Advertising 101: Copywriting your way to success (Part 2)

Once you’ve considered the medium for your ad, it’s really down to basic writing techniques.  Writing copy doesn’t have to be a chore, but to many, it IS a chore. While we always recommend using a copywriter to help out the process, that’s out of reach for many small businesses who can’t afford professional writers.

While there are some very important strengths that a skilled copywriter can bring to the table, it’s important to point out that writing copy for an ad is much like filling in the blanks. News stories are often written to answer the question, “who, what, where, when, why, and how?” Advertisers should consider the same questions when composing their ad.

The major points to any ad copy can be summed up thusly: Headline, Product, Pitch, Location, Call to Action, and Contact. It really is that simple! Those six points will give your potential customers everything you need to know. Of course, it helps to define each element as well.

Headline

Think of the headline as the ad for your ad. It should be attention-grabbing, and relevant to your product, service, or campaign. Good headlines will also use solid how-to tactics like “Five easy steps to securing your home,” or “How to have the greenest lawn in your neighborhood.”

The point of the headline is simple: Get the reader to stop and read YOUR ad. It should be no more than seven or eight words, and the type should be large enough to stand out from the rest. Here’s the kicker: A weak headline means a weak ad.

Product

Of course this is essential. What is your ad selling? Is it a service? A new lawn mower? An art gallery reception? ALWAYS list the product, preferably with a photo. It’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people try to get around this critical rule.

Some are pretty amusing. Abercrobme & Fitch is famous for using nearly-naked models for their clothes line. I’m still trying to figure out how that works… but then, maybe we’re supposed to realize how out-of-shape we all are, and then buy clothes to cover up since we don’t look like the A&F models. Also, Infiniti ran commercials years ago that didn’t even show the car. And they wondered why they didn’t sell very many. Go figure.

Pitch

This is summed up as WHY the reader should by the product. It’s much more than listing specs or details about the product or service. “Don’t miss the exclusive event of the year.” List awards, accolades, or other praises about the product. List reviews for books or movies. Discuss why it will enhance their lives somehow. But BE BRIEF and CONCISE. Blathering on with a dozen reviews is kind of pointless after the first two.

Location

Another no-brainer. Where can the reader acquire the item/service? I’m surprised at how often I have to look around the ad to find out just where the heck I can get that product. One thing to consider, though, is to leave this part out… no, I’m not being inconsistent. Here’s why – it’s the next point that makes it work…

Call-to-Action

This is just as important as the headline. If you must have only three elements, then they should be the headline, call-to-action, and contact information. EVERY ad must have a purpose. When your reader stops reading the ad, he should be faced with a single, compelling question: What should I do now? Should they call? Come to the store? Be at the midnight opening? Take care of that annoying scratch on their back?

Be specific. If you want to have the reader to “Call now to find out how easy it is to get our product,” then say so. “Operators are standing by” should always be followed with “CALL NOW,” or “Call before June first to get your discount!”  Having an ad without a call-to-action is a surefire way to waste money on that ad. DON’T run without it.

Contact

Every call to action needs a place to follow up. ALWAYS leave a phone number, website, or address (with brief description). Use all three if you have space. A description should be just a few short words: “Behind the Kroger shopping center at Hickory Hollow Mall” or “Next to Food Lion.” Be CONCISE and be SPECIFIC. When you proof your ad from the agent or publication ALWAYS make sure that the contact information is correct.

When I was in school, I always had the girls calling… only they dialed a wrong number, since they really wanted to talk to the good-looking football jock, who had a very similar phone number to ours. Printing a wrong number for a business isn’t amusing, it’s disastrous. Make sure it’s right!

Other points to consider is the space allowed. Don’t try to cram too much information into an ad, especially if it’s in a magazine or newspaper. These ads should be clean, high-impact, and should be as open visually — to offset the verbose text around them. Don’t write paragraphs for a small ad… we joke about that being “the Bible in a two-by-two.” NOT a good idea. Keep it simple.

That’s it for copywriting. Stay tuned for more from Advertising 101!