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The art
of writing good advertisement copy which catches the attention of
the customer at first sight as they flicker though brochures, fliers,
magazines and websites is different from any other form of writing.
After all, it is not written for the person who is going to be reading
with deep concentration. It will not be necessary, therefore,
that the potential customer read each and every line of the advertising
copy. In fact, it is quite unlikely they will do so. Hence, each line
should be effective in itself and should present a message on its own.
So it's not only necessary to write advertising copy that is logical, but which is also creative.
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In
order to accomplish this, only the most relevant and specific matter
should be written in the ad.
Some content writers will be afraid of leaving out information they
feel is important and write as much as they can. However, too many
words will only cause the customer to lose interest more quickly and
the space used by that extra copy will have been wasted.
About Writing Style and Reading Style
The writing style should also be related to the type of advertising
medium that is being used. A spoken TV ad, scrolling text, a display
ad, and a classified ad will each require a slightly different approach.
It is not unusual for the reader to read by skipping lines in between
and there is a genuine possibility that they will even choose to read
it from the bottom to the top. With this in mind, the content should
still be properly organized with the heading at the top, body in the
middle and conclusion at the end. Main points can be written as
sub-headings, colored, or placed in bold font. The body following each
sub-heading should discuss and clarify that sub-heading and, if it is
related to any other sub-heading, then even those points can properly
be re-discussed.
If the product is to be discussed from a technical point of view, it
should not be SO technical that it sounds like a foreign language to
the average reader.
Create a Swipe File to Increase Your Own Creativity
Someone unfamiliar with writing advertising copy might want to create what many advertising copywriters refer to as a "swipe file".
A swipe file is a collection advertising materials which seemed to be
effective in their presentation, wording, design, or other advertising
factor. Especially, if you cannot write good copy yourself,
use what has worked for others. Of course do not copy word
for word, but use your swipe file to give you ideas for ways to present
YOUR material.
Appeal to Emotions - Perceived Benefits Triumph Over Dry Facts
Most buyers will buy based on some emotional issue. They may
think that they are buying logically, but often they are buying
something that appeals to them on some other level than that of pure
logic. Many copy writers will miss this and will appeal to
logic, filling their advertisements with facts and figures.
You can certainly use logic effectively by combining it with
emotion. The buyer wants to know of what benefit the product
will be to him or her. Do not simply explain a feature, but
tell the prosepective customer what benefits they will derive from that
feature as well.
Let's "Chunk" It Out There and See Who Swings at It
Chunking is an effective technique that can be used in writing copy.
Don't let this highly technical term throw you. Chunking is
simply writing small paragraphs or stories with a conclusion at the end
somewhat similar to the moral in one of Aesop's fables. The paragraphs,
or stories, can either have or not have connection between themselves
depending on the subject and the goal of the advertisement. It's
actually sometimes better if they aren’t connected, because
it won’t require the reader to go back to a previous chunk of
words in order to understand the present chunk he or shee is reading.
Chunking works quite well when there are pictures in the advertisement
and the chunk serves to illustrate the picture. A two-dimensional
picture is speechless unless some well-chosen words talk about it
providing the customer with motivation to either buy or at least
investigate more deeply. Obviously, while chunking, sub-headings,
mentioned earlier, can again be used to set out critical information.
What Kind of Company Are You Keeping?
Another point to be considered is the product or company to which the
content is related. For example, if a brochure is related to a
corporation, the style of writing should be formal, while someone
establishing themselves as an authority and friend figure may write a
little less formally. A flyer posted at the local laundromat will be
written differently than a handout given as a follow-up to a more
formal presentation.
A Spell of Common Sense is Clearly a Part of Our Design
Spelling mistakes should be avoided. They reflect poor quality control
and attention to detail and put the client in a bad light.
The design should speak clearly and loudly about the organization being
discussed.
Unclear, cluttered, and illogical information can create the impression
that the company also has the same characteristics.
Catalogues Can Be A Bit Different - Less Writing, More Pizzazz
Catalogues are the only source of advertisement for some businesses. In
many cases, business catalogues won't require much writing, as a
simple, informative product description will do. In these instances,
you can concentrate on using fonts, font sizes, colors, etc., to
accentuate the benefits and specifications of the product.
Another step in preparing a catalogue, and many websites, by the way,
should be providing information for the actual purchase. In a
catalogue, highly Inetailed forms can be a big turn-off for many
people. However, contact information, mailing address, and website URL
should be clearly specified. Also include whether the business accepts
cash, check or credit card.
Another bit of information to provide is the contact information, which
should be pre-printed on any forms which will have to be mailed to the
company. It is better to also include this information elsewhere in the
catalogue, or product information, so that the customers can have it
for future reference.
NOTE FOR WEBMASTERS:
Many products sold online are downloadable ebooks in PDF
format. Most computers today may already have Adobe Reader
already loaded on them. However, for those who do not, you
should inlude a link to get.adobe.com so that they will see that it
will be possible to actually make use of the product, if you are
selling an info-product in PDF format.
After the final content itself has been written, it’s time
for organizing it. Depending on the demand for and popularity of the
products, arrange them in a hierarchy based on one or the
other. This is especially important when designing a
catalogue because each of the products should get the consideration and
attention it deserves, but you want the reader to look at the best
suited product first.
A Business Tip for the Advertising Copywriter
It is a good habit to make note somewhere of those specific procedures
which have been applied to each advertisement written. Also, save
information such as which customers were targeted with which particular
advertisement, to use for the same kind of advertising plan or project
in the future.
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