Gaining Trust and Authority Through Quotations
One of the easiest ways to get attention to any marketing piece you write is to start with a famous quote. Because of their structure, quotations are visually appealing. The reason for this appeal is because in people’s minds, quotations are directly related to dialogue… and dialogue brings text to life.
Because quotations are one of the most powerful copywriting techniques, when used correctly they can get your point across quickly, with subtlety and elegance. They can also be used to say virtually anything that must be said, without the risk of sounding too brash or alienating your audience. Quotes are very useful when:
- You want to attract reader’s attention.
- The language of the passage needs to be particularly elegant or powerful or memorable.
- You wish to confirm the credibility of your argument by enlisting the support of an authority on your topic.
- The passage is worthy of further analysis.
- You wish to argue with someone else's position in considerable detail.
Studies have proven that we are much more prone to listen carefully to figures that we consider to be an authority. We trust authority figures. And if you learn how to use quotes strategically, this trust and authority will get transferred to you by proxy. And all you need to do to leverage it, is select the right quote to use in your writing. This simple copywriting tactic is often overlooked by novice copywriters, and thus its effectiveness remains intact.
Rita Jefferson
Thank you for such an informative article! I’m really glad to know that this method isn’t overused because it makes texts and slogans more attractive.
Mark Cox
You are absolutely right! But I also believe that this method should also be combined with other copywriting tools.
Mila Moa
I think many novice copywriters should know how to use quotations and how to properly integrate them into texts. Anyway, it’s good that you raised this topic here.