Before I Start Writing Your
Copywriting Assignment
Business - to - consumer
copy persuades readers, by giving them useful information about
the products being advertised. The more facts are included in your
copy, the better. When I have a file full of facts at my
fingertips, writing good copy is easy.
By simply selecting the most relevant facts and describing them in
a clear and concise fashion, I can maximize the impact... and
deliver the desired action.
Here’s a four-step
procedure I use to get the information I need to write persuasive,
fact-filled copy for my clients. The following technique should be
helpful to you, my clients. In particular to marketing managers,
account executives, and ad managers alike.
Step #1: Get all
previously published material on the product.
For an existing product, there are heaps of literature you can
send to me as background information. This material includes:
- Tear-sheets of previous ads
- Brochures
- Catalogs
- Article reprints
- Technical papers
- Copies of speeches
- Audio-visual scripts
- Press kits
- Swipe files of competitors’
ads and literature
Don't think you can’t send
me printed material, because your product is new?
The birth of every new product is accompanied by mounds of
paperwork you can give me. These papers may include:
- Internal memos
- Letters of technical information
- Product specifications
- Business and marketing plans
- Reports
- Proposals
By studying this material, I
should have 80 percent of the information I need
to write the copy. I will find the other 20 percent by picking up
the phone and asking questions. Steps #2-4 outline the questions I
will ask about the product, the audience, and the objective of
the copy.
Step #2: Ask questions about
the product:
- What are its features and
benefits? (Make a complete list.)
- Which benefit is the most
important?
- How is the product different
from the competition’s? (Any exclusive features? Which are
better than the competition’s?)
- If the product isn’t
different, what attributes can be highlighted that haven’t
been published by the competition?
- What are the applications of the
product?
- What consumer groups can use the
product?
- What problems does the product
solve in the marketplace?
- How is the product positioned in
the marketplace?
- How does the product work?
- How reliable is the product?
- How efficient?
- How economical?
- Who has bought the product and
what do they say about it?
- What materials, sizes and models
is it available in?
- How quickly does the
manufacturer/seller deliver the product?
- What service and support does
the manufacturer/seller offer?
- Is the product guaranteed?
Step #3: Ask questions about
your audience.
- Who will buy the product? (What
markets is it sold to?)
- What is the customer’s main
concern? (Price, delivery, performance, reliability, quality,
efficiency)
- What is the character of the
buyer?
- What motivates the buyer?
- How many different buying
influences must the copy appeal to?
Step #4: Determine the
objective of your copy.
This objective may be one or more of the following:
- To generate inquiries
- To generate sales
- To answer inquiries
- To qualify prospects
- To propagate product information
- To build brand recognition and
customer preference
- To build company image
Before I write your copy, I study
the product - its features, benefits, past performance,
applications, and markets. Digging for the facts will pay off,
because in advertising, specifics sell.
|
