pulls the reader into the next. And so on. And so on. Until he’s so deep in your copy he doesn’t want to come out. In fact, once your reader has gotten through 25% of your copy, chances are he’ll read it all, says copywriter Joseph Sugarman (the marketing genius who introduced the Blu Blocker sunglasses among many other successful marketing campaigns). Joe also said, “The sole purpose of the first sentence in an advertisement is to get you to read the second sentence.” There’s your bucket brigade in action.

Sure, on their own, these phrases may sound a little sensational. But I prefer to think of them as connecting and conversational. Prodding the reader to continue on. Raising the interest level. Bridge phrases break the rules your grammar teacher may have wanted to pound into your head. But they sure do sell. (Thank goodness copywriting isn’t like real writing. We get to break all the rules!) But don’t take just my word for it. Take notes and read on for some examples:

As if that’s not enough
Best of all
But wait there’s more
By now
By the way
Even better
Good news!
Here’s why
Meanwhile
Nevertheless
No wonder
On the other hand
What’s more
You see
Think about it
But that’s just part of the story
These are just a few
It’s true
No wonder
Think about it

Take moment to go through some of the copy you’ve written and see if it quickly flows from one statement to the next. Where it doesn’t use one of the bridge phrases listed above. Reread your copy. See the difference?

Author Resource -> Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999.

Get free access to 5 tips to turn your “blah” sales message into red-hot copy that ROCKS… at  RedHotCopy.com

 


Filed Under: Business Inspiration, Creative Inspiration Tagged With: business, inspiration, marketing, organization, writing

October 3, 2013 by Donna Thornton Leave a Comment

3 Lists That Actually Work for a Cleaner More Organized Home | Inspired Action

By K Quinn

3-Lists-That-Actually-Work-Inspired-ActionIs your home getting away from you? When was the last time you saw your sink free of dishes? Or all your laundry was finally done and folded and put away?

If you’re like a lot of people you may find it hard to fit in the regular day to day tasks of keeping home into an already busy schedule.

Well there are three checklists you can make use of today to help you finally keep on top of these household details and keep your home running like a well oiled machine.

1. Daily Housekeeping List:  Do you know what to do each day to keep on top of the regular mess and mayhem that happens in your home? A Daily Housekeeping list is a simple list of daily to-do’s that takes only minutes to complete and can keep your home in company-ready order.

Here is an example of some items in a Daily Housekeeping list…

  1. Make beds
  2. Clean up dishes and wipe down counters after meals
  3. Discard junk mail.
  4. Do one load of laundry
  5. Spend 5-15 minutes cleaning one messy area of your home.

These few items, spaced out during the day are the best defense against a messy home.

2. Weekly Housekeeping List:  Just as important as the daily upkeep of your home is a list of things to attend to in the house  each week. This list is a way to keep track of those items you wouldn’t do each day but would still want to see to once a week or more. Such as….

1. Dust

2. Clean bathrooms

3. Vacuum sweep and mop necessary floors.

4. Change bed linens.

5. Wipe down appliances in kitchen.

This simple list combined with your Daily Housekeeping list keep your home looking magazine spread ready.

3. A Family Chore List: Make sure those contributing to the messes in the home help contribute to the cleanup. Give children age appropriate chores designed to help them learn the value of helping the family. Mom and dad can divide up the bigger chores as they see fit being sure not to overload one another. Put all these chores on one big list or give each family member their own chore list to keep track of and check off those items they are in charge of. Here’s an example…

Mom: Cleaning Bathrooms, Laundry, Cooking

Dad: Garbage, Vacuuming, Keeping garage tidy, recycling

Child: Pet care, putting away own laundry, setting dinner table, clearing dinner table.

Every family is different. I know a family where dad is in charge of laundry and cooking a few days a week so adjust to your own family’s schedules and abilities.

Keeping a clean home doesn’t have to take all day. Put these 3 simple lists to paper and bring big changes to your home.

Filed Under: Intuition and Spirituality Tagged With: business inspiration, intention, organization, time management

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