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Copyright (c) 2009-2015 by Bruce Carlson
One of the most important words in the vocabulary of a Web
writer is the simple little three-letter word "you".
Many Web writers fail to understand the importance of this
little word, and for that reason they don't attract an audience
of hungry readers.
In this article I'll show you how to use this little word to
make your Web writing come alive and keep your reader asking for
more.
What Do All These Different Kinds Of Web Writing Have In
Common?
Here on the Web we do a lot of different kinds of writing. Maybe
you have a blog, and that takes one kind of writing.
Then you have a home page on your Website, and that takes
another kind.
And then you have a sales letter which you send people to where
you sell your product or service, and that takes yet another
kind of writing.
And then you have content pages of one variety or another which
take still another kind of writing...
Not to mention the emails you send out, the reports and articles
you write, your newsletter...
The list goes on.
All requiring a slightly different kind of writing in order to
be done most effectively.
Now, it's not my intention here to get into a discussion of the
different kinds of Web writing and how we can make our voice
different when writing for them.
But there is one thing that practically all forms of Web writing
have in common.
And that's this:
They're for the benefit of your reader.
Or at least should be!
Writing For The Benefit Of Your Reader
Copywriting principles teach us, and wisely so, to think only of
our reader, and not of ourselves. To think first and foremost
about what we can offer our reader.
Maybe you had a writing teacher once who hammered home to you
the importance of audience.
"Audience, audience, audience," she or he said.
Well it still holds true. But not in the same way it did back
then.
That's because on the Web you're writing for an audience of ONE.
And that ONE person is your ideal reader. The person you most
want to read your content.
Think of it as "selling" your content to them. In order to sell
you have to grab your prospect's attention quickly and hold it
before they click out.
It's the same with your Web readers. They'll click out in a
heartbeat if there's nothing that grabs their attention.
Yes, I know that blogs can be different. But if your blog
teaches or sells in any way, then it too should grab them and
hold them.
Keep YOU In The Forefront -- Make Your Writing
"You-Centered"
When you write for your audience of one, you need to keep "YOU"
in the forefront, because YOU (your reader) is who you're
writing to (not you, meaning you the writer).
When your writing is "you-centered" it speaks right at your
reader.
It gets them right in their emotions, because it includes them.
So how do you make your writing you-centered?
By really, truly including your reader. By bringing them into
your personal space. By letting them know you aren't just
another squawking, selfish writer who wants to show how clever
you are with words.
No distant third-person narratives for you. No sirree. Or even
chatty first-person narratives (yes, you certainly CAN tell your
own story, but it needs to be for the clear benefit of your
reader, not just for you to blow your own horn).
Instead, you reach out to your reader and talk about things THEY
are interested in. About things that speak to their emotions,
wants, and needs.
How NOT To Win Friends And Influence People
The other day a teenager came to our door selling something (I
think it was magazine subscriptions). His sales pitch, if you
even want to call it that, was to tell us how much he wanted to
go on a trip to California.
That's all. Nothing about how the magazines would benefit us. He
never once used the word YOU when he spoke to us.
And then when we didn't buy he had the audacity to get mad!
NOT the way to win friends and influence people.
That teenaged salesman forgot about the power of YOU. Instead he
concentrated on ME. And tried to get us to buy just so we could
help him.
Yes, fund-raisers do use that approach when soliciting
contributions. But they still concentrate on YOU. Fund-raisers
are you-centered. Not me-centered.
Become You-Centered And Watch Your Web Writing Come Alive
You too need to become you-centered with your Web writing.
The next time you write, take a look at how often you use the
word "you" (or some form of it) in your copy. Concentrate on
using that little word as much as possible.
And when you're done writing, sit down and actually count how
many times it appears in what you've written.
Making your content you-centered is one of the surest ways there
is to get read more. To make your writing come alive.
So, starting with your next project, put the power of YOU in
your writing! It'll make a huge difference. I guarantee it!
About the author:
Web writing coach Bruce Carlson would like to help YOU put more
power into your Web writing and your online home business. Sign
up today for his Dynamic Copywriting Tips at:
www.dynamic-copywriting.com/news
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