Count The Ellipses
Lately I’ve noticed that in my blogging and other online copywriting I’ve fallen into the habit of using more and more ellipses.
I hadn’t really thought about it. It just somehow felt right … something about the pacing.
So this article from Marketing Sherpa, The Glory of the Ellipsis, jumped out at me.
Their observation: "The art of getting a paragraph — or a long sentence — read is all about catching the eye." That’s the job of the five letter-free spaces created by an ellipsis.
Now I feel reassured that there’s a method to my madness … as unconscious as it has been. But now that I know why ellipses work, I’m worried that I’ll think about them too much … and begin to overuse them! Oh well.
Experienced direct mail copywriters know these tricks of the trade for holding the attention of their readers and moving them through a multi-page letter. One more case where certain marketing tactics transfer readily from one medium to another … and maybe in this case, with even greater impact.
But how much of your online copy is written, or at least edited, by experienced direct mail copywriters?! Too little I suspect. Count the ellipses!
Tom
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