WRITING KILLER COPY
A GREAT SPOT:
-Is on strategy
Focused on a specific target
Has a specific message for that target
-To some degree must…
Create awareness
Generate interest
Create desire
Promote action
*Every piece of copy should begin with the target message.
WHAT IS THE AD’S OBJECTIVE?
FOCUS OF SALE/USP-Unique Selling Proposition
Solves a problem/benefit focused
W-I-I-I F-M /What is in it for me
“How will the product make a difference in the customer’s life?”
Focus! Less is more!
Keep message simple; easy to understand
“Odds of success increase by 70%; Message written at 5th grade level is another 25% more likely to be understood.”
*Flesch-Kincaid Readability Score*
CALL TO ACTION
What do you want your audience to do?
COPYWRITING BASICS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS/HEADLINE
Average person is exposed to over5000 ad messages a day
-THE 4 FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
1-Get attention
Use powerful words
Free
Last chance to…
2-Select audience
“Are you 65 or over…?
“This is for NEW car shoppers only!”
3-Deliver a complete message
“You can earn BIG money by driving a BIG Rig!”
4-Draw the listener into the story
Arouse curiosity
“What is your laundry telling your neighbors about you?”
THE SELLING IDEA OR CONCEPT
-Dramatize the benefit
EX/Verizon’s Coverage “Can you hear me now?”
-Write with style
A-Use short sentences (<15 words)
B-Punctuation
C-Use simple words and phrases
Keep message simple; easy to understand
“Odds of success increase by 70%; Message written at 5th grade level is another 25% more likely to be understood.”
*Flesch-Kincaid Readability Score*
D-Be specific (Helps imagery)
E-Use active voice (passive voice is death!)
F-Focus on ‘who’, not ‘what’
G-Verbs
Verbs pack punch!
EX/I go to school.=I lumber to school.
H-Rhythm
Consistent sentence structure (Parallel Construction)
Consistent phrasing
Consistent tense
I-Alliteration; Rhyme
EX/”Let it be Lowenbrau.” “Nationwide is on your side.”
J-Don’t Laundry list assets…use trilogies
The first example introduces the premise.
The second example establishes the premise.
The third example drives home the premise.
K-Eliminate irrelevant Information
Purchase interest declines from 53% to 38% when irrelevant information is included.
L-Eliminate wordiness
M-Establish Credibility
Be specific; vagueness fosters mistrust
Audiences hate hype
Avoid using: ‘wish, hope, try, but, unfortunately, sorry, have to, need to, must’
Most powerful word: ‘because’
TOP 10 COPYWRITING MISTAKES
1/Trying to be all things to all people
2/Not following strategy
3/Not selling
4/Being company-focused instead of customer focused
5/Being boring
6/Being clever for the sake of being clever
7/Being too wordy
8/No call to action
9/Not writing for the medium
10/Taking it personally