You know the style of advertisements I am talking about, the ones that win awards and gain recognition from the commercial art exhibitions and the like.

What’s wrong with these ads…

Or should I say the question is have you ever purchased anything from an advertisement like this?

I could almost guarantee that you although you may look at theses advertisements and think how pretty they are, you probably would not be motivated to take action.

The question is why?

The answer is really quite simple….Art and design are created to tone within the surroundings, and to please the senses.

Why does this not work for an advertisement… If you think about a park bench they are generally always green to blend within the environment, imagine if that same bench was bright red with pink spots. It would certainly gain your attention and spark your interest as to why there was a bright red bench seat with pink spots….

Do you want your advertisement to be creative and not spark the readers interest?

Or do you want the advertisement to gain the readers attention and ensure that they take action.

At the end of the day you are creating advertisements to sell your particular product or service, so make your next campaign work for you.

Here are a few tips on how to create a great advertisement?

1. Use a font that people are familiar with which is easy to read.

2. Use strong, black readable type for headlines.

3. User clear cut type for your copy.

4. Make your headlines large enough and bold enough so that even the most careless glancer cannot help but catch your message.

5. Use pictures that create value in your advertisement. Don’t use pictures that are not relevant to the product you are selling .

6. Try using a picture of the product in use.

The key to a great advertisement is in essence ‘don’t be to cleaver’, however do tell your potential customers in your text and with images why they should purchase your product.

Avoid weird, outlandish, or far-fetched pictures that have nothing to do with the product or service you are selling. Use pictures that attract buyers, not curiosity seekers.

If you try even a couple of these tips, it is guaranteed to make a difference in your next advertising campaign.

One final tip is to remember to test your changes. Make sure you understand what change has made the difference.

The aim at the end of the day is to sell products or services, so if your advertising is not working give it a review what you are doing to and implement a change one step at a time.

Rachel Wadsworth

Does Your Copy Need A New Style? Do You Need A New Angle?

If your copy needs a new lease on life perhaps all you need to do is try a new style of writing to spark a readers interest again.

It seems like a simple answer doesn’t it!
In everything we do there are times when we loose focus and need a change; the same is true for your copy.

Sometimes we just need a simple change to make all the difference.

So what type of copy should you use in advertisements, and which styles should you avoid?

There are a number of styles of copy, which can create a different angle on the same content.

The simple answer to give you copy a new look is to simply change the way your write to your target market.

To give you the inspiration that you need, why not try using one of the following angles.

1. Straightforward Copy – this style of copy presents the advertiser’s story in a simple, logical manner. It is devoid of style or rhetoric. It merely states the facts in the most understandable way possible.
2. Story Copy – the appeal of this type of copy is the human interest aspect, which first draws the reader in, this is then followed by the story with the moral of which is to buy the advertised product.
3. “You and Me” Copy – has a conversation directly with the customer, in a friendly chatty way, just as a good salesperson.
4. Imaginative Copy – this kind of copy highlight’s the reader’s interest in the product by describing it in imaginative terms.
5. Factual Copy – Advertisements written with a large number of facts sell the most products, therefore the more you tell the more you sell.
6. Forthright Copy – Sometimes a writer can increase the believability of an ad by admitting that there are some weak points as well as strong points in the proposition she is selling.
7. Superlative Copy – In this type of copy you step right out and blow your own horn as loudly as possible. This kind of advertising is effective if you have the facts to back it up.
8. Teaser Copy – Instead of trying to sell him, it challenges the reader to take action.
9. News Page Copy – The advertiser buys space, usually a page, in newspapers or magazines. The page is made to look like typical editorial matter, with headlines, copy, pictures and often including a regular small ad. The only difference is that instead of being written by reporters, a copywriter writes everything with the product sold as hard in the ‘news’ items as in the regular advertisement.
10. Competitive Copy – This type of copy compares your product to that of the competition, on a quality basis.

The reality is when you are selling any product or service you needed to be constantly developing new ways to remind customers why you are fantastic.

So now all you have to do is think about what is going on in your clients lives at the moment that will make you appeal fantastic to them.

Rachel Wadsworth

To be truthful there is really not perfect formula for writing body copy… The secret is actually in how you write to the individual…

It is all about how you actually sell your product to your client.

The begining is a great headline, to draw the client into the article… But as with getting a client in the door of your store you also need to engage the reader in the article.

So how do you apply the same principles you use in a traditional business to write engaging copy for the internet…

It is as simple applying the follwing seven steps;

1. Be enthuastic about the product you are selling, if you don’t love the product your readers will see straight through the copy you write.

2. Be truthful about the promise you are making… You have to be able to deliver on the promises that you make.

3. Avoid generalities… Be a little unique in your copy it is no point begin the same as everyone else

4. Get straight to the point… Your potential customer will lose interest very quickly if you don’t keep the message on target.

5. Be fascinating… Provide the reading with important factual information that they can learn from, and will draw them into the article.

6. Include action graphics…. use a variety of graphics to draw the readers attention to relevant points you want the client to focus on.

7. Build the offer… As the your potential client reads through the article you need to build trust and confidence with them… as well as working towards the action you want them to take at the end of the copy.

The final point is really the most important one…

The more you tell the more you sell.. Give the reader the most information you can about the product…. this will build the customer confidence in not only the product but also you and your reliability.

It is tough for businesses right now, so you need to be ahead of the pack…. You need to consider how you can apply these seven simple steps in your next advertising campaign to truly make a difference to your business.

It is absolutely imperative that you understand your clients on an intimate level, in order to be able to target effectively using these seven guidelines.

Rachel Wadsworth

All week the papers have been constantly talking about the economic downturn and the recession..

Jobs have been lost in a large range of industries and they predict more to come..

Are you tired of hearing about how bad things are?

This morning I was driving my girls to Childcare and listening to the radio about how bad the world is and how much trouble we have to come..

By the time I got back to my desk I was completely deflated… I was unsure about everything and I wondered which direction I should be going.. What should I focus on first….

It wasn’t until the end of the day when I was trying to figure out why life seemed so hard that I realised that all the negative comments I had listened to during the morning had really put me in a bad, depressed mood..

So I made a decision…

I decided to stop and focus on the glass half full, rather than the glass half empty!

Instead of worrying about where the world was financially…

I decided that I should focus on how I could weather the storm, or should I say how I could not only survive the recession, but to actually get ahead…

Do you want to know the secret?

Advertise your business…

That’s right.. It’s not rocket science..

If you bury your head in the sand and cut all your advertising budgets, what is going to happen to your business.

Will anyone see you? You will be like everyone else who is doing the same thing!

So stand out from the crowd and be unique.

You have nothing to loose but to profit from a smart advertising campaign that makes people want your product more than ever…

The key is to think about what is important right now to your clients… Perhaps have a restaurant and you have noticed a decline in your business lunch cliental.

What can you offer them that is going to make them eat out every day next week?

• Two meals for the price of one, then upsell on the wine and dessert?
• 25% off the total bill…
• A weekly lunch package for after your third lunch your fourth is on the house.

The point is more than ever you need to give your loyal clients something back. Give them a reason to choose you over your competition.

More than ever you can profit from advertising and rewarding your clients, each and every time they have a business transaction with you.

So tomorrow instead of working on how you can save costs, start working on how you can give something back. You will be rewarded beyond your wildest imagination.

Rachel Wadsworth

You’re hooked already, right?

Stories are comforting, transporting us back to childhood, firstly snuggled on a loved one’s knee and later, the closeness of the bedtime story.  Sharing, caring, and communicating on various levels with another human being.  No wonder a story presses all our buttons.

And so it continues through life.  Playground gossip, seemingly unending teenage telephone calls and, dragging myself into the 21st Century, MSMing  (forgive me on that one, I’m sure it must be a word!).  Then we graduate to adulthood where it’s the coffee morning or a quick 5-minute snippet between tasks in the workplace.

Remember the catchphrase of Max Bygraves?  “I wanna tell you a story!”  Do you think that was accidental or a very clever piece of marketing which ensured we all remembered him?  Those readers of a tender age will find him on Google.

[Note to self:  Investigate benefits of vitamin supplementation to combat effects of unseemly passage of time!]

Oh Yes, You Men, I’m Talking To You, Too!

Those of the male persuasion reading this needn’t look so smug, either!  Some of the most prolific gossips I know are male.  OK, you haven’t mastered the 2-hour telephone call, preferring to grunt instructions and hang up but I’ve spent many a happy hour – no, not ‘happy hour’ in the cheap drinks sense – watching men and youths deep in conversation over a glass of tongue-relaxant.  And don’t they go for it?  Gesticulations, actions, sometimes at full throttle to ensure their target audience is fully appreciative of the finer points of the story.

How about translating all that on to paper?  WOW, what a fantastic piece of sales copy would be created – probably a world beater!

But ask many people to write down what they said with the same flavour and seasoning and we’d be in a resuscitation situation!  Why is that?  I’ve experienced the terrors of the blank page but why do we find converting a stirring story on to paper so terrifying?  It’s only a chat between tasks, after all.  Is it because there’s no personal contact or instant feedback?  No body language triggers to encourage you to go on, or indicate a change of direction?  Perhaps the way we’re taught at school curtails effective communication?  And yet, in so many ways, success in both the business and personal arenas can depend upon the written word.

But WHY Are Stories So Important And Powerful In Marketing?

Before the written word was king, story telling was the natural means of communication and linked in to how our brains think.  They conjure up pictures, action and emotion.

Then came the Egyptians with their own ‘written’ language in the form of Hieroglyphics.  I was fortunate enough to visit many ancient ruins in Egypt in the company of a local Egyptologist.  Fascinating stuff.  With his expert knowledge, the story held within those pictures for thousands of years caught me in a vice-like grip.  A story again.  Meaningful, emotive and informative.  I was THERE living temple life and experiencing the emotions of war, victory, defeat, love, jealousy and harmony; and all brought to me courtesy of a story told in pictures, expertly interpreted.  And so it is with copywriting.  Taking the client to a place of emotional recognition and then to an exciting, peaceful or encouraging end point, depending upon the intention behind the piece.

The talented copywriter will tell a story so engaging it resonates with their customer at an emotional level, echoing their pain, offering a solution and then, showing the now pain-free new customer how blissful life will be when they have bought/used Product X.  Tapping into the prospect’s mood set :

• Really pulls them into the story
• Helps them draw their own conclusions
• Encourages the prospect to feel it was their idea in the first place

Again, as with children’s stories, we respond to the moral or main point which can be conveyed in a very non-threatening way through this medium.  Word of warning here, though; ensure the story is tailored to your target audience, i.e. talk about sheep to shepherds and not fishermen!

Does Length Matter?

Length does matter because…

• the piece should continue until the story is told regardless of length
• it can be as long or short as the need dictates; and
• consideration must be given to the purpose behind the copy – is it for a link, email teaser or sales letter, etc?

In Conclusion . . .

ALWAYS read your story or copy out loud to find the “bumps” which stop the brain’s thought process in its tracks.  The prospect will find it difficult to re-start and may well just click away – how tragic to lose a sale because the story was never vocalised!  Read aloud to yourself by all means but the best feedback comes from reading aloud to someone else and gauging their level of interest and emotional interaction.

The postings within this forum are, of necessity, short in nature and this is just a taster of the full article which you can read at www.swiftcopywriting.com.  Discover more tips and tricks to convert prospects into customers – Ka-Ching!  See you over there.

Janet Swift

Getting the best from your copywriter or agency is more about you being a good client than about choosing a good agency. Don’t be fooled… to get the most from your advertising campaign, you need also consider your role in the relationship. Think of it as a marriage.. imagine if you only communicated half the story to you husband, and expected him to know where and when to meet you for dinner. It would be frustrating wouldn’t it… So what are the pearls of wisdom to work in a partnership with your copywriter.. Firstly, spent time finding the agency/ copywriter that you feel comfortable having ; the relationship between client and agency has to be an intimate one, and it can be hell if the personal chemistry is wrong. So ensure that they know how much you value them by creating a positive long term relationship with them. Writing copy is like making a cake you can put in all the ingredients, however sometimes through no fault of your own the cake simply doesn’t work. Don’t loose faith… Except that this is sometimes the case and move on Secondly, as with a marriage tell your copywriter ‘the whole truth and nothing but the truth’. The more your agency knows about your company and your product the better job they will do. Thirdly, do not compete with your agency in the creative area, except that they are the experts.. You wouldn’t argue with your hairdresser would you.. nor would you ask ever person in the salon if they liked your hair, so don’t strain your advertising through to many levels of your company seeking approval. Fourthly, when you find a campaign that is working stick with it and run with it as long as it is good option. Finally, make sure that your agency makes a profit…. Why… Your account competes with all the other accounts in your agency. If it is unprofitable, it is likely that the management of the agency will not assign their best men to work it. Your best option is to pay your agency a flat fee, rather than a commission based on sales. Don’t haggle with your agency or allow any penny pinchers in your organisation to do so either. If you are candid, with your copywriter with open channels of communication you are far more likely to have a long term successful relationship. By setting high standards making it clear that you expect your agency to hit home runs, and pour on the praise when they do. Work hard to achieve a positive relationship and it will reward you beyond you wildest imagination.

Rachel Wadsworth

www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – rachelwadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth

What is an Optimum Business Strategy? What does this mean? It means that you must refuse to get less out of an effort, less out of an opportunity, less out of a day, less out of a dollar, less out of a relationship, than the maximum that activity or action has the capacity to give you. In essence… Play life to the fullest Life has the capacity to give you, in your career or business, and especially in your personal life, everything you ever want and then some. But the key to this is knowing where you are going. Can you answer these questions; Who am I? For me I am a; Mother, Wife, Business Entrepreneur What do I want? To travel Eurpoe, Ireland, and the Maldives. To visit my friends in Canada. To not worry about money…. to own a property backing onto a lake or river, have a good car, send the girls to a good school, and university if they want. To retire at 45 so that I can do all of the above… What makes me happy? Time with my family and friends… Long days water skiing… Traveling to new places and experiencing new cuisine… Lazy afternoons in the sun reading… What doesn’t? Working hard to build someone elses business Not having enough time for family and friends (missing out on the girls early years) Not having enough time to enjoy the things we love, like water skiing Where is my strength, where is my weakness? Strengths: Good Business Evaluation Skills Diverse Knowledge base in a range of industries Ability to submerge myself in a business or task Ability to relate to others Weaknesses: Work life balance Wanting to get to the next level, but never quite getting there Where can I make the greatest contribution in my life, in my job, in my business, in my relationship? In My Life: To show others how to find their own inner strength and self worth, by leading by example In my job: To be the best I can be at whatever it is I am doing at the time… In my business: To be a leader among leaders.. To show the path to financial success… In my relationship: To encourage my husband and my girls to be the best they can be, and that life doesn’t mean working all the time. So what about you, how do you answer these questions. What is it that you want out of life.

Rachel Wadsworth

We all have our inner demons that scream out to us from time to time.. You know the ones…

I can’t do that…

I don’t have enough experience…

Others will be more qualified….

Have you ever stopped to analyse your own personal worth, the person you have spent years becoming… The Real You.

We spend most of our lives trying to become something better than we are, when in actual fact we don’t stop to see the person we have become.

Do you spend a little time each month identifying your true expertise and your personal attributes?

WHY.. Should you identify where you are each month

Because like any good business you are a commodity that can be marketed and sold. Just as you market your business it is equally important to market the person behind the business.

Ask yourself this also… What performance skills do you bring to business that have an intrinsic value and importance to the business?

Why is your business a success when others fail?

What skills did you bring to the business that make it a success?

As a person what have you accomplished that other people would respect and desire to learn, how can they utilize this to gain the same benefits for their companies?

You secretly have the answer to these questions hidden within you…

If you look at any of the successful people in the world, they have all promoted themselves as much as the business that they control.

Why…

Because the power behind a business is sometimes just as important as any creative marketing campaign.

When you next sit down to create a unique marketing campaign for yourself or a client look to the brains behind the operation.

It should not be that main push for the campaign, but it will give strength and consumer confidence.

Look at it this way if you were the customer about to make a large financial commitment to a company for goods, would you feel more comfortable about the decision if you knew of the solid foundations on which the company was based.

When you last went out to purchase a new fridge did you consider the company behind the label.. I did.

When you purchase a product that has promotes that ‘100% of our profits fund essential water projects in developing countries’ would you not choose this product over a competitor.

The point is to look within yourself and you will be surprised what you have to offer….

Rachel Wadsworth

 

 

I’ve just taken a sip of tea.  Well not tea really – it’s Twinings Cleanse "A refreshing drink to help balance out the impurities of day-to-day life".  A herbal infusion if you like.

To sweeten the drink I added honey (without which it would taste utterly revolting).

But not just any old honey.  I’ve used Morrisons Organic set honey.

So what’s really going on here?

Why didn’t I just sling a Tetley tea bag in my mug, slop in some hot water and a dash of milk?  ("Tetley ma ake tee ea bags… make teeeeeeeeee")

The thing is, I’ve just been exercising.

I’ve also been meditating.

And I’m feeling pretty damn good this morning.

More to the point, I’m feeling virtuous.

So to keep this virtuous state of mind, how could I ruin the whole effect by slurping my normal cuppa?

I really don’t want to end this deep and meaningful moment.

There’s no sarcasm here by the way.  I mean it.  Oh yes, I do.

You can understand the choice of a herbal infusion over a Typhoo or a Nescafe.  Afterall, we know about the not so nice effects of caffeine.

But organic honey?

What does that mean anyway – organic honey?

One glance at the (very unlovely) label and it tells you you’re about to buy a blend of non-EC honeys.  Produced under organic standards.

So we have organic standards.

Does that mean that every little bee that was so kind to make their tiny bit of honey somewhere "outside the EC" only ever visited flowers growing naturally – completely out of contact with man-made chemicals?

I hope so.

Must say though, the honey doesn’t actually taste that good – I’ve tasted far more fragrant honey than that.
But stick it in a brew and the subtle notes are lost I should think.

My point is that when we decide to buy a product such as organic honey we are actually satisfying a certain need.

And the need is?

The need to feel virtuous.  Of doing the right thing.  Taking care of planet earth and planet YOU.

We’re telling ourselves stories again.

We all do it.

The story of …

In this case, responsibility.

I’m all for it as long as the marketers don’t tell me lies.

If I find out those little bees were buzzing anywhere within the EC ……

Rachel Goodall
———————-
Clear Passionate Copywriting

www.rachelgoodall.com
skype rachel.goodall
rachel@rachelgoodall.com

Want to use this article?  Be my guest! You can share or reprint it – all I ask is that you give me full attribution and a link to my homepage.

Just copy and paste this statement:

This article was first published at http://www.rachelgoodall.com

 

 

 

Your Oxford English Dictionary will tell you euphemism is a noun and I’ll go one step further to tell you it’s a very useful noun.  Very.

In fact if you’re a marketer, it’s an essential tool.

So what is it?

"When referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing a euphemism is a mild or less direct word used rather than the one that is blunt or may be considered offensive."

Now let’s suppose you’re trying to get the attention of your audience.  Afterall, that’s the very first thing you have to do with your salespiece isn’t it?

So the words you choose are of the utmost importance.

Using euphemisms is a way of telling a story to paint a picture before your reader slams the door to her attention in your face.

Because marketing is about story telling.  You’re telling the story of how life will be better for the reader once they have purchased your goods or service.

But what happens if you’re trying to sell a funeral service?  Tricky.

Look in your local paper and they’re all calling themselves … well, funeral services.

With a bit of a shudder you kind of skip that part don’t you?  Don’t your eyes jump to happier reading?

But we’ll all need one, sooner or later so let’s see if we can come up with a brighter way for an undertaker to advertise his or her service.

What words can we think of to describe a funeral?

A final farewell?

An end of life celebration?

A heartfelt send-off?

A final honour?

A demonstration of respect?

An expression of respect?

A laying to rest?

A peaceful goodbye?

And what does the director do?  The person whose service we are trying to market?

A funeral director is a great carer – a specialist in organizing people – those alive and those deceased.  They bring people together for a professionally organized send off don’t they?

Maybe a master?

A master in helping people celebrate a life, no matter its length

A master in life celebration

A life celebration master

Or a specialist in life celebration

Don’t you think they’d draw more readers to their ad, more people to their service if they were to simply change their angle?

Who would you rather talk to:

A Funeral Director, or

A Life Celebration Specialist?

I know who I’d choose.

Rachel Goodall
———————-
Clear Passionate Copywriting

www.rachelgoodall.com
skype rachel.goodall
rachel@rachelgoodall.com

Want to use this article?  Be my guest! You can share or reprint it – all I ask is that you give me full attribution and a link to my homepage.

Just copy and paste this statement:

This article was first published at http://www.rachelgoodall.com