Dynamic Marketing Communiqué

Desire, Belief, Connection: Here’s what you need to know about writing copies that sell! [Tuesdays: “Write with the Pen of the Masters”]

January 19, 2021

We know how it feels to have high expectations about a certain product.

We also know how it feels to have those expectations shattered when the product we bought doesn’t work as advertised.

In a world where different brands and businesses are competing for ad space and sales, how can you, a content writer or copywriter, create ads that truthfully inform and effectively sell?

Let’s see what this legendary copywriter says about good and effective advertising.

Leo Burnett is an American advertising executive and the founder of advertising agency Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

He is responsible for some of the most well-known advertising campaigns in the 20th century such as:

  • Tony The Tiger
  • The Marlboro Man
  • Maytag Repairman
  • United’s “Fly The Friendly Skies”
  • Allstate’s “Good Hands”

Here’s what Burnett says about good advertising:

“Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief.”

For Burnett, this means you’re not just putting information in your ads for the sake of having information.

If you want your target market to believe and desire your product, you have to use FACTUAL information.

Why?

It’s because your advertisement should serve as a “preview” of what they can actually experience after making a purchase.

Imagine this: If you’re the customer who bought a product because of an ad, and the product doesn’t work as advertised, how would you feel?

You’d probably feel disappointed, right? You might even feel like you were tricked.

On the other hand, if you’re the copywriter of that false ad, you can get sued for using misleading information!

One of the things you can do to prevent this scenario from happening is to ensure your copies have a conviction value.

(Conviction Value = Your claims are backed up by convincing statements or evidence.)

One of your goals in writing copy is to remove any doubts and objections in your readers’ minds so that they’ll consider choosing your product or service.

To achieve that goal, you have to assure them that your brand is trustworthy… and they should be convinced and satisfied.

Don’t add or subtract anything to your product’s features and benefits, just include in your content or copy what is true and necessary.

You can also add a few client testimonials and reviews. Since it’s easier for customers to believe their fellow customers, doing so will make it easier for them to trust you and your brand.

Another thing to take note of: It’s okay to acknowledge the limitations of your product. Even other products from different brands have limitations too!

Even if you don’t disclose these limitations, customers will eventually see those as they use your product. When this happens, they’re likely to lose trust in your product and no amount of great advertising will work.

One more aspect to look out for in your copies is exaggeration.

Check for any exaggerations in explaining the qualities of your product. One of the mistakes you can commit is to hype your product so much just so you can appeal to your target market.

However, you shouldn’t settle for less in your copies either. Don’t downplay your product just to lower people’s expectations so you could easily surpass those expectations.

Just balance the tone of your content. Always go for catchy, engaging, conversational, and at the same time, informative sentences.

Here are a few more tips to help you write good and effective copies:

  1. Be relatable.

    One of the characteristics of good copy is that it’s relatable to its readers. It may present something that:

    • A reader finds interesting or intriguing

    • Contains solutions or other valuable information that a reader needs to address his or her problems

    • Demonstrates a real-life situation, which can help establish an emotional connection with a reader

    Use your copies to show how your brand fits your target market! Entice them enough that even if they don’t buy your product, they will still be curious about your offer.

  2. Be accessible.

    Don’t go through all the hard work of capturing your target market’s attention and then not tell them how they can connect with you.

    For a consumer, it can be frustrating to be fully sold on a product but have no means to get in touch with that brand or business.

    Avoid this by always including contact information in your copies.

    Take note that consumers have different preferences in connecting with businesses, so include as many contact details as possible―complete address, telephone number, mobile number, web address, and social media accounts.

    You can even make it easier for your target market by adding a QR code in your copies. After all, creating and scanning a QR code nowadays is not too hard because of smartphones, so take advantage of these technological improvements!

  3. Be simple and familiar.

    Different types of content call for different types of writing styles.

    For example, if you’re writing a novel, it’s acceptable to write long blocks of text. If you’re writing a poem, your sentences or phrases are shorter than usual.

    In copywriting, concise and simple sentences are the way to go. You should also use familiar words so that your message is easier to understand.

    Remember: When writing advertisement copies, one of your goals is to convince your target market to choose your brand or product.

    If your words and sentences are too complex for them to understand, how will you connect with them?

    Set aside those jargons or other technical words for the meantime. Keep in mind that good and effective copy is the one that is easy to understand.

Your copies should be prepared in a manner that leaves a lasting impression on your target market. They should not just read it, but understand and believe the message written on it.

According to William J. Stanton, author of the book titled, “Fundamentals of Marketing,” an advertisement copy is the “heart of advertising” and should be drafted with utmost care.

It should be properly worked on and cover every detail about a product. Otherwise, all your money and efforts invested in carrying out your advertisement will be wasted.

Take note of these tips the next time you write advertisement copies!

Remember what Leo Burnett said about a good advertisement: It should penetrate the public minds with desires and belief.

About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Tuesdays: Write with the Pen of the Masters”

Who doesn’t find content writing to be a skill that requires a lot of practice and effort?

In fact, many people may even find copywriting very intimidating.

However, you can be a good writer as long as you have the right tools. You won’t always get things right the first time, but with enough time and practice, you’ll get the hang of it!

When you write a copy for any brand or for your company, your aim is to make an impact and…

…to get people to remember.

Getting people to remember means getting consumers to buy your product or to avail of your service.

And when you get your content to deliver the results you want, THAT is a great copy!

Every Tuesday, we publish content based on tips and insights from the masters of content writing, copywriting, and storytelling.

Become more familiar with ways to write great copy that helps you gain ROI from your efforts, drive profitability, and achieve your business goals.

Learn time-tested tactics that better capture the attention of your target audience, and maximize the benefits of great copywriting.

Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”

Cheers,

Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by Valens Research
www.valens-research.com

View All

You don’t have access to the Valens Research Premium Application.

To get access to our best content including the highly regarded Conviction Long List and Market Phase Cycle macro newsletter, please contact our Client Relations Team at 630-841-0683 or email client.relations@valens-research.com.

Please fill out the fields below so that our client relations team can contact you

Or contact our Client Relationship Team at 630-841-0683