© © 2023 Amy Hughes Hinerman2023 Amy Hughes Hinerman
Copywriting is always changing with our culture. 
Nowadays, people are inundated with media and have the attention spans of gnats. To snag readers from the start, many are using a current approach—one that is looser and more fun. Writing with a conversational tone and humor is the way to accomplish this.
Say you’re writing or editing a newsletter for someone who offers an online course on family communications skills. Hit them with a bold headline they’ll get a chuckle out of and can’t help but read, like this:
“If you have a family and cranky weird relatives, this is for you!”
Notice that “cranky weird” is not exactly great grammar. That’s okay. It stands out in a catchy way. Almost anything goes. Follow this headline with a description that’s entertaining but still uses the copywriting rule of addressing a problem (bad family communication) and providing an answer they may need (not having to drive to an appointment). Speak directly to the reader, like this:
“Do you live with doors slamming, kids fighting, your spouse crying, and your great uncle pointing his cane and yelling stuff no one understands? Or do you have a teenager who stares at you with demon eyes and doesn’t respond? At all? Why cram all these people into a car to drive to therapy? You don’t have to run away, never to be seen again. Help is right here—no cramming and no pricey therapy appointments necessary.”
This paragraph is a funny visual for the reader. It uses casual language, like “yelling stuff,” and the tongue-in-cheek phrase “all these people.” Another humor trick is to bring back a word or phrase, in this case, the words “cram” and “cramming.” Above all, use the word “you” consistently.
Humor is all about exaggeration with a twist. Imagine a scenario that might occur with your subject and exaggerate it. The above uses a kid with “demon eyes that doesn’t respond. At all.” That’s a fun, active way of saying you’re having a hard time getting your teen to communicate. Think of verbs that your subject would lend, like “slamming.” Find your crazy “great uncle” (can’t you just see him with his cane?). Give them an overblown reaction, like “running away, never to be seen again.”
Then, leave it for a while. When you come back, if something questionable sticks out, you’ll know. Just keep at it—it’ll come. There’s nothing like making people laugh!
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Amy Hughes Hinerman started out volunteering a
humorous piece for her city’s monthly newspaper. After a short time, it became a paid gig and went on for nine years! Since moving away from the area, she has been a freelance copywriter/editor, using humor when she can. She wrote a comedic children’s book and is working on getting it published. In 2021, with Tracy’s gracious help, she was published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. That was so exciting!
