How to Write Catalog Copy that Sizzles

Catalog copy writing is an important task for many companies who sell their products and services through on-line or printed catalogs. There’s a constant demand for top-notch catalog writers whose copy move merchandise.
Is there a short and sweet way of writing good catalog copy that sizzles?

Yes, there is.

Here is a unique ADJECTIVE PAIRING METHOD I’ve developed that I’d like to share with you.

The main idea is:

1) First make a list of adjectives that is appropriate for your industry and product.
For example, here below is a list that I’ve compiled for an imaginary Home Furnishings and Designer Lighting catalog:

A furniture or lamp DESIGN can be…

affordable, alluring, animated, approachable, arresting, astonishing, award-winning, balmy, beautiful, blue-ribbon, bold, brilliant, calming, clean, clear, compact, contemporary, distinguished, dramatic, dynamic, eclectic, electrifying, elevated, eminent, enchanting, energizing, engaging, esteemed, exalted, exotic, expansive, feminine, flawless, glamorous, grand, great, gripping, heart-warming, hypnotic, jubilant, imperial, impressive, intoxicating, invigorating, magnificent, masculine, masterful, memorable, mesmerizing, modern, moving, mysterious, noble, notable, noteworthy, ornate, outstanding, pastoral, pensive, placid, pioneering, polished, pragmatic, prize-winning, quintessential, refined, regal, remarkable, renowned, riveting, rousing, singular, smashing, sparkling, soft, solemn, solid, soothing, somber, sophisticated, soulful, sparkling, splendid, sterling, stimulating, stirring, stately, striking, stunning, superior, svelte, thoughtful, thrilling, top-notch, traditional, trailblazing, tranquil, trendsetting, triumphant, understated, unique, unpredictable, urbane, venerable, vibrant, virtuoso, warm, welcoming, worldly.
I’m sure this would be a different list of adjectives if, for example, you were writing catalog copy for home security devices, or chocolate cakes, etc.

2) Once you have your “adjective database” under your belt, bring out those magical conjunctions –“and,” “but,” “yet,” and “with.”

Experiment with putting together various adjective pairs and you’ll instantly have the building blocks of a powerful and elegant (see how I’ve already used it?) catalog copy.

Let’s try some of these combos (for the above example):

  An approachable yet sophisticated design…
  A tranquil yet modern design…
  A stunning but understated design…
  A mesmerizing and triumphant design…
  A superior design with trendsetting lines…
  A pastoral design with a calming color palette…

Now perhaps, you are not writing copy about a “design” but about a“dining set”. The same method applies to most any home furnishing, and I’m sure a zillion other objects of desire as well:

  A moving yet solid dining set…
  A traditional dining set with an electrifying presence…
  An imperial yet affordable dining set…
  Etc.

Other Uses
You can use the same technique even when writing about more abstract or general topics, like (let’s say) a movie review:

  A traditional yet intoxicating drama…
  A flawless script directed with a virtuoso confidence…
  An engaging comedy with memorable characters…

Try applying the same adjective-pairing technique to a variety of different copy-writing tasks. You might be pleasantly surprised by your own unexpected creativity.

And that brings us to a secret that most writers discover early in their careers: the act of writing is its own best teacher.