Copywriting is the art of writing persuasively. It’s harder than you think. In fact, it may be the toughest kind of writing there is because top copywriters make a bundle.
I sometimes get involved in writing persuasively, that is, writing with an agenda. The goal is not only to convey information but to convey information in a way that persuades the readers to take a certain action. I must be good at it, because I always sell myself. I’m writing about green tea now. I’ve started to drink it. I started to write about walking for exercise, and now I’m doing that. I’ve written about developing a certain type of website, and, naturally, I’m doing that now, too.
To some extent, persuading onself is honest work. It’s a sad thing to have to write about something you don’t endorse or believe in. I mean if you want to represent people you know are lying to the public, you should just be a lawyer and make some money while you’re at it. Writers often take their by-line (or even ghost-line) a bit more seriously and hate to write deliberately misleading things.
I think the ability to generate enthusiasm is what makes for good persuasive writing. Enthusiasm comes from within. If I’m not crazy about green tea, how can I make you think the stuff is worth your time?
