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Moonsail Limited
Making Words Work For You |
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When 'less' is definitely 'more'.
Have you ever come across that oft-quoted advertising statistic? Approximately 5 times as many people read the headline of an advert as read the body copy. Which means the headline actually accounts for over 80% of your advertising spend.
A strong headline is more crucial in advertising than in editorial work because generally people will still bother to read a news article even if it has a weak headline; with an advert, they won’t!
So it’s important to grab the reader’s attention straightaway and the best way to do this is to either stress a benefit (‘washes whiter than the rest’) or create a sense of intrigue that entices the reader to continue reading (‘why do our customers love doing business with us?’).
Moving on to the body of the text, always keep in mind the need to be concise. Forget about using long words and complex phrases to show off your English skills – instead be short, sharp and to the point. Keep it simple.
Stick to these guidelines and you shouldn’t go too far wrong, but just to be sure, run your finished advert through the following checklist:
- Is your advert aimed at the right audience?
- Does your copy create desire?
- Does it illustrate the value of the product or service?
- Does it establish confidence?
- Is it easy for the reader to take action?
- Do you give prospects a reason to act at once?
Oh, that’s another thing – bullet pointed lists usually work well in adverts too. If you need any help writing your next advertisement please feel free to get in touch.
Hugh McClelland
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