Little Known Advertising Copy Secrets

Want to know how to be ignored?

Be Predictable.

The Opposite is also true and we’ll learn some little known advertising copy secrets as we continue with part 8 of a 9 part series based on Roy H. Williams Advertising Oversimplified article he wrote a few months ago.

Roy says:

1. Thirty-six years ago (1983) David Ogilvy was speaking of newspaper and magazine ads when he wrote, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” Now look at your open rate. What percentage of your online budget has been spent when you’ve written your subject line?

2. If you have nothing to say, don’t let anyone convince you to say it. Boring, predictable messages make you seem smaller and duller and waste your money. Companies don’t fail due to “reaching the wrong people.” Companies fail due to saying the wrong things.

3. Predictable ads are about you, your company, your product, your service. Persuasive ads are about the customer, and the transformation your product or service will bring to your customer’s life.

4. “I, me, my, we, and our” are self-centered words.“You and your” are customer-centered words.

5. Entertainment is the only currency that will purchase the time and attention of a busy public. Are your ads entertaining?

Depending on the type of ad you are planning on running, different points of what Roy said are important.

Take the entertainment factor for instance.  A common problem I see and hear with ads that are entertaining is that they lose the advertising message.  They may win creativity awards, but did they contribute to the growth of the company or brand?  Do you really need all the glitz and glamour and expense to create an ad that is not going to help you sell your stuff?

I’ve personally worked in all types of radio formats along with print ads and online advertising and there is no one strict formula that you should follow for all your ads everywhere.   

Take for example the length of your ads.  A few years ago, I developed my secret sauce as my co-workers now call it of using shorter live ads that had just as much or more impact as the traditional full length ads that were standard.  But this secret sauce formula is not for everyone and every situation.  Contact me and we can see if it should be used in your ad campaign.  Scott@WOWO.com

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