How to write Ad Copy

How to write ad copy that sells? 6 rules to writing ad copy that you must follow.

Writing Ad Copy Rule 1. Be direct

Get right to the point. Eliminate any unnecessary words. The longer the drum roll, the more likely you will lose the reader.

Writing Ad Copy Rule 2. Use the lead argument to kick off your ad

Give strong impact to the first paragraph of the ad copy. Offer some kind of benefit.

Writing Ad Copy Rule 3. Be straightforward

As Alfred Politz notes, ‘Efficiency in advertising seems to depend on the use of simple language – simple, direct presentation of sales arguments – and the avoidance of tricky attention-getting devices unrelated to the product itself.’

Writing Ad Copy Rule 4. Speak directly to your audience

Do not write as if you are communicating with an object. Always strive to make your writing more personal:

• Speak directly to your readers, addressing them as ‘you’
• Use personal phrases, direct questions, requests of readers, exclamations, imperative sentences, unfinished sentences, as if you were in a conversation with the reader
• Tell a story about using your product – here’s where testimonials are of tremendous value. A human account of the usefulness of your product is one of the most powerful ways to create credibility
• Use personalized language – first names, personal pronouns, personal words like dad and mom

People are more interested in fellow men and women than they are in objects or ideas!

5. Use the present tense

Use the present tense, and avoid the use of the infinitive. Convey a sense of presence, and how your ad delivers on your promise

6. Use logic and emotion

Excellent example from Dupont. Instead of just saying ‘Our products make your teeth whiter’, add ‘See how much the ladies like your smile when you use our toothpaste.

How to Write Effective Ad Copy

How to write Ad Copy? As Leo Burnett noted, ‘Don’t print anything addressed to a mass audience which you couldn’t clearly explain to a bright 16-year-old child. Great advertising writing, either in print or TV, is always deceptively and disarmingly simple. It has the common touch without being or sounding patronizing.’

Excerpted from Dupont’s excellent book on advertising.

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