Spicy Imagery Evokes Desire in Copywriting

The term, “spicy words” may evoke a lot of vivid imagery – anything from jalepeno poppers to racy lingerie – and then some! For the intents and purposes of this brief blog, spicy wording and its associated imagery is meant to gingerly pique the readerships’ curiosity through  copywriting about an event, product or service provided.

Consider a travel agency and their choices of words to describe promotions. They would want to use exotic, colorful and playful wording in their advertisement copy to grab the attention of current or future clients to entice them with offers of tours, cruises and excursions. Dull wording here would be the death knell of the adventuresome among their potential market reach.

Why? That’s easy.

Writing that sizzles on the page, whether it describes scuba diving in Belize or a heel-tapping trip to Kansas to witness the world’s largest ball of twine, simmers within a reader’s mind long after it is read in an ad, brochure or web page.

But just as a shake of cayenne heats up a bowl of blackbean chili, hot words must be used with care.

Too much and readers will stop reading.

Not enough? They may never begin.

 

Below are some tips for using evocative language in copywriting:

• Use spicy wording sparingly for the greatest benefit
• Pair the spicy words with compatible images so they are not jarring to the reader
• Wrap spicy words in more direct, short, and snappy exposition so the wording stands out
• Create intensity with a flight of spicy words or phrases for emphasis
• Resist an overuse of alliteration. It drains the energy out of the spicy words – or worse sounds silly, rather than saucy.
• Connect the brand image to the spicy words for greatest impact

Engaging an audience with words that create desire leaves memorable images and creates longing. Creative phrasing in copywriting makes good business sense. It sends customers to a store or online site for more.