10 ways to write more effective ads 1
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The document outlines effective strategies for writing advertisements, emphasizing that advertising is primarily about persuasion and salesmanship. It stresses the importance of understanding the audience's needs and continuously testing different approaches to optimize ad performance. The article introduces ten time-tested tips for creating impactful ads and encourages advertisers to keep the focus on the customer rather than themselves.
10 ways to write more effective ads 1
- 1. 10 Ways to Write More Effective Ads …1 www.theserviceoption.com/guru
- 2. Introduction This is going to be an article series for the next two weeks, so stay tuned. I would try to make it as interesting as possible. Without much ado, let’s get started. What is advertising? Is it something to be regarded as a work of beauty or art? Is it clever slogans or amusing prose? Is it workmanship to be judged for an award or recognition?
- 3. It’s none of the above. Advertising is salesm anship m ultiplied. Nothing more. And advertising copy, or copywriting, is salesm anship in print. The purpose of a copywriter’s job is to sell. Period. The selling is accomplished by persuasion with the written word, much like a television commercial sells (if done properly) by persuading with visuals and audio.
- 4. So the goal then becomes: how can we make our advertising as effective as possible. The answer is to test. Test again. And then test some more. If ad “A” receives a two percent response rate, and ad “B” receives three percent, then we can deduce that ad “B” will continue to outperform ad “A” on a larger scale. Testing takes time, however, and can be expensive if not kept in check. Therefore, it’s ideal to start with some proven tested known ideas and work from there.
- 5. For example, if testing has shown for decades or more that targeted advertising significantly outperforms untargeted advertising (and it does), then we can start with that assumption and go from there. If we know based on test results that crafting an ad that speaks directly to an individual performs better than addressing the masses (again, it does), then it makes little sense to start testing with the assumption that it does not. This is common sense.
- 6. So it stands to reason that knowing some basic rules or techniques about writing effective copy is in order. Test results will always trump everything, but it’s better to have a starting point before you test. So this starting point is the essence of this article series. The ten tips expressed here have been generally time-tested and known to be effective.
- 7. But I can’t emphasize enough that when using these techniques, you should always test them before rolling out a large (and expensive) campaign. Sometimes a little tweak here or there is all that is needed to increase response rates dramatically. And with that, let’s move onward…
- 8. Focus on Them, Not You When a prospect reads your ad, letter, brochure, etc., the one thing he will be wondering from the start is: “what’s in it for me?” And if your copy doesn’t tell him, it’ll land in the trash faster than he can read the headline or lead. A lot of advertisers make this mistake. They focus on them as a company. How long they’ve been in business, who their biggest customers are, how they’ve spent ten years of research and millions of dollars on developing this product, blah, blah.
- 9. Actually, those points are important. But they should be expressed in a way that matters to your potential customer. Remember, once he’s thrown it in the garbage, the sale is lost! When writing your copy, it helps to think of it as writing a letter to an old friend. In fact, I often picture a friend of mine who most closely fits my prospect’s profile. What would I say to convince this friend to try my product? How would I target my friend’s objections and beliefs to help m y cause?
- 10. When you’re writing to a friend, you’ll use the pronouns “I” and “you.” When trying to convince your friend, you might say: “Look, I know you think you’ve tried every widget out there. But you should know that…” And it goes beyond just writing in the second person. That is, addressing your prospect as “you” within the copy. The fact of the matter is there are many successful ads that w eren’t w ritten in the second person.
- 11. Some are written in the first person perspective, where the writer uses “I.” Other times the third person is used, with “she,” “he,” and “them.” And even if youdo w rite in the second person, it doesn’t necessarily m ean your copy is about them .
- 12. For example: “As a real estate agent, you can take comfort in the fact that I’ve sold over 10,000 homes and mastered the tricks of the trade” Although you’re writing in the second person, you’re really still focusing on yourself. So how can you focus on them ? Glad you asked. One w ay is to… To be continued
- 13. Paul Adedoyin is a webdesigner, web programmer and the owner of www.theserviceoption.com where he sells web design products and also accepts webdesign projects including the design of data based driven websites. His blog is www.theserviceoption.com/guru where he shares online marketing tips for free