Answer these four critical questions and you can't go far wrong:
1. What are you trying to do, i.e. what's the objective of the communication?
2. How will you go about doing it, i.e. what is/are your key sales message(s)?
3. Why will you succeed, i.e. what supporting evidence for your sales message and other sales points will help ensure a positive response?
4. So what?- i.e. so what do you want the reader to do?
5. Structure your copy in the same order as answers to the questions above.
6. Learn as much as you can about the mindset, lifestyle and attitudes of your audience before writing anything. Match the language and tone of voice you use to what you've learned.
7. Remember that women largely respond more positively to benefits/appeals/ arguments that are emotional rather than rational; vice versa for men.
8. Start your headline copy by writing down the first thing you think of, then see if there's a way to make it fresher or more compelling. You might try to differentiate the communication visually instead by considering different looks or themes.
9. Differentiate, differentiate, differentiate! Ask yourself if what you've written clearly belongs to the brand involved and will stand out from the competition.
10. Don't preach, persuade. Use a tone of voice that your recipients will warm to.
11. Repetition (in moderation) can strengthen your message; don't be afraid of it.
12. Never underestimate the intelligence of your market. Today's consumers are highly advertising-literate.
13. Use a good dictionary (or check www.dictionary.com) and keep a book on grammar and English usage handy for reference. The largest part of your audience might not pick up spelling, grammatical or punctuation errors. Those who do will see the company as unprofessional. (And that can include the client, the competition and the directors of your business.)
Benefit-led
Concept-led
Problem/solution
Val Valentine, advertising and direct mail copywriter
Copyright 2005 Val Valentine
Val Valentine is a B2C and B2B advertising and direct mail copywriter based in the Midlands, UK. With over 25 yearsí experience, she also writes commercials for TV and Radio, brochures, sales letters, articles, web content and has broad experience of strategic brand planning and development. You can reach her at +44 (0) 1684 772 021 or +44 (0 )7802 959 009. For further information, please visit www.valvalentine.co.uk
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