2010-06-29
5 Tips for Successful Advertising Copy

"Copy"� is a term for the words used in advertising. Recently, writing copy was named as one of the top 10 emerging professions for the new century. Today's competitive environment puts a lot more pressure on ads to be successful. It's no longer enough to just explain the features of your product. When your product has competition, the customers want to know why they should choose YOUR company. Writing advertising copy requires grabbing a customer's attention that has less time and less inclination to read than ever before. Here are 5 tips to create successful advertising copy.

1. Choose words wisely
Start out by setting your objective. A better understanding of your goal helps you drive results. Use as much "you, your" as you can and use "us, we, I" as little as you can so you are talking directly to the customer. Draw on short words (one and two syllables) that aren't abstract and that give you a visual image when you read them. Stick to short sentences (14 words are less) for easy readability. Bridge words (however, similarly, for instance, finally, as a result, meanwhile) are excellent for directing the reader through content. Your focus should be more on verbs and less on adjectives. Replace verbs like "is, am, were" with true action verbs. For instance, use "Reverse the hands of time with L'Oreal Skin Genesis Moisturizer"� instead of "L'Oreal Skin Genesis is a moisturizer that will make you look younger."

2. Establish credibility
To establish credibility, use original statements, testimonials, and a lot of specifics. Do not make exaggerated claims that will put off the reader. Use concrete examples rather than abstract concepts. Instead of repeating how reliable or effective your product is, try writing about a customer who had a problem and how you solved it. Although you want to grab attention, you also have to make the customer understand why your product is exactly what they want. Your words should be strong and direct. Avoid ambiguities and jargon, just let them know in simple words what your product can do.

3. Use emotion
Your copy should begin with an emotion-packed opening statement that will grab attention. Try conveying emotions like love, pride, fulfillment, power, or freedom. This opening statement may be an opening sentence, a subject line on an email, or a header on a web page. Then, after your statement, make a promise, back it up, and then ask for action. Use empathy so that the customer knows that you're trying to understand their problem. Using empathy gives the buyer confidence you understand their problems and builds a feeling of friendship. Have a consistent voice that connects with your readers; it can be persuasive, humorous, reassuring, etc. However, it needs to be consistent in all the outlets for your copy to add clarity to your messages and brand. Remember to keep your customer, not your product, as the focus in your copy. It is more impactful to say "Have the hair that will make your friends envious" than "Buy haircare from the #1 shampoo brand in the market."

4. Put your headlines to work
An edgy headline will make people read on. Since most people scan advertising, the heart of your ad must be in the headlines. Use the word "wanted" to attract attention or "why" to arouse curiosity. Keep headlines short; one to three words are ideal. If you have a specific target market, address the group you're talking to. For example: "Are you tired of going to hair salon just for your grays? If so, please read on." Your headline should give the reader an idea of the remaining content. Don't forget your call to action, i.e. "Click here" or "Order now!"� Tell them what to do next to get the benefits of what you're offering.

5. Cater to scan readers
Write your content in an inverted pyramid style with the most important information first. This is particularly important for the Web, where visitors are scan reading. To make it easier to scan, have short paragraphs (30-50 words each) with multiple, shorter ideas. An easy way to shorten what you've written is to replace weak verbs and vague nouns so every word counts. The paragraphs should be in groups with a 200-400 word range. When writing headlines, subheads, and lists keep in mind that for some readers that will be the only thing they take the time to read. So make sure they can get the essentials just by looking at those.