Sélim Niederhoffer, recognized copywriter and trainer, recently enriched his collection of works dedicated to the art of copywriting with his latest book, Magic Wordspublished at the end of 2024 by Éditions Eyrolles.
After the success of Guide you copywritingthis new work completes the toolbox of all those who write to sell! What does it contain? Who is it addressed to? We tell you more about it, with, as a bonus, a new interview with the author!
50 magic words to increase the impact of your content
Many professionals know this frustration: despite hours of work, the content remains discreet, or even unnoticed. Few readings, publications that are barely noticed, a newsletter that stagnates, and sales that are struggling to take off… What if this was a thing of the past? Sélim Niederhoffer reveals THE magic words to create attractive content. And yes, words can make all the difference. But not just any ones! Thus, his new work lists the 50 most effective words (tested and approved) to make people click, sell more and develop their notoriety.
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On the program
In Magic Wordsreaders will be able to:
- Learn to use the magic words that correspond to them in their copywriting to really move the lines.
- Discover why it works thanks to the psychological or neuroscientific principle deciphered for each word.
- Personalize each magic word for their content using numerous concrete examples: LinkedIn posts, article titles, emails, etc.
- Get into the heads of advertising, copywriting and content creation professionals, a valuable source of inspiration for their content of the day.
Discover the work
Sélim Niederhoffer: seasoned copywriter!
Sélim Niederhoffer is a copywriter and copywriting trainer. Since 2010, he has written for numerous clients, such as Wilkinson, Boss, Ogilvy Paris, Glassdoor, and VELUX. Collaborator for Forbes, Playboy and Technikart, he created Les Mots Magiques, the site and YouTube channel for copywriting in French.
To deepen our understanding of his work and his vision of copywriting, we asked him a few questions during an exclusive interview!
Interview with Sélim Niederhoffer: author of the book Magic Words
JUPDLC: What inspired you to write Magic Words after the success of your previous work, the Copywriting Guide?
Sélim Niederhoffer : Does having a 4 year old child count? When she forgets the “ please » and the “ merci ”, we repeat to him “ Alma, the magic word is missing “. And in advertising, it's the same. There are certain words that make us “ vriller ”, either in a positive or negative way. These words can be found in emails, in poster campaigns, in LinkedIn posts or Insta captions. The titles that kill “ I lied to you! », « The whole truth about… », « Your diagnosis offered »: it worked yesterday, it captivates today, and it will click tomorrow!
JUPDLC: How did you select the “magic words” that you present in your book? What is the process behind this selection?
Sélim Niederhoffer : It is a long work of analysis of three main sources. I created a ghost mailbox to receive all the newsletters from retailers and DNVBs that speak to the general public, to write a general book. The second source was the archives, to find legendary advertising campaigns that already used magic words. Finally, I saved a lot of posts on LinkedIn and Instagram, when I found a title with a magic word. The most used: “ From “. So many brands build their legitimacy on their longevity: they would be wrong to deprive themselves of such an argument, which reassures the consumer!
JUPDLC: Among the 50 words presented in your book, is there one that seems particularly powerful or underappreciated to you? For what ?
Sélim Niederhoffer : If I have to choose just one, it would be THANK YOU. Gratitude costs nothing. Say thank you to your customer, to your community. Send a handwritten note, a postcard, a voice note, even. As a freelance copywriter, I can send my invoice to the client, and it remains a simple transaction. Or I can invest more, thank him for his trust, and aim for a real relationship. That's the difference between Uber today, a simple transaction, whereas in 2012, it was a real relationship. Without the “ merci “, the magic disappears. It's not for nothing that books on gratitude are a hit in bookstores!
JUPDLC: How do you perceive the evolution of copywriting over the last decade, particularly with the rise of digital platforms and social networks? And how do you see the future of copywriting in the next five to ten years?
Sélim Niederhoffer : Beyond the simple evolution of copywriting, it is the entire job market that I observe, for my clients in HR in particular. We are moving more and more towards a “ gig economy », and in less than 10 years, 30% of the working population will be independent. In my crystal ball, I see copywriters less and less trained by large groups: in the past, people became independent copywriters almost by accident, or out of weariness of agency life. Faced with the multiplication of text needs of artisans, traders, experts, coaches, therapists, I think that copywriters on the market have specialized, and will have a card to play on ultra-specialization. But I can't decide between the best copywriter profile, the versatile, flexible generalist, or the specialist, who costs more and reassures the client more.
JUPDLC: Artificial intelligence is taking a growing place in content creation. In your opinion, how can copywriters stand out in the face of this increasing automation?
Sélim Niederhoffer : The copywriter of 2030 uses AI, writes with it and knows how to talk to it to obtain nuanced texts adapted to advertisers. I believe that with the arrival of AI, the copywriter has a mission. Not necessarily to keep the pace of production of the big companies or influencers/content creators, but rather to grasp the universal, to choose what brings people together. Faced with ultra-personalization and the archipellization of communities, the copywriter, thanks to his culture and his curiosity, will have to bridge all these different targets for his client.
JUPDLC: What advice would you give to aspiring copywriters looking to enter this profession today?
Sélim Niederhoffer : We rarely find the killer idea while scrolling on TikTok, so read, live, vibrate! Without reading, no culture, no common base. Get out as much as possible, day and night, talk to humans, not just Claude or ChatGPT. Without life experience, it will be difficult for them to inject the right dose of emotion into their texts, and to find THE right angle, the right story that will resonate with the viewer or reader. Hang out with strange people, put yourself in danger, challenge yourself… Then synthesize these moments of life into remarkable texts!
