MARKETING
Rules of good copywriting The truth about how to write miracle ads SO, YOU’VE DECIDED to run a series of online ads (or a few radio spots, or trade journal ads, or whatever). Now what? If you want to write an ad that will stand out among the clutter, one that compels your customers to act, then follow the rules. Over time, the advertising industry has developed certain rules that have been modified and honed to perfection. Those who follow them garner the greatest response, generate high awareness levels and create memorable ads. Yes, there are exceptions. And some very effective ads occasionally break the rules. But not many. Follow these seven rules, and you will write better ads.
1. START WITH A GOOD HEADLINE Five times as many people read a headline as read the body copy. A good headline is therefore worth 80 cents of your advertising dollar. For that 80 cents, pack in your brand name, product benefit, and a catchy appeal to your target audience. Certain words or phrases work wonders in a headline: “how to,” “suddenly,” “announcing,” “miracle,” “wanted,” “advice to,” “the truth about,” “hurry,” “compare,” etc. They may seem like clichés, but they work.
2. MAKE YOUR COPY INTERESTING Write your copy as if you are sitting on a barstool talking to the person next to you. She has just said, “I want to buy a new gimcrack. Which would you recommend?” Then tell her. Use the language
your customers use in everyday conversation. If your clients are electrical engineers, speak in their language. If you’re selling to the masses, beware of fancy words or complex sentences. Not “eschew obfuscation.” Rather, “avoid confusion.”
3. SELL THE PRIMARY BENEFIT What sets your product apart from your competitors’? How do I benefit by using it? As a consumer, I want to know what’s in it for me. I don’t care if you’ve been in business since 1929. Or that you have the latest high-tech “state-of-the-art” (oh, please) equipment. What’s in it for me? So, tell me, and tell me fast. Research shows readership drops rapidly in the first 50 words of copy, but very little after that. Deliver your primary message first and do it quickly. You may not get another chance.
4. SELL ONLY ONE THING With rare exception, good ads present one main selling idea: the primary benefit to your customer (exception: “Less filling, tastes great” successfully sold two). Joy makes your dishes shine. Dawn takes away grease. Ivory is mild to your hands. All three are Procter & Gamble products, yet each offers a different primary benefit. P&G knows that trying to convey more than one idea in an ad will only serve to confuse customers, so instead they sell three different products with three distinct benefits.
you’re selling hearing aids, ceramic tile, dry cleaning services or drill presses, fill your ads with facts. The more you tell, the more you sell.
6. USE TESTIMONIALS They’re the next best thing to word-of-mouth advertising. The endorsement of a fellow consumer is more credible than the witty bromide of an anonymous copywriter.
7. T ELL THEM WHERE AND WHEN TO BUY Create action: If you want them to buy your product, tell them where to find it – your store address, phone number and website. Create urgency: “Call today, before we run out of doodads at this low, introductory price.” Or “Stop in our store today, because the sale ends at midnight tonight.” Make them act now, before they move on to other things and forget about your great offer. Now, you might think these rules would make for pretty dull ads, that remaining within such stringent boundaries would limit your creativity, and that it would cause all advertising to look the same. Not necessarily so. Consider this: William Shakespeare managed to create some fairly interesting stories while consistently remaining within the limits of iambic pentameter. n
5. USE PLENTY OF FACTS The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement’s success increases as the amount of information increases. Facts increase reader identification and product credibility. Facts are truth. They can be trusted. And so, therefore, can your product. Think of it this way: Your customer is not a moron. She is your friend. You insult her intelligence if you assume a few adjectives and some simple slogan will convince her to buy your product. She wants to make an informed decision; she wants all the information you can give her. OK, if you’re selling chewing gum, I agree there are not a whole lot of facts that are going to sell more gum. But if
ROBERT GREDE Robert Grede is the author of “5 KickAss Strategies Every Business Needs,” a speaker and marketing consultant. Visit RobertGrede.com for more information. biztimes.com / 31
