18men35e U2

Unit II: Copy writing
Copywriting is the act, or occupation of writing text for the purpose of

advertising or other forms of marketing.
The product, called copy, is written content that aims to increase brand
awareness and ultimately persuade a person or group to take a particular
action.
Copywriters help create billboards, brochures, catalogs, jingle lyrics,
magazine and newspaper advertisements, sales letters and other direct
mail, scripts for television or radio commercials, taglines, white papers,
social media posts, and other marketing communications.
Advertising agencies usually hire copywriters as part of a creative team
in which they are partnered with art directors or creative directors.
Contd.,
 The
copywriter writes a copy or script for an advertisement,
based largely on information obtained from a client.
 The
art director is responsible for visual aspects of the
advertisement and, particularly in the case of print work,
may oversee production
 Copywriting agencies combine copywriting with a range
of editorial and associated services that may include
positioning and messaging consulting, social media, search
engine optimization, developmental editing, copy editing,
proofreading, fact checking, layout and design.
Contd.,
 Copywriters also work in-house for retail chains, book publishers
or other big firms which advertise frequently.
 They can also be employed to write advertorials for
newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and cable providers.
 Copywriters are similar to technical writers and the careers may
overlap
 For example, a copywriter writes an advertisement to sell a car,
while a technical writer writes the operator's manual explaining
how to use it.
1. How to write advertisements?
In order to create a good print advertisement, you

should take the following steps:
 write awell targeted headline
 design your advert clearly
 write compelling advertising text – known as copy
Writing an advertising headline
 A compelling headline is vital
 A good headline should catch the reader's attention and
make them want to read on.
 It might ask a question or inspire curiosity.
 It may refer to a specific problem, eg a bed manufacturer
could ask: "Had another bad night's sleep?" Or it may
appear to offer the solution to a problem, eg "Ever wanted
to know the secret of a good night's sleep?"
Contd.,
 Don't overplay the actual message - people will feel let

down if they read on and their expectations are not fulfilled.
 A headline will encourage people to read on if it offers a
clear benefit - such as "never have a bad night's sleep
again".
 It could also be used to create a fear of missing out in the
reader's mind, eg "last few remaining".
Designing a Print Advert
 Use a clear design to convey your message.
 The way an advertisement looks plays a big part in attracting and
retaining the reader's interest.
 Avoid small or complicated typefaces that are difficult to read.
 And don't mix too many typefaces in one advertisement - use
one or two at most.
 Don't clutter the layout - keep plenty of white space in the
advertisement - avoid the temptation to say too much.
 If your product or service needs more explaining - refer readers to
your website or other easily accessible material.
 Ensure your contact details are clearly positioned.
Writing Advertising Copy
 Use convincing copy to persuade your audience.
 The amount of text you include depends on the purpose and size of the
advertisement.
 Businesses that want to advertise a sale might have a very limited amount of
text accompanied by a headline and a picture of some of the items on offer.
 Consider the print quality of the newspaper or magazine - a small advert in a
poor quality publication will be hard to read.
 If you're writing a lot of text, it should follow on logically from the headline,
build a convincing case and prompt a response from the reader.
 Back up any claims with facts.
 Magazine readers generally tend to dwell on the contents for longer than
newspaper readers, so tailor the length of your copy accordingly.
Contd.,
 Good copy draws attention to the benefits of the product or
service rather than focusing solely on the features.
 You should always write your advertisements with the
reader/viewer - your potential customer - in mind.
 The advert must be tailored to the type of print media and
the potential reader's interests and habits.
 Likewise, you might write a shorter advert for a more general
newspaper - where the reader's interest may be less easily
sustained.
 Remember that businesses have a duty to ensure their
advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful.
Prewriting
 Pre-writing is the key to making your writing go faster and be more
focused. It makes your writing go faster.
 Whereas a project may start with many options, pre-work eliminates

rabbit trails, helps you organize your raw material, and lets you sort out
your ideas.
 Decisions you make in this phase give you a sense of direction allowing
you to get from Point A (a project that needs to be written) to Point B (a
completed project) in the shortest route possible.
 It helps your writing be more focused.
 Just because you’re not “officially” putting down words for your actual
piece, the time spent in this preliminary phase is wisely invested.
Contd.,
 Pre-writing lets you avoid one of the stumbling blocks to clear writing:
muddy messaging.
 Writers develop their own formulas to follow before they write a piece.
 Identify your goal
 Determine the one thing you want your piece to accomplish.
 Perhaps you want the reader to change the way she looks at a topic or
become informed about a cause.
 Record one overarching goal you want your piece to accomplish.
 You can have secondary goals, especially when you’re writing a larger
project like a business plan or a website, but make sure you identify your
top priority so you can focus on it.
Direct Mail
 A direct mail is a physical letter of promotion in the form of brochures
 Direct mails are sent using the postal service or the courier service.
 Distribution of hand bills can also be considered as a part of direct mail.
 Advertising through the mail is a useful marketing tactic for businesses selling goods or
services or nonprofits raising money.
 Direct mail is the strategy of using the postal system to directly reach prospects with a
marketing message.
 Writing effective direct mail copy takes practice and technique.
 As the industry has matured, several direct mailing strategies have proved to lead to
better results.
 Copywriting a direct mail is very important as it has to convince a potential customer
after having competed with similar mails.
 Effective direct mail copy follows established and tested rules and strategies.
Before Writing Your Letter
 Define the need.
 Consider the recipients' desires that you hope to satisfy with your
product or nonprofit.
 Highlight how buying or donating as you suggest will make the
person's life better.
 Focus on benefits, not features.
 Features tell the specifics of the product or organization, such as
"180 horsepower" or "we support a multidisciplinary approach to
homelessness."
 Benefits show how the person reading the letter -- or the world at
large -- will be better off if the recipient heeds your call to action.
Contd.,
 Examples of benefits include "cuts your workload in half" and "we
strengthen our community by making sure families don't go hungry."
 People are more likely to take action when you focus on benefits.
 Outline your offer.
 Decide what you will be asking readers to do.
 If you are selling a product, define the special deal you are offering
consumers.
 If you are asking for a donation, figure out how much you would like
the recipient to give and what gifts or recognition they will receive in
return for their support.
While Writing Your Letter
 Write to a "typical prospect."
 Recipients respond better to letters that are written in
an easy and conversational tone, as you might write
to a friend.
 Envision your typical prospect. Outline what the
average person on your mailing list looks like.
 Youraverage prospect could be a senior citizen living
in your community, a young professional in a major
metropolitan area or anything in between.
Contd.,
 Write for scanners and readers.
 Most people will scan your letter before deciding whether to
read the whole thing.
 Persuade them to read by using powerful headings,
subheadings, captions and bold and italicized words that
convey your message clearly and make them want to read.
 Include more information in the narrative of the letter so
when they do decide to read it through, they will find
substantive information and compelling stories and
testimonials.
Contd.,
 Use the word "you."
 Readers like to read letters that talk directly to and about them as
opposed to letters that talk mostly about the company or
organization that sent it.
 Rather than saying, "Our flashlights are the best because they are the
most powerful," say, "You will never find a more powerful flashlight for
your home or car."
 Include a clear call to action. People don't make purchases or
donations unless they are asked.
 A strong call to action tells the reader what you want her to do and
then asks her to do it.
 Include information on how to perform the requested action, such as
where to send the check or how to choose between a number of
options.
Contd.,
One of the best practice of writing a direct mail includes:

Create a "swipe file" of good ideas for your direct mail letters
by saving effective direct mail pieces that you come across in
your business and personal mail.
Use emotionally compelling examples and stories to

increase your response rate.

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Unit II: Copy writing

Copywriting is the act, or occupation of writing text for the purpose of

In order to create a good print advertisement, you

 Don't overplay the actual message - people will feel let

 Whereas a project may start with many options, pre-work eliminates

 It helps your writing be more focused.

One of the best practice of writing a direct mail includes:

Use emotionally compelling examples and stories to

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