Did you see that word in the headline above?

The word "your" made the headline directly relevant to, well... you.

It has been said that the most important word in copywriting is "you"—and that is certainly true.

When potential customers arrive at your website or look over your marketing materials, they immediately want to know what's in it for them. If that's not obvious, chances are they will move on quickly.

By using the word "you," you begin to establish a connection with readers because you address their needs. And rather than objectifying your message—placing it on a pedestal, as an object of study—you personalize it.

Instead of creating an abstraction, you start to build a relationship.

To personalize is also to humanize. It's a recognition that there's another human being who's important—and the real focal point of your entire enterprise.

In fact's the emphasis on writing from the reader's perspective that makes copywriting different from any other kind of writing.

The Opposite of "You" Is "We"

In effective copywriting, the opposite of "you" is "we." But that's what you find when you land at a corporate website. Often the message seems to be "this website all about us and how great we are  and, by the way, here's what we do."

Whatever happened to putting customers, and their real needs, first?

Marketing is about building relationships and keeping the promises you make.

Don't get me wrong. There are times when "we" copy is clearly called for. And there are other situations where writing about "you" is not appropriate.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Fideler is a copywriter and the developer of Core Message Analysis (www.coremessageanalysis.com). Reach him at contact@concordcd.com.