Title:

A Copywriting Lesson from Dr. Seuss

Word Count:
402

Summary:
Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication? Try the children�s
bookshelf.

Keywords:
copywriting, marketing, communication, writing, copy, Dr. Seuss

Article Body:
Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication? Try the children�s
bookshelf.

Dr. Seuss has entertained young (and old) audiences for nearly 50 years with titles
such as <I>The Cat in the Hat,</I> <I>Hop on Pop</I> and <I>Green Eggs and Ham.</I>

The reason why his books remain so popular says something about what makes for good
writing (and reading), no matter who or where the audience is.

<B>Nouns and Verbs</B>

Nothing keeps readers moving like strong noun-verb combinations. If the sentence
were a train, nouns and verbs would be the engine. Adjectives, adverbs and the
other parts of speech make the train longer and slower. Dr. Seuss' sentences have
strong engines pulling light loads to keep readers moving down the tracks.

<B>Lots of Periods</B>

A byproduct of eliminating the extraneous words is shorter sentence length. Lots of

periods. Paradoxically, more sentences of shorter length increase reading speed and
comprehension. Dr. Seuss, as are many children's authors, is a champion of the
short sentence.

<B>Imagination</B>

Albert Einstein said, "The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for
absorbing positive knowledge." Were it not for imagination, there would be no Cat
in the Hat and no Dr. Seuss. Imagination is the beginning of copywriting because
first there must be an idea or concept.

<B>Fun</B>

Dr. Seuss' books are fun to read. They're funny, too, but that's not the same
thing. Fun to read is material that's entertaining and effortless for readers, an
excellent standard for all writing.

<B>Lyrical</B>

Dr. Seuss' books are written in verse. Of course they're lyrical. However, this
goes beyond silly rhymes. There are a sound and rhythm to the words that, like a
favorite tune, you don't mind hearing over and over. Good writing of all varieties
is pleasing to the eye and ear.
<B>Economical</B>

Children have short attention spans. Dr. Seuss knows how to tell a story without
unnecessary detours. Every word counts. That's good advice for all who write copy
because children aren't the only ones with short attention spans.

<B>Memorable</B>

This is the litmus test for all writing. Did readers take something away? Was their
time well invested? <I>The Cat in the Hat</I> is a story about having fun, even on
a rainy day. Now that's worthwhile reading.

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel