Copywriting: are your words doing their job?

January 2009
Text is most often the first thing that introduces customers to your business. Its success (or failure) could determine your own. Your goal is to convince a stranger to give you their hard-earned cash just by reading words. No physical salesman, product demos or test drives are involved. Just words. This is why takes a lot of time and effort to write successful copy. A good way to learn copywriting is to learn from the masters. Study copy from highly successful advertising campaigns. Take Nike, for example. Their most successful campaign contained just three words: "Just do it." Enough said.

Next time you're at a store that has a rack full of free brochures, take a glance. Which ones stand out to you the most? Ultimately, you will find yourself gravitating toward the headlines that appeal to your own interests -- words that describe exactly what you're looking for: golf, vacation, food, etc. Look a little longer, and you'll notice that some headlines just don't make sense. For example, I've recently seen brochure headlines that read "Burchetta," and "Act Now and Receive $20 Off." First, I don't know what "Burchetta" is. It only makes me wonder if they meant "bruschetta." And the second brochure didn't make it clear what I'd be getting $20 Off for. It should be more apparent. In other words, if you have to take the brochure off the stand and read the rest of the words to understand what it's selling, it has not done its job. Advertisements like these get passed by. Whether your message is on print or online, if the copy doesn't get the attention of your target customer, it will go unnoticed.

When you sit down to write copy, put yourself in your customer's position. What are their true needs? How would your product or service fulfill that need? Asking questions like these will help you write more powerful copy for any of your marketing materials. What really sells a product is a consumer's answer to the question, "How is this going to help me?" They are not interested in your company or product. Their main concern is themselves.

Good copy is all about features and benefits. Say, for example, your product is toothpaste. Maybe the feature is that it fights gum disease. 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 their teeth won't fall out when they're 65, saving them thousands of dollars in dental bills. It may be a stretch, but you get the idea.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR COPY BE?
For print, the rule is: less is more. But that doesn't mean that the only good copy is short copy. It means text should be as long as it takes to persuade the reader to take action. If that takes 10 pages, so be it. However, each word must be scrutinized to make sure it belongs. It must be able to get attention, fuel interest, arouse desire, and trigger an action. Just like in a corporation, if something in the business process doesn't add value to the company, it needs to be cut. It's the same with ad copy. Each word should be a crucial part of the copy, and if it's not, it should be eliminated. Find ways to make one sentence do the job of three. Before copy is approved, it should be tested on fellow employees, family members and even strangers to see what needs added or what needs taken out. Of course, this is much harder than it sounds.

WHERE TO BEGIN?
First, you must answer these questions:

What's your goal? Before you start typing your advertising message, it's important to know exactly what you want to achieve. Do you want customers to call you, visit your website, or drive to an open house?

Who's your audience? Knowing who your target market is will help you create copy specifically for them. Write as though you're a friend having a conversation. Keep it simple and to the point.

What do your customers need? If you're writing text with only your profits in mind, you'll fail to win over the very people whose dollars it is you're seeking. If you say "I'm the top realtor in the city," it means nothing to customers. But, if you say something like, "I work for you 24/7 to find your perfect home at the perfect price," it puts more focus on your customer. Remember -- benefits of the business, not the business itself, will sway a customer.

How do your customers feel? In the buying process, emotion almost always triumphs over logic. People buy stuff based on the way it makes them feel. "My iPod makes me feel energized when I run" or, "Our home alarm system gives us peace of mind."

Learning to write effective copy is a constant battle, but these steps will help train your mind to think like your customers. Good luck, and happy writing!

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