Effective Copy Step-by-step
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Anyone can launch a new product. Making it take off requires
marketing. But keeping a product above the crowd requires
advertising with all the right elements, including effective
copy.
Advertising copy can be as simple as a slogan or as extensive
as an editorial. The key isn't in how much you say, but what
you say. The success of your product rests on effective copy
that conveys a clear message about the product. With an obscure
message, or no message at all, the product will have a very
little chance of taking off.
Creating effective advertising starts with knowing the key
elements to a successful ad:
The Headline
To be effective, headlines must be clear and bold. A short
burst of carefully chosen words has the best chance of being
noticed, and will convey a strong and memorable message. These
words can be intriguing, dramatic, elegant, dignified, silly or
grand. Choosing effective copy depends entirely on your target
market or audience. Know your market, and you will understand
what words will catch the eye and motive the customers to read
on. Your headline needs to convey a very clear message.
* Free Offers: Try grabbing your audience's attention with the
"shocking claim" technique. "Half Price" and "Free Offer" are
often used to get attention. Just make sure that you're able to
follow through on the claim. Don't use the old "Store Closing"
technique if you have no intention of shutting down. This just
causes distrust.
* KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. Or, if you just can't decide
what to edit out of your headline copy, you can always add a
sub-heading. Be sure that the secondary text improves on the
headline.
* Logo: Every successful business has a logo. Develop a logo
and use it every time you advertise. Nike could put its
trademark "swoosh" on a blank page of paper, with no other copy
or graphics, and everyone will still know it's a Nike ad. Logos
are effective eye-catchers and give a company an identity. Once
your logo is established, people will recognize an ad for your
business before they even read the copy.
* Satisfy a Need: Give customers a reason to buy your product
of service. Determine what niche your business can fill, and
focus your advertising copy on that area. Why should people buy
your product rather than going to the competitor? You need to
convince your audience that they need your product. If created
with discretion, your ad can even make them feel foolish for
not buying your product.
* Key words: Highlight important words in your text with bold
type, underlining and different fonts, or with the use of
colour. While your headline is most important, you can create
effective copy by making key words stand out.
* Toot Your Horn: Don't be afraid to highlight the features,
virtues and attributes of your product or service. Bear in mind
the areas that are most important to your clients. But remember
to keep it honest. If your restaurant serves award-winning pie
but lousy coffee, advertise your pie. Don't mention the coffee.
* What's In It For You: Remind your customer of unique benefits
you can provide. Tell them about free bonuses, money back
guarantees, time-limited offers or special discounts for
certain customers. Use incentives to stretch the pulling power
of your ad.
* Keep it Short: Use short sentences. Try sentence fragments.
These get attention. Fewer words work with skim readers.
* Awesome Adjectives: Use attention grabbing adjectives to your
advantage, but stay away from over-used phrases and cliches.
Terms like unbelievable, super, ultra, eye-popping and
incredible just aren't that incredible anymore. Stay away from
cliches as well. Intelligent readers feel annoyed and
patronized when faced with statements like "You don't' want to
miss this sale."
Graphics
Effective advertising is achieved with the right balance of
clever copy and eye-catching graphics.
* Photography: If a picture tells a thousand words, make sure
the photograph or illustration you choose puts your product in
its best possible light. Provide a high-resolution photo or a
professionally created illustration. Make sure your audience
gets a clear image of your product, or is intrigued enough to
find out more information.
* Proof: If your ad is making a claim about quality, back it
up. Use colorful charts, graphs and other details to support
your claim, and satisfy any lingering doubts in your readers'
minds.
Other Elements of Effective Copy
* Contact Information: Invite customers to act. Let them know
where they can find your product. Provide a website, telephone
number, address or retail outlet. Don't assume that people will
know where to find you.
* Disclaimer: This is usually located at the bottom center or
the bottom right hand of the page. Disclaimers cover the legal
aspects of your advertising claims, such as "some conditions
apply" or "limited time offer". You'll likely want to use a
smaller font size for the disclaimer, but don't make it so tiny
that it looks like you have something to hide.
* White Space: Sometimes a message that reads loud and clear
can say almost nothing at all. White space can be extremely
eye-catching, because other advertisers cram as much copy as
possible into an ad. Advertisers in traditional media have used
white space as a marketing tactic for many years, and now the
trend is also shifting to Internet advertisers. Allowing ample
white space makes your ad easier to read and infinitely more
effective.
The first step to making a sale is selling your product.
Effective copy and smart advertising techniques are essential
in getting attention and establishing an audience. Include the
key elements in your advertising, and increase your chances of
success.
About The Author: Linda Miller contributes to several web
sites, such as http://wetid.com and http://nugoz.com
posted by Dennis Cheesman @ 5:47 AM,
