Only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned. I'm sure you've heard statistic before. It's nothing new. While it might sound frightening or frustrating, it's a fact of copywriting life. So what do you do next? Give up? What difference does it make if only about 20% will be read anyway?

It makes a world of difference. Especially if you understand that there are some sections of your copy that are practically guaranteed to get read. If you know what these are and work to reinforce them, you'll see your conversions increase dramatically whether your copy is geared toward online or offline promotions.

HEADLINES

Headlines have always been and will always be most important section in any copy. They are first thing to get read and have greatest impact on whether any of other copy gets read. Those stories you've seen floating around Internet about marketers who have made minute changes to a headline and tripled their conversion rates are true. It happens all time. In fact, it's happened to me.

Headlines and sub-headlines can guide your visitors to read deeper into your copy. If you set up a structure of progressive headlines (http://www.marketingwords.com/articles/articles_progressheadlines.html), you'll have a better shot getting your point across. Pay a lot of attention to your headline. It's powerhouse of your copy.

CAPTIONS

Captions started with newspaper journalists. When they would run a picture with a story, they would add a few words underneath to explain what or who picture was of. People got into habit of looking for captions in order to relate importance of image with information they were receiving. This still holds true. Captions in advertising pieces are highly read. Don't waste space!

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Winning Words for Web By Oscar Bruce

Give Your Web Site The Verbal Advantage

Have you ever sat down to create that winning ad, publicity release or newsletter and couldn't come up with right words or phrases? You will never make your fortune until you cure this dialog dilemma. You must enlarge your powers of expression, acquire precision and persuasion. You need a powerhouse of color, flavor and tone to highlight your message. This applies to personal conversations, writing promotional material or creating a productive web site.

The Internet Is A Money Maker