IDEA INCUBATORS
I firmly believe that all of us are creative. We all have unique thoughts, make distinctive connections, and are capable of producing great things for our businesses and for our lives…if we put our minds to it.
Like your car engine, your brain works better when it’s warmed up. Here are a few cool ways to do that – and get closer to crafting killer copy!
In Daniel Pink’s very cool new book A Whole New Mind (no, I don’t have a superhuman ability to read books, but I do use a service that provides executive summaries of the top business books, Soundview Executive Book Summaries® - www.red-hot-copy.com/recommends/summary) I found a great new way to get that creative motor running.
It’s fun and really simple. Go to a bookstore or library and pick up five magazines that you’ve never heard of in areas you’ve never chosen to read about. Flip through ‘em, and (if you’ve bought ‘em!) tear out some images or articles that speak to you in some way. Then, watch for breakthroughs.
I gave this a shot and –wow! It’s amazing what some time with Cat Fancy, Motocross World, Blender, and Teen Vogue can do for your creative juices. I came away with some new thoughts about a web project, ideas for more articles, and a sense of amazement that there are so many niche markets out there in the world.
Even if you’re not wrestling with a particular form of block or working on a project, spending just an hour doing this can make some creative connections and furnish a very economical - and portable- brain break.
You can also get reading: other people’s copy. Find a few copywriters or styles of writing that resonate with you. Keep their stuff close at hand and read a few pages before you start. Your brain will unwittingly start to mimic their flow.
Look over a list of power words. As you know, certain words elicit a subtle psychological response. The ones that inspire excitement and sales need to be peppered in your copy.
Here are some of them:
- Accelerate
- Achieve
- Act
- Boost
- Burn
- Capture
- Deploy
- Ensure
- Finalize
- Focus
- Gain
- Gather
- Illuminate
- Leverage
- Manage
- Overcome
- Position
- Reconsider
- Shatter
- Train
- Unleash
- Win
There are several sources where these words are already collected. “Words That Sell,” by Richard Bayan is a popular one that I use religiously.
Whatever it is that you do, the key is to DO SOMETHING. Set a timer for 20-30 minutes, turn off the phone and shut down e-mail. Give yourself a concentrated boost of creative time…and watch what happens!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, President of Red Hot Communications, Inc. is among a handful of the most highly sought after copywriters in the industry. Having studied with the leading gurus like Dan Kennedy, John Carlton, and Gary Halbert, Lorrie’s passion is teaching both entrepreneurs and copywriters how to master their own marketing through powerful copy. Her award-winning home study course, “Red Hot Copy to Woo Your Target Market” is a staple in marketing libraries. Annually she conducts an international online copywriting school, (“Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp”), teaches a live workshop (“The Speed Copywriting Workshop”), and is a frequent guest speaker for other events. Lorrie’s ezine, “Copywriting TNT”, reaches over 15,000 subscribers in 74 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.redhotcopy.com.
Copyright 2007 – Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author name credit.
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