Marketing Examples: Writing Copy Pt. 2

This article is a continuation of Marketing Examples: Create Ad Headlines that Sell. In this article I’ll go over the following:

• Proven Steps for Writing Headline Teasers
• Ask These Questions of Your Headlines
• Illustrations and Pictures that Work
• The Best Pulling Photos of All
• The Most Important 5% are Reading your Copy
• Let’s Write a Letter
• Few Tips on Writing in a Conversational Tone
• How to Ad Interest to your Copy
• What Motivates People
• Finding the Right Appeal

Proven Steps for Writing Headline Teasers

1. Begin headline with word Introducing
2. Begin headline with the word Announcing
3. Use words that have an announcement quality
4. Begin headline with the word New
5. Begin headline with the word Now
6. Begin headline with the word At last
7. Begin headline with the word How to
8. Begin headline with the word How
9. Begin headline with the word Why
10. Begin headline with the word Which
11. Begin headline with the word Who else
12. Begin headline with the word Wanted
13. Begin headline with the word This
14. Begin headline with the word Because
15. Begin headline with the word If
16. Begin headline with the word Advice
17. Put a date into your headline
18. Write your headline in news style
19. Feature the price in your headline
20. Feature reduced prices
21. Feature an easy-payment plan
22. Feature a free offer
23. Offer information of value
24. Tell a story
25. Use a testimonial-style headline
26. Offer the reader a test
27. Warn the reader not to delay buying
28. Let the manufacturer speak directly to the reader
29. Address a specific person or group
30. Have your headline ask a question
31. Offer benefits through facts and figures
32. Use a before and after style headline

Let’s Get Going
Write a paragraph that describes your product or service including your company as a whole, while keeping in mind that information you have reviewed in this chapter.

On to the Headlines
Now take the information in the previous paragraph as well as from the rest of the chapter and try to write headlines that sell.

Now Ask These Questions of Your Headlines

1. Does the headline promise a benefit or a reward for reading the copy?
2. Does it get its point across simply and quickly?
3. Is the headline as specific as possible?
4. Does it reach out and grab your attention with a strong selling message?
5. Does the headline logically relate to the product?
6. Do the headline and visual work together?
7. Does the headline arouse curiosity?
8. Does the headline select the audience?
9. Is the advertiser’s name used in the headline?
10. Avoid negatives!

Illustrations and Pictures that Work
After your headline the next place people look in regards to your advertisements is at your picture, if you choose to use them, which you almost always should. Here are tips on using pictures that sell

1. The subject of your illustration is all important.
2. The kind of photographs which work hardest are those which arouse the reader’s curiosity.
3. When you don’t have a story to tell, it is often a good thing to make your package the subject of your illustration.
4. In a study of 70 campaigns whose sales results were known, Gallup did not find a single before and after campaign that did not increase sales.
5. Photographs attract more readers than illustrations.
6. The use of characters known to people who see your advertisement boosts recall.
7. Keep your illustrations as simple as possible, with the focus of interest on one person. Crowd scenes don’t pull.
8. Don’t show human faces enlarged bigger than life size. They seem to repel readers.
9. Historical subjects bore the majority of readers.
10. Do not assume that subjects which interest you will necessarily interest consumers.
11. Full color advertisements cost 50 percent more but on average are 100 percent more memorable.

The Best Pulling Photos of All

1. Men buy products from ads featuring men and women do as well
2. Brides
3. Babies
4. Animals
5. Famous people
6. People in odd costumes
7. People in odd situations
8. Pictures that tell a story
9. Romantic pictures
10. Catastrophe pictures
11. News pictures
12. Pictures of Santa Claus or Presidents
13. Picture of the product in use
14. A close up picture of the product
15. Photos pull better than illustrations
16. The best pulling picture of all is a face looking directly at the reader

Note: Even though the above are the best pulling photos make sure that the photo corresponds to your headline.

Were Do We Start

Ok, we got the customer to read the headline and then look at the photo. Now what? You better have a very dynamic first paragraph. Here are some ways to start off your first paragraph.

• Use an Interrupting Idea: Start with a startling statement or a novel twist that breaks through the boredom barrier that often exists in the mind of the reader.
• The Shocker: Closely related to the above, however is even more shocking
• News: Make a current event statement.
• Preview: A sentence giving a brief preview of the copy.
• Quotation
• Story: Begin the copy as if you would a book.

Note: While using the above openings you must stay on track in regards to your headline. If you catch their eye with the headline don’t lose their interest with a disjointed first paragraph.

The Most Important 5% are Reading your Copy (Don’t Waste Their Time)

So that we are still on the same base, lets make sure we are on the same base. The purpose of an advertisement is to:

• Get attention by providing the strongest benefit through the use of the headline and visual.
• Recreate a need for your service in the headline and first paragraph.
• Satisfy the need in the second paragraph.
• Prove your superiority throughout the following paragraphs through the use of testimonials, product comparison, studies, years in business, and benefit lists.
• At the end of the ad ask for the order, offer a free sample or coupon and also complete contact information.

Pavlov Teaches us all We Need to know

Ever wonder why Pavlov chose to use sound rather than sight? Simply because it was easier.

He did however later after much work gain the ability to make the dog salivate by showing it a circle by going through the same battery of tests. He even was able to make the dog stop salivating by showing it an ellipse.

He then was able to see the impact on the associative memories he had implanted by slowly making the two pictures resemble each other. What happened will show you the importance of consistency within your advertising campaign.

The dog became highly agitated and the previous conditioning began to lose its effect. Always think of Pavlov’s dog when you lay out your advertising campaign so that you get people to take action through a focused repetitive action.

Mixed signals will only cause the public to ignore your ads completely. This is also true in regards to keeping consistancy between your entire campaign.

Let’s Write a Letter

Exercise: Picture someone you know and write them a letter that describes in detail how excited you are about your new business.

• Ask yourself while writing will the reader understand what you wrote?
• Does the letter tell them something important, new or useful?
• And does this letter enfluence the reader to buy from me?

Here are a Few Tips on Writing in a Conversational Tone

• Use pronouns – I, We, You, They
• Use colloquial expressions- a sure thing, turn on, rip-off, O.K., etc.
• Use contractions – They’re, You’re, It’s, Here’s We’ve, I’m, etc.
• Use simple words
• Write naturally even if you might not always be grammatically correct.

How to Add Interest to your Copy

• Speak directly to the readers life, emotions, needs and desires.
• Write about real people.
• Use copy that tells a story.
• Use testimonials.
• Write as if you are a friend in a warm, helpful, and sincere way.
• Offer a free offer or gift.
• Provide important news
• Address important issues such as beauty, health, old age, parenting, marriage, home, security, family, careers, education, and social issues
• Answer important issues society definitely has

What Motivates People

• To feel important
• To make more money
• To save time
• To make work easier
• To be more secure
• To be attractive
• To be sexy
• To be comfortable
• To be happy
• Need to be liked
• Need to be appreciated
• Need to be right
• To have fun
• To be knowledgable
• To be healthy
• To gratify curiosity
• For convenience
• Out of fear
• Out of greed
• Out of guilt

Finding the Right Appeal

The most frequent reason for unsuccessful advertising is advertisers who try to sell the best seed while people want the best lawn. Below list how you are
meeting the following strong appeals:

• Make More Money
• Save Money
• Retirement Security
• Better Health Now
• Healthcare Security
• Security in Old Age
• Advance in Profession
• Prestige
• Enjoyment
• Easier Chores
• Gain More Leisure
• Comfort
• Reduce fat
• Freedom from Worry
• What is the strongest appeal of your product or service?

That’s it for now, but I could write forever on marketing if you want. Just comment below on what you would like me to cover.

Til next time…

5 Responses to “Marketing Examples: Writing Copy Pt. 2”

1. Copy Paste Systems says:

   March 8, 2010 at 2:02 pm

   Well I arrived here on another post but ended up staying for 20 minutes reading your stuff! Enjoyed it

   Reply
2. Tracy Chatman says:

   January 12, 2011 at 9:30 am

   Thank You for this information this is something that I have to work on to become a better marketer. Finally I feel that I am at the beginning of something here. Thanks to You..

   Reply
   • admin says:

     January 12, 2011 at 11:08 am

     Your very welcome

     Reply
3. social media manager says:

   January 30, 2011 at 1:58 pm

   I was having the hardest time coming up with headlines for my youtube videos so thanks alot. I put the use the “how” in the title for 5 of them!

   Reply
   • admin says:

     January 30, 2011 at 2:24 pm

     Glad to help

     Reply