Breadcrumbing is a technique often used in writing novels.
Hansel and Gretel used it on their way to the witch’s gingerbread house.
It also works well for schnitzel.
Although both the gingerbread house and schnitzel are of Germanic heritage, breadcrumbs are a universal ingredient. And they wield great power.
They lead your reader all the way, from the beginning to the end.
Breadcrumbs are the clues and links that subtly weave their way through your word-trail – feeding the reader’s need to keep reading.
In copywriting you have little space, words and attention span to leave your trail.
Each sentence must lead to the next sentence. This makes your copy flow all the way to the last word.
But to get your reader to the end of your copywriting, you also need to tantalise them.
You must master their motivation, fears and passions.
And you can never forget that the purpose of your writing is to get the reader to act.
Using only the force and guile of your ideas and words …
Breadcrumb thoughts
How do you lead your readers from each sentence to the next? Have you used breadcrumbs, and what other ingredients have worked well?
Leave your thoughts in the comments on the blog.
photo credit: HikingArtist.com via photo pin cc
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[...] It takes you on a journey. [...]
Di,
Great visual and good info. The idea you include of the universal ingredient is excellent. Feeding a reader new information includes giving them something familiar. And, who doesn’t eat (or in the case of certain dieters — wish they could eat) bread. :)
Yvonne Root recently posted..A Tale of Personal and Professional Growth – Jack and the Beanstalk
Ahhh yes, bread….let me count the ways (and types) that I love the :) Nom nom nom….
It’s funny how visuals and our mind work – once I had the breadcrumbs I immediately went to Hansel and Gretel – and I couldn’t separate the story of one from the other!