Writing Highly Persuasive Ad Copy

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:11:36 EST

The ‘trick' to a persuasive article is easy. Solve a problem. Have one or more ways of giving the reader a solution to some problem(s) theyhave. And start with the headline, telling the reader how they will benefitfrom your answers.

The classic call is to create desire. The ‘HOW' to do this is where ad copywriting becomes split into religious like wars. Regardless of the method, youneed desire. It could be...

Something Gained, or The Fear of Losing Something.

Think of how burglar alarms are sold. They use the fear of losing somethingthe person already has to create a desire. While this is not as common of anapproach, it is often more compelling emotionally to appeal to the fear of lossthan the desire of gain.

When going for the more common building a ‘desire for gain', be specific onwhat the reader will be gaining. Leave no doubt in their mind. While it mayseem confusing at first, sometimes loss is a gain. Consider the topic of losingweight. The loss of weight actually has several gains for the reader. Improvedself-esteem, better health are examples of how a ‘loss' is actually a gain.

Some copy writers use what is known as the ‘long form', with the idea thatmore data will convert more. This is a segment of copy writing that worksdepending on the mood of the public. When someone ‘lands' on a ‘page' (be it awebsite or any other form of marketing) anything the person does not seeimmediately is called "below the fold". Anything that is below the foldis far less likely to be received by your audience. Therefore, makesure your most pertinent and persuasive copy is "above the fold" where it canreadily be seen at first glance.

Traditional copy writing advice suggests that you should create as much copyas space allows. Of course, with the Internet we don't have the 'space'limitations that print media have. Just be careful it's easy to read and notover crowded which will cause your audience to have difficulty focusing on thedesired end result.

Consider your demographics. Younger people today more naturally multi-taskthen older folks. This means creating a persuasive piece has to be hard-hittingin capturing attention. The ‘Internet' generation has a much shorter attentionspan. This means you must keep the interest, and go for a ‘call for action' inless time than previously seen in copy writing.

No matter how you go about the task, you must write a short headline thatgets immediate attention, show benefit(s), and have a call for action at themost visible point of your marketing piece.

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Writing Highly Persuasive Ad Copy