New Years 2011 Resolutions - Advertising Copy

 Omit jargon and talking over the listener's heads. I heard a spot this holiday season that said: "You'll find something for the electronics enthusiast in your home this year." People don't talk like that. Change to Gizmo's to Gadgets and everything in-between. Quit saying "Conveniently located", if it was conveniently located it would be in your front yard. 

•  Think fast-paced, irreverent and hip in your copy. Paint pictures with words that listeners use. Stop writing copy and begin to write brand building for your clients. Inject what Bobby Ocean said in Jan 2010 on The Conclave Imaging call: "Pattern Writing." Production that uses strung together words in a quick and short burst: EXAMPLE: Problem, Escalate, Resolve. It's tough to make street language and vernacular authentic. You can't hype any longer, mo more YOU HAVE TO BE THERE THIS SATURDAY. Conversational mannerisms are the key. Avoid three note phrases and drawing out words in voicing imaging.

• WRITE IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR AUDIENCE You have to adopt the local nuances while writing your advertising copy for a region-based audience. It doesn't mean learning a new language from scratch with every consecutive copywriting assignment. You just have to stick to those words and phrases that a population is comfortable with. Nobody has time to learn words in order to understand the benefits of the product or service you are trying to promote.

The information below is from ABSOLUTE WRITE

USE WORDS THAT ARE STRONG BUT STRAIGHTFORWARD
Words and phrases like "money," "immediate benefit," "save $150," "protect your child," "find love now," and "lose weight in two weeks" sell like hot cakes. They may sound clichéd to you, but if you notice, they promise you a tangible result. They give a clear picture of what your copy intends to convey. Avoid ambiguities and jargon.

PROVIDE A SOLUTION

We all need immediate solutions, to be frank. If I want to improve the way I live or earn my living, I want to know in simple words whether your product or service can help me achieve that or not, and how fast and at what cost it can be done.

TOUCH YOUR AUDIENCE EMOTIONALLY (I don't mean to say you emotionally blackmail them into buying your product) Advertising copy is about strumming the emotional strings of your audience. Whether you like it or not, emotions rule the world. Great wars and revolutions are unleashed under the aegis of emotions. Use them, rightfully.

BE CREDIBLE  

Don't promise the stars if you are selling the candles. Do not make exaggerated claims. Believe me, they do nothing but put off the reader. Sound sincere, be frank, do not patronize your readers unnecessarily and tell exactly what your product or service does for the consumer.

ADDRESS THE PERSON

Talk directly to the person. Use as much "you, your" as you can and use "us, we, I" as little as you can. The reader is not interested in knowing what all your product or service can do. He or she wants to know what all your product or service can do for him or her. Focus on the reader, not on your product.