Divine Write Copywriting Forum

PREPARATION

Before running an advertising or promotional campaign, it is necessary to chose who is being targeting and what is being said.

Answer these questions to develop a focus for campaign:

i) Do you want to increase business with existing clients?
ii) Do you want to attract new clients?
iii) Where are the prospective clients located?
iv) Why aren't they already purchasing the product/service?
v) Have the prospective clients already received promotional messages from us or our competitors?
vi) What is the best timing for the promotion?
vii) How can we make a positive change in people's buying habits?
viii) How can we make a difference in our campaigns so that they will stand out in people's minds?

The final point is vital in any advertising campaign. There must always be an emphasis on fresh, new ideas and opportunities and being at the forefront of what is happening. Position the offer as a leader, the best in new opportunities and solutions for the prospect. If there is nothing to differentiate your offer from your competition then you will be seen simply as running with the pack. Competitors will then try to compete with you on price alone.

Make the effort to present your products and services in a friendly, personalised fashion. Remember: "people buy people".

Focus on particular target audiences for each offer that you make. Consider the sex, age, preferences and social grouping of your audience and relate this to the choice of medium for your campaign.

Once you have decided what you want to say and who you want to reach, decide how you want to say it. Get the tone of the advertisement right. Decide how "active" the voice you are going to use should be.

Some examples:

- "Buy now! Don't miss out! See us today!" (Active)

- "A great opportunity for every business." (Medium)

- "Talk to us about how this can work for you." (Low)

Write and re-write. Get feedback from staff or from someone who understands the proposed medium and what you are trying to say.

You’re quite right ErasmusJohn – to a point – but hopefully before the copywriter gets involved all the marketing issues would have been firmly resolved.
Sometimes when I sit and watch TV or read the newspapers I’m left wondering what happened to the real professional advertising agencies – because surely nobody would want to pay anybody to produce the kind of rubbish that makes up the bulk of what we see, read and hear today.
Even seasoned advertising writers seem to forget that nobody actually cares.
In general terms the average viewer simply sees advertising as an intrusive nuisance. Readers simply turn the page and listeners mostly tune out.
The only person who is ever going to read, watch or listen to your ad. (apart from ad. industry people) is the person who has actively entered the buying cycle. That’s why your proposition has to be accurately targeted and sharply focused on the needs of your market.
Unless you have a big media budget - and can afford to bore them witless until the message sinks in – you need to “flag” them right up front. You need to grab their attention with something that is intensely relevant to their current predicament, aspirations or desires.
The biggest trap that new players fall into is thinking in terms of a “clever idea”.
Well it’s not that clever to spend a bundle of your client’s money by presenting the market with some kind of conundrum that has to be figured out or otherwise deciphered Having said that – it doesn’t mean that advertising has to be boring to work – but it can be boring to everybody except the target and it doesn’t matter - as long as it gets results without damaging the brand image along the way. (But let’s no go there right now.)

So what makes advertising work? People need information on which to base purchasing decisions. Advertising supplies that information. The most effective advertising supplies information in the most effective way. To be cost effective it has to be selective – so it should seek to open some kind of dialogue or exchange of information. This exchange will have a hierarchical structure with ever-richer levels of information or channels of communication right up to the sales interface (and thereafter with companies that understand the process properly).
Through structuring the approach, the market is self-selecting (like permission marketing) so the waste of time, money and effort is minimized.

Finally, one observation that should be made here and now is that human nature remains a constant in the turmoil of emerging and shifting market demographics.

There’s an old advertising maxim: “Appeal to both the head and to the heart”. It’s often mentioned but I suspect that it’s not always fully understood and because it is so simple it never gets explained.
In very simple terms it has to do with the way the human brain works. Indecision stems from inner conflict.
For example the emotional side of the brain may be saying “I need a holiday” and the logical side may be saying “You can’t afford it”.
Until such time as the emotional and logical aspects are in agreement there will be no decision – no purchase.

With this in mind, it’s always important to strike a balance. Logic demands facts but emotion requires empathy - that’s why effective copy always presents the relevant content in the appropriate style.

I agree, Steve.

But I think you should err on the side of emotion. Studies show people "tune in" Big Time when you stir emotions in them. No wonder animals, children or sexy people feature prominently in ads.

We buy with our heart; we rationalise with our mind.

Paul

That’s fair comment Paul – whatever it takes to get your market interested and involved is what holds the key.
I’m a firm believer in appealing to the heart and have done so successfully even when selling tractors.
The real challenge is a hard-nosed retail account with no budget.