| If you'd like to use your copywriting skills to | | | | and sofas -- all the things he was working his |
| persuade thousands of people in your community | | | | fingers to the bone for -- without working, and on |
| to vote a certain way, then doing so is easier | | | | the taxpayer's dime. |
| than you might think. | | | | And this short, simple story perfectly illustrated |
| Here's why: | | | | his point about why the system is so flawed. No |
| One of the fastest and easiest ways to influence | | | | complicated statistics or expensive |
| mass numbers of people in your community is | | | | government-backed University studies were |
| with a simple "letter to the editor" in your local | | | | needed to make his point. |
| newspapers. | | | | That's the power of stories. |
| People read and are influenced by these letters | | | | They open up closed minds. Let you "say" more |
| every single day of the week in big cities and | | | | with fewer words. And allow people to convince |
| small towns alike. And a well crafted letter to the | | | | themselves your point is valid -- without lecturing, |
| editor has the potential to influence the way | | | | arguing or confrontation. |
| thousands of people in your city, county and | | | | And if you use the power of stories with your |
| state vote on an issue. | | | | copywriting skills...you'll be giving "your side" in a |
| And guess what? | | | | political debate an almost unfair advantage when |
| If you have at least the "basics" of copywriting | | | | election time rolls around. |
| down, you can use those skills to write a short | | | | Do you see rampant bureaucratic corruption and |
| letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and | | | | unaccountability rotting your community's schools? |
| potentially persuade thousands of people to your | | | | Want to stop your local officials from trying to |
| side of a political issue. | | | | seize yours and your neighbors' property by |
| All you have to do is use your skills to tell a | | | | abusing eminent domain laws? |
| simple story. | | | | Are you angry with the way your state politicians |
| A brief, one or two paragraph story is almost like | | | | are voting and spending your tax money? |
| having mind control powers. It can pry open even | | | | Then simply grab a pen and paper, hammer out a |
| the most tightly-closed mind -- and literally change | | | | simple story that illustrates your point, and submit |
| the entire way a person thinks without them | | | | it to the letters to the editor section of your |
| even realizing it. | | | | newspaper. |
| A perfect example of this is a story from radio | | | | But don't stop there. |
| talk show host Michael Savage's book "The | | | | Send it to everyone and anyone who will listen. |
| Enemy Within" about his first job fresh out of | | | | Mail it to your mayor, city council, state |
| college as a social worker. | | | | congressman and senator. Email it to your |
| He was broke, living in a small apartment and was | | | | neighbors, friends and family. Post it on |
| sleeping on a mattress on the floor with two | | | | community bulletin boards and Internet forums. |
| orange crates as lamp stands and no other | | | | Doing so can prompt real and lasting change in |
| furniture. And yet, the welfare clients he was | | | | your community and influence the hearts and |
| helping got free beds, coffee tables, lamp stands | | | | minds of thousands of people. |