Sometimes people are baffled with the label "copywriting". What does copying have to do with writing, anyway?
The simplest way to answer that question is this: every writer borrows from other writers; that is, no one starts completely from scratch. Advertising writer are just more upfront about the process.
It makes more sense if you consider the purpose of advertising itself, which is to trigger certain emotional responses and move people to make a certain action. If the desired action is made then the writings purpose has been accomplished.
Copywriters recognize that human beings are complex. Exactly what motivates us to take action is often unclear.
Copywriters will usually start with an advertising piece that they know is effective, and will borrow elements. Every area of a sales letter is modeled from an earlier, successful piece, starting with the headline.
A great headline from the last century went like this: "They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Began To Play..." This headline is the basis of hundreds of later headlines. It is effective because there are at least two emotionally charged ideas, and probably more. The good writer knows what tool is required to cause a specific effect, and knows how to use it.
There are certain elements often present in successful headlines.
Sometimes numbers are used as an effective means to draw the reader in, like in headlines like, "The Five Steps You Must Take..." and "Seven Tricks...". The human mind sometimes loves specific numbers.
Another often used technique is the words "secrets". People in general like the concept of gaining a hidden knowledge that will give them an advantage. On the other hand, people also don't like the idea of others obtaining this "secret" knowledge and keeping an advantage over themselves.
The last widely used element I'll mention today is the utilization of a story in a headline. It's possible to tell a "story" with just a few words. One of the most famous is the "One Legged Golfer" headline. It's an absolutely true story, and I shall point out that the greatest stories are often the true ones.
If we were to put these three elements together, we could write a headline like the following:
"Blind Welfare Mother of Three Discovers the 5 Hidden Secrets To Opening a Checking Account, Even If You're On ChexSystems 'Black List' ".
I hope I've helped you understand that when copywriters "copy", they are simply borrowing ideas, not other writers' words.
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