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How many times have you wondered how to get a new angle or concept for your copywriting gig?

In the life of every copywriter there are those times when the brain is just worn out, and fresh material is as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster.

Those are the times when I turn to my handy tool chest of copywriting ideas. A group of techniques and psychological approaches that I have used before with much success. I keep them in a binder so that I can open my mind, flip through them, and choose one that grabs my attention and fits well with the client's needs.

One of these tried and true psychological approaches is tapping into the natural "desire to collect" that resides within most people.

Now, I know what you are thinking - my client isn't trying to sell collectibles. Don't worry - your client doesn't have to be selling airplane models or baseball cards in order to make this technique work in your writing.

People collect all sorts of things, even those items that you may not think of as collectible. Just a few of the copywriting clients I have successfully used this with have been a ceramic bowl artisan, a t-shirt designer, a candlemaking business, and a dog collar manufacturer.

Keep in mind that there are people who are willing to pay top dollar to add to their collection of fancy dog collars or ceramic bowls. I even had a friend in high school who collected paper napkins - weird, but in her mind the napkins were a prized collection.

Even though some of these items may have utility on their own, they become even stronger as part of a collection. When these otherwise mundane products are part of a beloved collection, you can easily tap into the copywriting power of collectibility.

A great example of how you can turn someone else's desire to collect into a profitable piece of advertising was the state quarter craze. There were a number of companies that would ship out free commemorative coin holders to potential buyers of the state quarters. For a small gesture (the coin holders) , most of them were guaranteed a large return on investment (people buying the quarters).

So the next time you get stuck on a copywriting assignment, try to think of all of the ways that you might offer collectors something special either through the product, or a component piece. Ask yourself:

Who might collect this type of item?
What emotional needs does he or she have that might lead to a collection of this specific product?
Are there any ways to make the item particularly appealing to potential collectors?
Can this item be used to spark someone's love of collecting?

By thinking a bit differently about your client's product, and asking yourself some questions about it, you will undoubtedly be able to quickly come up with a winning strategy for your copywriting piece. Good luck!

Learn more about this author, Jeni Greenwood.
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