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Lifehacker Copywriting Article

by Thirty3Down
9 replies
How to Plant Ideas in Someone's Mind

(link at top)
Great article in Lifehacker about copyrighting
(they weren't even trying to write a copyrighting article)

Enjoy!
#article #copyrighting #lifehacker
  • Profile picture of the author Ken Strong
    Originally Posted by Thirty3Down View Post

    (they weren't even trying to write a copyrighting article)
    Perhaps they were trying to right a copywriting article.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross James
    Lifehacker needs to step UP their persuasion game, that article was weak as far as I can tell. A couple useful takeaways but hardly manipulative.

    This last sentence instills doubt in the buyer. You could even add "you'd only need a larger drive if you wanted to be absolutely sure you'll have enough space in the future" but that might be pushing it a little bit. The point is, if you appear to have their best interests at heart it can be easy to make them think they want to buy more from you.
    Hardly manipulation; that's eliciting the prospects criteria and actually helping them make a better well-informed decision.

    Now I could see slipping a suggestion at the end of a nested loop being a little bit more on the manipulative side, but those selling strategies have been in use not only in copywriting but in the act of salesmanship in anything.

    Then there is the paradox of the word manipulative, is it really a bad thing trying to help people make better decisions for themselves, even if you're borderline trying to cover up it up? I think the colloquial use of the word just makes it sound a lot worse than it actually is.

    You could use a hammer to bang in a nail, or to bash the brains out of someone. I think being manipulative in the sense that you're going to intentionally hurt someone is not a good thing, but when you're actually helping people...why not?

    Best,

    Ross
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    • Profile picture of the author Thirty3Down
      Originally Posted by Ross James View Post

      Lifehacker needs to step UP their persuasion game, that article was weak as far as I can tell. A couple useful takeaways but hardly manipulative.



      That's not manipulation that's eliciting the prospects criteria and actually helping them make a better well-informed decision.

      Now I could see slipping a suggestion at the end of a nested loop being a little bit more on the manipulative side, but those selling strategies have been in use not only in copywriting but in the act of salesmanship in anything.

      Best,

      Ross
      What is interesting....
      Is the audience Lifehacker caters to....
      What we might consider "weak" is revolutionary in a different circle.

      Thanks for the observation Ross!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross James
    It's just funny to me; Milton Erickson had no problem talking about manipulating his clients because he was actually curing them of horrible, heinous things. The guy was a genious, he would be able to tell if a woman was pregnant before she even knew she was, of if a male was actually disguised as a female just by observing their behavior and it was a lot harder to tell back then, I'm sure.

    -Ross
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    • Profile picture of the author Thirty3Down
      Originally Posted by Ken Strong View Post

      Perhaps they were trying to right a copywriting article.
      Hey Ken... When I get low on sleep.... Sometimes the spelling goes out the window.... You def made me laugh !

      Originally Posted by Ross James View Post

      It's funny Milton Erickson had no problem talking about manipulating his clients because he was actually curing them of horrible, heinous things. The guy was a genious, he would be able to tell if a woman was pregnant before she even knew she was, of if a male was actually disguised as a female just by observing their behavior and it was a lot harder to tell back then, I'm sure.

      -Ross
      I need to go Google Milton Erickson
      That's why I always love posting here. Our peers In the Warrior forum are the best recommendation engine (and library) I've ever seen.



      Thanks guys!
      Been stuck in the hospital all weekend (for something awesome...my first child was born!) and you just hooked me up with some laughs and some new reading material
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross James
    Hey congrats on the baby; You'll love reading stories about Milton, he was one of a kind, helped a lot of people by manipulating them. I know right?

    -Ross
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    Having a family is nice. Congratulations for the baby!

    Now, about the article, I agree that this technique simply describes what a copywriter does, by generating emotions around a certain topic. When you plant ideas you are using the influence of your words in order to invisibly provoke specific reactions. It was an excellent description. Thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    A "great article" huh? No it's not. Its crap. Reads like a 19 year old journeyman has just thrown it together.

    BTW it's "COPYWRITING"...not "COPYRIGHTING" (again for the umpteenth time)

    This just looks like a bogus post to draw attraction to your WSO.

    Dude...Mister OP...add some real value...don't think you can just come to this little corner of WF and drop your spam comments. There's guys here that live and breath COPYWRITING and have no time for this sort of crap. Take it to "Off Topic" or "What I did on my holidays" or something" Geeze...
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