Copy writing that works
Saturday, 25 April 2009 11:29
Here are my five top tips for writing brochures, letters, advertising, web copy and emails that get results:1. Put yourself in their place
Step into the shoes of the people who will be reading your copy and imagine what they want to ‘hear’. Everything should be written with their needs, culture, age, outlook, gender, race, religion, desires, ideas, beliefs, hopes, fears, dreams, etc. in mind.
2. Organise by AIDA
Structure your copy to follow this basic rule of copy writing. It’s a tried, tested and trusted formula. AIDA stands for:
- Attention
- Interest
- Desire
- Action
Whether it’s an advert, a charity newsletter article, a corporate magazine article, a mission brochure, appeal letter, email, or whatever, you need to stick to this order of content.
First, you need to grab the reader’s attention. Certainly the headline should do that, but it can also be done with a photo, illustration, strapline or first sentence.
Second, create some interest in what you are promoting or what the need is – e.g. by saying how it can benefit the reader, or how not having it would disadvantage the reader, or how the famine is affecting the people or how your mission is being effective, etc.
Third, turn that interest or curiosity into a desire for your product or service or a desire to give support – whether that’s money, prayer, time, etc. Be creative!
Finally, never forget to offer ways of immediate response. All your writing is wasted if the reader doesn’t take action – whether that’s ringing your order line, filling in your form, hitting a link to your website, sending off a cheque, etc. Make the opportunity to respond as easy, simple and clear as possible.
3. Focus on the benefits
Above all else, people want to know what your product or service can do for them (or in the case of a mission or charity, what it can do for others). Always put the benefits first, and add how you deliver those benefits second. When you buy a new TV, you’re not interested in how it was made or how it was delivered from Korea, you want to know how good the picture is and what the sound is like – the benefits. When you give to a charity, you’re not interested in how many people they have ‘on the ground’ in Africa, or how the aid is delivered in container ships – you want to know what a difference your money is going to make to how many African lives.
4. Get personal
The magic word in copy is ‘you’ (and ‘your’ and ‘yours’). Keep using ‘you’ to talk to your customer or supporter. Never talk in abstract language but in a conversational way. By referring to the person you are trying to reach as ‘you’, you are reinforcing the feeling of a personal conversation. It’s much easier to ignore copy that doesn’t involve ‘you’.
5. Keep it simple
Don’t use words or phrases you wouldn’t use in normal conversation with an average person. Keep your sentences short and avoid complicated or convoluted ways of expressing things.