Ten Tips For Better Copy

Post on 26-Jan-2015

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Larry Asher has been writing ad and design copy for his entire career. Here are some tips he's discovered along the way that he shares with SVC classes.

Transcript of Ten Tips For Better Copy

Ten Tips forBetter Copywriting

1. Flag your audience

Place something in the headline or first few words that says:

“hey reader, this concerns you..”

2. Answer “WIFM?”

Tell the reader how you’re improving their life or well-being.

Don’t just blow your client’s horn.

3. Use the active voice

Suggest actions, make suggestions,ask questions, convey immediacy.

In the active voice, the subject of the verb does the action (The boy hit the ball).

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb

(The ball was hit by the boy).

4. Get to the point

People are busier than ever.

Respect their time and give your message a chance by saying what

you have to say quickly.

5. Avoid overpromise

Consumers don’t trust advertising.

So go out of your way to be humble, self-effacing, and honest.

6. Use plain words

Nobody likes a show off, so use simple, everyday language.

Avoid committing acts of literature.

7. Touch an emotion

Every marketing decision—no, every decision—is made for emotional reasons.

Find out what emotion is at play in your client’s story and tell it.

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Long Twill Skirt $29.99 [reg. $39-$42]One of our most popular choices for summer. This classic skirt is made of durable cotton twill. It’s easy to care for and always looks pulled together. The front features a hidden center zipper and vent at the bottom hem for ease of movement. Flattering back darts add shape for a better fit. Women’s sizes feature a comfortable side elastic waistband.

Long Twill Skirt$29.99 [reg. $39-$42]

One of our most popular choices for summer. This classic skirt ismade of durable cotton twill. It's easy to care for and always lookspulled together. The front features a hidden center zipper and ventat the bottom hem for ease of movement. Flattering back darts addshape for a better fit. Women's sizes feature a comfortable sideelastic waistband.

Text

Women’s Legs. There are more glamorous skirts than this; slinkier skirts; kinkier skirts; fully slit skits; faintly see-through skirts. There is, as yet, no limit to human imagination and the architecture of cloth devised to enclose women’s legs. The subject is entirely too interesting to ever let it rest. This skirt, shown here, being the opposite of everything glamorous, being innocent, defies logic. Being innocent, it becomes, in operation, more sensual than anything else. A triumph of innocence, it drives you mad. This skirt, of plain windy blue cotton chambray walks by in front of you with legs somewhere there inside it all, moving along unseen inside the skirt; the legs are like soft wind behind a blowing sail, suggesting shapes and just when you think you see something, a shape you think you recognize, it’s gone and then it begins to return and then it’s gone and of course you can’t take your eyes off it. Yes, the long slow motion of women’s legs. What ever happened to those things at carnivals that blew air up into girls’ skirts and ou could spend hours watching. Even as recently as Marilyn Monroe there were such things, weren’t there? Pure cotton chambray skirt. On-seam pockets (deep ones). Zipper and two ocean pearl buttons in back. Sizes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 Price: $58

8. Say less

Say only as much as you figure your audience is interested in reading.

Then stop.

9. Say it unexpectedly

If it sounds like advertising, it must be advertising.

And people don’t like advertising.

10. Beware of rules

The problem with rules is that they rule out brilliant exceptions.

Goodbye.