An Online Copywriting
Lesson from Dr. Seuss
by Neil Sagebiel
(9/4/05) Looking for inspiration for your next online marketing
communication? Try the children’s bookshelf.
Dr. Seuss has entertained young (and old) audiences for nearly
50 years with titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Hop
on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham.
The reason why his books remain so popular says something
about what makes for good writing (and reading), no matter who
or where the audience is.
Nouns and Verbs
Nothing keeps readers moving like strong noun-verb combinations.
If the sentence were a train, nouns and verbs would be the engine.
Adjectives, adverbs and the other parts of speech make the train
longer and slower. Dr. Seuss' sentences have strong engines pulling
light loads to keep readers moving down the tracks.
Lots of Periods
A byproduct of eliminating the extraneous words is shorter
sentence length. Lots of periods. Paradoxically, more sentences
of shorter length increase reading speed and comprehension. Dr.
Seuss, as are many children's authors, is a champion of the short
sentence.
Imagination
Albert Einstein said, "The gift of fantasy has meant
more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge."
Were it not for imagination, there would be no Cat in the Hat
and no Dr. Seuss. Imagination is the beginning of copywriting
because first there must be an idea or concept.
Fun
Dr. Seuss' books are fun to read. They're funny, too, but
that's not the same thing. Fun to read is material that's entertaining
and effortless for readers, an excellent standard for all writing.
Lyrical
Dr. Seuss' books are written in verse. Of course they're lyrical.
However, this goes beyond silly rhymes. There are a sound and
rhythm to the words that, like a favorite tune, you don't mind
hearing over and over. Good writing of all varieties is pleasing
to the eye and ear.
Economical
Children have short attention spans. Dr. Seuss knows how to
tell a story without unnecessary detours. Every word counts.
That's good advice for all who write copy because children aren't
the only ones with short attention spans.
Memorable
This is the litmus test for all writing. Did readers take
something away? Was their time well invested? The Cat in the
Hat is a story about having fun, even on a rainy day. Now
that's worthwhile reading.
(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel
Neil Sagebiel is a veteran copywriter who has served clients
such as Microsoft, The Seattle Times, Lucent Technologies, March
of Dimes, Airborne Express and Unisys. To sign up for his FREE
expert tips to help you write better and sell more, visit http://www.neilsagebiel.com.
Neil Sagebiel may be contacted at http://www.neilsagebiel.com
|
