Run or rush? Eat or devour? Move or run? You can increase the power of your copy by increasing the quality of the verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic influence on your readers. Why would you want to fill your copy with indulgent words when you can conjure emotions and visual images into the hearts and minds of your readers? Sure, “run” and “hurry” indicate that someone is moving fast. But “to run” is a common and boring verb, while “to hurry” evokes definite images in the reader’s mind.
Had he really not thought of it? Ought! You can choose stock verbs like “talk,” “do,” and “like,” or you can electrify your copy with verbs like “chat,” “discover,” and “adore.”
Look at these examples to see what I mean:
Before
Down duvets keep you warm
When it’s cold outside, crawl into bed and warm up with our genuine goose down duvets. There’s no reason to be cold when you can heat things up!
after
Down duvets let you snuggle up
When it’s cold outside, climb into bed and snuggle up in our genuine goose down duvets. There’s no reason to shiver when you can snuggle up!
See the difference? The latter paints a more vivid picture of the dildo than the former.
Check this…
Before
Whether you’re doing aerobics, Pilates, or any other workout, Ziox shoes will give you the support you need. Designed specifically for low- and high-impact indoor exercises, Ziox is created to keep you on track toward achieving your fitness goals.
after
Whether you’re doing aerobics, Pilates or another workout, Ziox shoes will give you the support you need. Designed specifically for low- and high-impact indoor exercises, Ziox is designed to keep you on track toward achieving your fitness goals.
What is the difference? Why are “afters” so much more powerful than “befores”? Because convincing verbs were used. Verbs bring action to your copy. They give the reader (or at least should give them) something to imagine. You need Super Verbs to engage your readers. For example, instead of just “get in bed”, we say “skip in bed”. Instead of “being cold” and “warming things up,” we say “shiver” and “snuggle up.” When you read that, you start to visualize what action is taking place in a very specific way.
Where do you find these Super Verbs? Everywhere you look! Here is a short list. You can also visit free sites like http://www.thesaurus.com for more information.
Verbs vs. Super Verbs
- accent – emphasize, underline
- Break – smash, crush, demolish
- eat – consume, devour, feast
- Forgive – pardon, excuse, overlook
- Hate – detest, abhor, despise
- Imagine: visualize, conjure, conceptualize
- Improve – improve, refine, perfect
- Jump – jump, lunge, tied
- Learn – discover, grasp, understand
- I like – admire, adore, appreciate, delight in
- Make – create, engineer, design
- Promise – swear, swear
- Reveal – manifest, reveal, reveal
Take some time to go beyond the ordinary. Find some Super Verbs to use in your copy to increase excitement and interest in the products/services you write about. That extra attention, provided by Super Verbs, can easily be correlated to additional sales.
By Karon Thackston © 2004
http://www.learn-writing.com