Copy should be killer, not filler.

October 2008 | Posted by Carolyn Pikoulas
What is copy? Copy is what we advertisers call the end product that is achieved through the process known as copywriting. For those who may be unfamiliar, copywriting is the art of writing in a persuasive manner for the purposes of marketing. In short, copy sells.

Each time you watch a commercial, read a billboard, or flip through the ads in a magazine, you are experiencing the work of a copywriter. Because copywriting helps to sell your product, you want to make sure that it does its job.

It's all about features and benefits. Ultimately, what sells a product is a consumer's answer to the question, "how is this going to help me?" Say, for example, your product is a nightlight. The feature is that it provides a low light for seeing in the dark. That's fine, but it's the benefit of that feature that will convince someone that they need to buy it. The benefit could be that it protects your child from monsters, which in turn offers you a good night sleep. Or maybe it prevents you from tripping on a toy, falling down the stairs and breaking your neck (therefore, saving you thousands of dollars of medical bills). It's a stretch, but you get the idea.

So, the next time you see "Lorem ipsum dolor..." on an ad proof, it's not there because the graphic designer doesn't care about text. It's there to save the best for last. The most important detail can sometimes take more time and brain power to find the right words.