Styles of Copywriting

Remember when?

You may not remember distinctively, but in general. People group past events together to form a parallel relationship that ties the past to the present to begin bonding.

If they went through the event together, without knowing each other, the floodgates of the event become fresh again. And emotional.

Natural disasters come to mind. Remember when Katrina hit? The floodgates open to stories of the event to hours, days and years later.

Pretty soon it will be decades later, but we relate to each other on events we experienced more so than historical events, such as hearing the Gettysburg Address in person. None of us were alive!

Remembering is a style that acts like a magnet that attracts others with stories they love tell, no matter how heroic or tragic.

Heroic events should be toned down since over time they become obnoxious thanks to human nature and jealousy.

Tragic events should be portrayed in a positive experience, all the while your readers will know there was muck all around you as you tried to help others. Futility will never win!


To you, yes. To others, maybe not so much. A football team winning the Super Bowl is important to a city for a day, then nothing.

Research the number of page visits to the winning football teams website, the amount of dollars spent on apparel or other licensed team products, or any mention other than a Wendy’s outdoor sign. Seriously.

saints-wonWhen the NO Saints won the Louisiana Superdome didn’t have a Congratulations! sign on their electronic signage for everyone to see. You win, and already others are talking about next year, or where to get dinner.

Should you call the Superdome they will tell you the building is state owned (no soul or passion). As if you needed proof that an empty building is a cold master!

Lightly explain yourself with events or experiences that most others may not deem important. Location matters.

Were they there or in the vicinity?
Did they have skin in the game?
Where do their loyalties lie?
Can you gauge the level of passion (think Road Rage!)?

Get close, but not too close. Communicate your insight, but realize others may get disinterested fast if you don’t relate the story as a human experience.

Does it work? Seriously?

The many review sites are popular because nobody wants to be the guinea pig. Yet a diner can read a Yelp review, go to the restaurant, and leave with a worse or better experience than they expected.

A review is a one time experience based on factors at that moment. Did you get the same chef, cook, server, time of day or dish that the reviewer got? Some aspects overlap, but nothing is the same twice.

The restauranteur wants to deliver dish continuity that is the key to restaurant success. The reason you are sitting at his table is to enjoy the positive experiences others have related.

What are the odds that you will? The restauranteur is betting the odds are in your favor. He is betting his life, financial security, relationships, health and career that your one meal, out of thousands during your lifetime, leaves you wanting to say something positive instead of negative.

Sadly, some people don’t know the difference between the positive and negative without adding their two cents. Emotions run high because we have allowed one diner to affect such a large investment.

Keep in mind the negative review about an $18 meal can cost him thousands. Then again, reviewers get addicted to the need to be important when odds are they have no power in their real lives.

And on to you…

The way you portray your business can affect your results to be successful, annoying, admired, hated or loved. What is important to you may not be important to them.

Copywriting is the fine line between all the words on this page. You now have a few ideas about your readers perspective, including how you have the control to guide their emotions.

You choose the level since you control your website content.