“Genius is the art of taking pains.” – This strategy helps ensure the success of your copies! [Tuesdays: “Write with the Pen of the Masters”]
No lazy man’s field.
This is how “Scientific Advertising” author Claude Hopkins described the field of advertising.
An ad may seem simple at first glance but behind it lies weeks, if not months, of hard work that involves volumes of data and research. The final output only looks simple, snappy, and concise because that’s how it should appeal to people.
Why do you need to pour a huge amount of time and effort into creating your ad?
The answer is simple: The information you present in your copies or content is important.
The saying, “Knowledge is power,” is especially true in the case of advertising. You can’t just make an ad without knowing as much details about your subject as you can and need.
Let’s talk about Hopkins’ 6 main tips about gathering information that will boost your copy’s effectiveness and help you reach—even go beyond—your target sales:
- Full information is important.
There are a variety of ways to gather information―reading books, articles, and journals, conducting interviews, mailing questionnaires, sending letters to experts, etc.
Whatever method you choose, it is important that you go beyond the details that you think you need to avoid missing out on that specific point that will make your copy more compelling.
As Hopkins emphasized,
“Perhaps in many volumes, he [advertising man] will find few facts to use. But some one fact may be the keystone of success.”
- Confirm the validity and truthfulness of your information.
A huge amount of information is pointless if it is false or invalid. This is why advertising agencies employ experts to prove or disprove any doubtful claim.
If proven to be true, a claim could be a big factor in your marketing success… but if the information you present in your copy is false, it will prevent you from gaining the trust of your target audience.
Besides, who will avail of your products or services if your brand makes false claims?
No one.
- Know your target market.
Being able to appeal to your target audience has a lot to do with knowing who they are.
What social class do they belong to?
What is their purchasing power?
What are their pain points, demands, or preferences that you think your product or service can address?
Knowing the answers to questions such as these will help you maximize the reach of your copies, create interesting and compelling content, and establish good relationships with your target market.
- Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
We’re not saying you should force yourself to befriend your competitors. What we’re saying is it’s helpful to know what they are doing.
Ask yourself,
“What are the things that they’re doing differently that appeal to their target market?”
Knowing such information will help you come up with new ideas that will strengthen your brand’s reputation and increase your customer base.
Aside from Hopkins, long-time copywriter Joanna Wiebe shares this same idea.
She said that in the copywriting industry, you should learn to analyze different newsletters and categorize them as your “favorites,” “least favorites,” and “competitors.” This will arm you with competitive intelligence and enable you to spark ideas for your own copies.
You may also use this technique to start introducing your content across different platforms, from digital marketing through social media and emails to offline platforms like billboard and print ads!
- Learn what your total expenses will be in promoting your brand’s product or service.
As you plan how you’ll advertise your product or service through your copies, it is important to know about the total expenditure of your marketing collateral. This will enable you to work smartly and efficiently to maximize your brand’s reach.
You must also know where a large percentage of your readers or customers reside. For example, if your product appeals more to those residing in the city, then that means you can spend less on advertising in rural areas.
- Make exact impressive claims.
Hopkins’ last point about gathering information for your copies is to make “exact impressive claims.”
This means improving your brand’s existing claims by integrating actual numerical figures. The figures are often derived from experiments, studies, or researches made using your product or service.
Take a look at these statements below:
“Drink A has a large food value.”
“Drink A has a food value of 425 calories per pint.”
“One pint of Drink A is equivalent to six eggs in calories of nutriment.”
Out of these three, which one sounds most appealing to you?
We bet you’d choose the third one!
Why?
The first statement is too vague. Meanwhile, the second statement isn’t as interesting or visually appealing to the mind.
On the other hand, the third statement provided an exact AND impressive claim by offering the readers a visual representation of those 425 calories. The readers aren’t left to wonder what exactly that specific amount of calories entails.
According to Hopkins, there is a great deal of work that goes into advertising and copywriting… and it starts with gathering the information you need about your brand’s offerings, target audience, and even competitors.
Arm yourself with all the necessary details to maximize your brand’s reach, potential, and sales!
While reading hundreds of studies, conducting lots of interviews, and sending letters to a number of different experts may sound a bit gruesome, doing these things will improve your skills and benefit your brand in the long run.
As Hopkins himself said,
“Genius is the art of taking pains”.
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
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