Its arguably the most significant word in the copywriter’s arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like “free,” “new” & “savings.”

Im speaking about “you.”

“You” is the word that gets your prospects tending & keeps them involved. As Herschell Gordon Lewis states in The Art of Writing Copy, “Unless the subscriber regards himself as the object of your message, benefit cant exist. Benefit postulates a We/You relationship.”

While the “We” in the “We/You” kinship is important, its finer implied than communicated literally. If your goal is to put prospects first, then its best to have the “yous” distant exceed the “wes.”

Its the “yous” that subject to prospects. Theyre your workhorse for communication your message & include all derivatives such as “your,” “yours,” “yourself,” “youre,” & “youll.”

Powerful You

What makes “you” so powerful? For one thing, it addresses your subscribers directly. In effect, it states “Hey you,” which is practically harder to shun than “Hey somebody.”

Say “Hey you” in a jammed room & a lot of heads will turn. Say “Hey somebody” & a couple of heads could turn.

While your reflect wont in reality state “Hey you,” it may distinctly identify to whom youre talking. Once you have your audience’s attention, use “you” to aid keep it.

Personal You

Why does “you” get & hold attention? For one thing, its personal. Its used in individual conversation each day. What do you think? How was your weekend? Youll be amused to recognize

When folks state these stuff to you, theyre obliged to get your tending & involvement. After all, theyre interested in your opinion. Theyre interested in the stuff you do. They have anything to say you that will make you happy.

Thats the goal of you-oriented copy. Address your consultation directly, personally & in terms of their interests. Be conversational & “you” will pop up in the reflect naturally.

Counting You

It was mentioned before that “you” is a workhorse. A classical exemplar is incorporated in “The Do-It-Yourself Direct Mail Handbook” by Murray Raphel & Ken Erdman. They highlight a “Newsweek” magazine subscription letter used for nearly 2 decades.

The subscription letter was printed by proceed mail skilled Ed McLean, who used “you” nearly thirty times on the premier page alone. More than 100 million duplicates of the letter were mailed, a testament to its effectiveness.

Try calculating the “yous” (and “you” derivatives) in your copy. Compare them with the count of “wes” & first-person derivatives. If the “yous” dont outnumber the “wes,” think about reworking your copy.

Excessive You?

Can you overdo “you”? Yes.

If you load your reflect with “yous” but blank out the benefits, your message will have a phony ring.

“You” cant save you whenever theres none meaningful to bid your audience. Likewise, it will aid put you over the top whenever there is.

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel

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