Some Copy Tips From An Old Hand

I have been in the ad game for a long, long time. I have trained hundreds of writers, and I've been responsible for moving of millions £ & $ in product worldwide. Here are just a few tips that I hope will help you do a better job, and make a bigger name for yourself.

One.

Whatever copy job you are working on ? brochure, mailer, sales letter, press ad, website ? always include a headline. A pertinent headline. A selling headline.

This headline will be, or should be, powerful enough or intriguing enough to draw your target into the compass of the body copy. If it can do that, you are on a winner.

To put it simply, your headline should be a snapshot of your sales message ? a précis of your offer or promise. In other words, a headline that says: Buy this product and get this benefit.

Two.

Always remember, people don't buy products, they buy the benefits of owning those products. A man doesn't buy a sportscar because it is precision engineered or aesthetically designed. He buys it because of the ego-boost it gives him. It shows the world that he has made it.

Likewise, a woman doesn't by a cocktail dress by Camille of Paris simply because of the cut or the exquisite stitching. She buys it for the cachet that is attached to the label. She would probably look as good in a dress from a High Street department store, but she wouldn't feel as good. And that's the benefit.

Three.

Around 30% of all copy headlines are both useless and irrelevant. The worst of them often take the form of puns or are re-workings of current film titles or song titles. Puns are fine if they are appropriate, which they seldom are. And the writer who tries to demonstrate how cool he is by working his product message into a film or song title is usually doing a lot for the sales of movie tickets and CDs, but very little for his client.

The moral is this. State your sales proposition cleverly, wittily, stridently or emotively, but never ever employ a device simply because it's the easy thing to do. If you can't be original, at least be positive.

Four.

If it doesn't quack, it ain't a duck. And if your copy doesn't make some kind of selling proposition, it isn't advertising ? it's an announcement. So many writers these days fail to understand that copy is nothing more than salesmanship in print. They play with words for the sake of playing with words. They lose sight of the fact that they should be trying to sell something. Thus, copy must use the psychology of the salesman; and it must say, right up front: Here's what's in it for you.

Five.

Always be a little circumspect about experts who try to tell you how to write better copy. And that includes me.

Patrick Quinn is a copywriter, with 40 years' experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh.

Over the years, he has helped win for his clients just about every advertising award worth winning.

His published books include:

The Secrets of Successful Copywriting The Secrets of Successful Low Budget Advertising The Secrets of Successful Exhibitions Word Power 1-2 & 3 He also publishes AdBriefing, a free on-line newsletter. http://www.adbriefing.com

---

On Copying and Stealing Designs

The notion on the great artist, Pablo Picasso's quote, "Bad... Read More

Grammatical Mistakes DONT Sell

When you receive a sales letter with typos or grammar... Read More

Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting

Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is... Read More

11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and Why Theyre All Poor Excuses)

Think you can take the Copywriting Challenge on your own?... Read More

Cause and Effect

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause... Read More

Cleaning Up Your Copy

When you are beginning to write, you gather as much... Read More

To Start Making Cash from Your Online Writing, You Must Draw Blood First

Writers write just like painters, paint on canvas. This is... Read More

How To Find Editing Services Online

Quality is what you need. What you don't have is... Read More

Step One for Copywriters: Understand WHAT to Say

Find a passage of poorly written copy, and chances are... Read More

Want a Sticky Site That Sells? Forget Content!

An interesting debate is currently raging among copywriters, web designers... Read More

How to Start and Sustain a Career as a Freelance Writer

Have you wondered how you can make a career writing... Read More

Headlines That Pull, Persuade and Propel!

When writing direct response copy, there are a few things... Read More

Long Copy versus Short Copy

When I show some people my advertisements, I sometimes get... Read More

Memorable Sales Copy -- How to Write it

Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy?... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Web Copy

One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More

5 Critical Mistakes Most Freelance Copywriters Make

Think you have what it takes to be a freelance... Read More

Boost Your Conversion Rate In Three Steps

When I critique, edit or rewrite sales copy, I discover... Read More

Top 10 Ways For Copywriters To Overcome Writers Block

We all know that words have the power to persuade,... Read More

Kick-Start Your Juices

Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More

Real Estate Professionals Need You to Write for Them!

Ask yourself these questions:Are you an experienced writer?Do you want... Read More

The Secret to Web Copywriting Gurudom

Have you seen those copywriting gurus, working it on the... Read More

The One Word Every Prospect Craves

It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal.... Read More

Keeping It Real: The Only Copywriting Trick That Works

Much of today's accepted copywriting wisdom comes from old books... Read More

10 Things You Should Expect From Your IT Copywriter

Anyone who's ever tried marketing IT products or... Read More

Why Is FREE The Most Powerful Marketing Word You Can Use?

As the famous cowboy Will Rogers once said, "Even if... Read More

8 Reasons to Outsource Your Copywriting

Thinking of hiring a staff writer? Think again. Below, I... Read More

No-Holds-Barred Conversation with Dan Lok - Part 1

Question: If you were starting out and had no references... Read More

Why Copywriting Is The Secret To Your Online Success

Over the last decade, the number of companies selling their... Read More

7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!

Copywriting ChecklistOkay, you know you have your product (or service)... Read More

Do You Make These 5 Mistakes When Writing Sales Copy?

Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an "art." While... Read More

Copywriter Rates, Getting The Facts Beforehand

Have you ever had the experience of hiring a freelance... Read More

Online Promotion Beats Traditional Ten-One

While traditional marketing can work for the book author or... Read More

Lapsed Donors: How to Write a Fundraising Letter That Wins Them Back

Your definition may differ, but I define a lapsed donor... Read More