Guess what I've just heard...

On Saturday I popped up to Aberdeen for the FSB conference.  The final speaker of the day was Kate Adie, news presenter from most of the conflicts around the world during the past umpty-tiddly years.  She was an excellent speaker (she's had a bit of practice!), amusing and incisive.

She was talking about why she loves being a journalist.  Basically her enthusiasm boils down to the fact that, as she put it, she's a grown up version of the kid in the playground who can say "Guess what I've just heard" and stun her listeners with the latest news.  She always got to be first with a story - and that doesn't stop being cool when you grow out of the playground.

Ms Adie also gave a brilliant illustration of the difference between telling a story and giving the facts.   She was covering a very poor country in Africa which had major problems with its education budget.  Rather than give the dry figures she visited a school where all the pupils gathered round their teacher while one of them was instructed to go and get something.  Very carefully the child carried out an object that was obviously very precious to them all; it turned out to be the school's one and only book.  As she said, that picture was so much more powerful than stating the facts could ever have been.

It's true of copywriting too: tell a story and you'll produce a much clearer picture in your reader's mind and, since people buy largely on emotion (with logic to back up the emotional decision, of course) that picture will sell far better than just stating the facts could ever do.  As long as you have a clear idea of your reader you'll be able to tell a story that will work for them, and you'll never have a problem selling.

If you can say "Guess what I've just heard" as well, you'll be well ahead of the game.  And you'll stay excited about your work, which means your readers will too. 

Any comments?  Fill in the box below and let me know what you think.

Charlotte Fleming
http://greatcopy.info/