How to copywrite?

Copywriting is a highly disregarded part of marketing. While in any kind of auction a lot of stress is put on graphic projects, the text intertwined with the graphic is either skipped or patronized. And in the meantime, while a good graphic can catch your prospective customer's eye, it's a good copy (advertising message) that really sells your product or service. Regardless of your intentions: whether you mean to write a text about your company (product, brand) on your own, or intend to commission an advertising agency with this task, it's worthwhile considering a couple of things.

On your own or with an agency

The short answer is: commission an experienced copywriter (or advertising agency) to do it. Sure, you can try to do it on your own, but you have to realize you know far more about your product or service than an average customer does. The things you find basic, obvious or common ground may turn very interesting for your consumers. On the other hand specifications, you boast about while presenting your product, may be of no interest whatsoever, since your customers may not be able to estimate them. What you need is an outsider's look. Make sure your message gets read by someone outside your business if they come out with any questions, correct your message so that they have no questions at all.

Define your position and stick to it

What can you tell about the toothpaste that you use? You know the brand, taste, and packaging color. Maybe you can recall one of the arguments used in its advertisement (keeps working 24 hours a day, cleans between your teeth, whitens your teeth). That's all. You can't tell its chemical formula and its author, the certificates or even where it's made. And that's exactly the way consumers treat your product for them it's just one of many products they use and they've got a very small number of the most basic associations that go with it. These associations are your position in your consumers' head. Don't feed them with everything you've got to say about your product. Instead, choose one, most important feature that singles you out from the competition and exhibit it whenever you can. Repeat and inflect, but stick to it at all times and don't blur it. That's the way your product will be remembered.

Compact marketing communication

Does it mean you should give up many pages long paeans praising your product? In general: yes. Especially, when what you've got at your disposal is a short form, like a press advertisement or a leaflet. Only a minute percentage of your Clients will read it from A to Z (research has shown that in case of press advertisements the majority of readers just scan them and shape their opinion about the product or service in less than a second). So you've got just one strike to use. Don't waste your chance. Of course as far as longer forms are concerned (like e.g. an advertising booklet a couple of pages long) you can try your wings. Still make sure an expanded text falls in line with the short message (it should repeat and refer to it over and over again). That way your reader will get an impression of consequence and consistency. If an advertisement says: Whitens Your Teeth!, the booklet should mention research that led to the development of the whitening formula. It would be a mistake to write for example about the history of your company, which doesn't back up your message in any way.

Use inverted pyramid

Inverted pyramid is a style of writing in which you start with the essentials and only then add the details, going deeper and deeper into the subject in question. The technique is commonly used in journalism but it also works well in advertisements. People hardly ever start reading an article determined to go from A to Z. Most often, they read first two paragraphs and only if they drag them into they decide to read the rest. Therefore, at the beginning state what you're going to write about, and then you can go deeper into more details. If someone gets interested, he'll read all you've got to say. And the others will be grateful for sparing their time.

Don't write about yourself

I've written, I've done, I've produced most often we want to talk and listen about ourselves. And since your Customer wants to listen about himself, why do you write about your company in your advertisement? Think about the benefits that your product offers your reader and describe them. Instead of writing the best chemists have been working on the unique formula of our toothpaste write using our toothpaste your teeth will become whiter. The advantage of the information about my teeth over some scientists I do not know is beyond discussion. This being the case, ponder every singe trace of your product or service and consider what it offers your customer. Then describe it from his (not yours) point of view.

Emotions or rational arguments?

We buy some products guided by emotions. Most often, these are small things, like chips or toothpaste. We do not analyze the ingredients, we do not carry out sophisticated market offer comparisons, we buy automatically, going by an advert we like or a message that appeals to us. In case of such products, it's worth casting your vote on humor, emotions and uniqueness. If your product enters your consumers' head at the very moment when they're reaching to the shelf, you may be sure you've won. On the other hand, we buy some products after a profound analysis. We do not choose a mortgage or life insurance on the spur of the moment, we rather try to get to know the market offer, compare the benefits and only then take the decision. If you sell such a product, make sure you've got rational arguments (backed by authorities or studies) on your side. You'll sell your product only if you've won rational arguments war.

Keep testing and be open

Some arguments will convince more people than others. Before you start copywriting, check the way other people perceive your product or service. It may turn out your consumers esteem you because of something you haven't considered. Don't struggle with it if they keep buying, it means you're good. Stress your advantages, try to dispel doubts and& give it to someone to read. There's no better opinion, than the one expressed by someone the text is to be addressed to. If what you've got (e.g. from an agency) proves not exactly what you've expected, don't turn it down prior to consideration. It may happen to be a result of an outsider's look that you haven't realized, ant that I've mentioned in the beginning.

Make sure the advertising text is of the same quality as the graphics, don't disregard it. If you pay attention to the above-mentioned assumptions, you'll get a really good copy. However, bear in mind the points discussed above are just strategic lines of writing a copy.