How to Write Ad Copy: 9 Steps

How to Write Ad Copy: 9 Steps

A great ad starts with great ad copy. Advertising, a method for selling a product or service, appears in all forms of media. Knowing how to write ad copy demonstrates how powerful words can be by capturing the attention of an audience and persuading them to do something. Advertising copywriting is a tool that persuades a targeted group that they really do need to buy something.



Steps


1. Target the customer. Ask yourself what kind of customer you want to attract. Once you have a firm picture of that customer, put yourself in his or her shoes.

• What do they want?
• What interests them?
• The words used to appeal to an upscale professional can be different than a college student. To know your customer is to be able to know what words to use in writing great ad copy.

2. Grab the interest of readers. People see hundreds of ads each day.

• Make your advertising copy stand out with a headline that captures their attention.
• Headlines should be brief, memorable and noticeable.

3. Consider the medium for your ad copy. While all types of markets need attention-getting ad copy, the focus will alter with the medium that you use.

• Television needs a strong visual appeal. What's going to catch the eye of the consumer? What can you show the audience?
• A visual focus is lost on radio listeners. Listen to how your ad sounds. Will it catch the attention of radio listeners?
• With Internet advertising, the emphasis is getting a click. If someone is browsing and you've interested them enough to click on your ad, you've succeeded in gaining their attention.

4. Begin writing with the knowledge that sometimes it takes lightning a while to strike.

• Ad writing is a process that begins with a copywriter putting a message on paper or a computer screen.

5. Focus on specific benefits.

• Customers buy items or pay for services based on the concept, "What's in it for me?"
• Make certain your copywriting shows a definite benefit to the customer.

6. Differentiate your business from the competition. Write advertising copy that shows that your product or service offers something the competition doesn't.

• Perhaps it's more personal service?
• Cheaper prices? Convenience? Fun?

7. Tell customers what action you want them to take.

• It's not enough to tell them about the latest electronic gizmo, you also have to direct them to call right away or come on down.
• Make the phone number, Internet address or physical address easy to find.

8. Take a breather. That's right, let the words sit and walk away for a little while.

• When you return to your copywriting, look at it with a fresh eye.

9. Make your advertising copy stronger when you look at it again.

• Rewrite it with fewer words, known as cutting out the dead wood.
• No one is going to take the time to read a paragraph in an ad, so make it brief, but with strong and descriptive words.
• Forget grammatically correct sentences; it's okay to use fragments as long as the message is catchy and clear.

Tips

• Study successful advertising to discover what makes it successful.

Warnings

• Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but that doesn't mean you should copy someone else's advertising. Be original!