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I’m really starting to like Sally Bagshaw.
She has a knack for writing about writing in a way that’s fun and helpful.
Here’s Sally’s latest contribution to Pro Copy Tips for those of you who want to polish your product descriptions.
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Writing product descriptions can be fun. It can also be mind numbingly boring, especially when you have a heap to do.
Products that are generic, or can be used by anyone, tend to be the most difficult to describe.
How do you tailor a message that speaks equally to a teenager, a stay-at-home mother and a granny?
How to write for public sector clients (without going crazy)
Many people think the government does all their own work. Surprise! They actually hire subcontractors to do most things.
And yes, they need help with copywriting.
This isn’t an area I know much about, but Arvid Westfelt does. So here are his sanity-saving tips for working with public sector clients.
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Writing for the public sector can be lucrative. Public procurement accounts for a whopping 10 percent (or more) of a country’s economy — and some of that money is used to pay copywriters like you and me.
But public sector clients can be hard to work with. In fact, their seemingly odd and irrational behavior can drive you crazy. Here are a few tips for working with them while staying sane.
Be patient. Your writing assignment is often the last stop in a project that has taken your client months, or even years, to complete. They will show little understanding if you demand immediate feedback on your first draft. So be patient and don’t let their super-slow work rate frustrate you.
10 secrets for writing “open me” envelope teaser copy
Write envelope teaser copy? You mean copywriters have to actually write copy for envelopes?
Yes. I know many writers think the envelope is just a container for the earth-shattering letter they’ve written, but the envelope is arguably the most important element in any direct mail package.
Why? Because that’s the first thing people see when they open their mailbox. It’s the copy and appearance of the envelope that determines whether the envelope gets opened or trashed.
In case you missed it, here’s a refresher on the brutal reality of direct mail.
A big chunk of my work is writing direct mail, so I’ve had many years to think about the lowly envelope and the teaser copy that gets printed on it. Here are a few tips.
Yogi Berra’s quirky tips on copywriting
Back in 2007, I wrote a quick little article for Copyblogger about Yogi Berra. It was so successful, Brian Clark asked me to send more articles. I’ve been writing guest posts ever since.
But I figured my readers here would like to see this piece … that and I just don’t have time to write something new today.
Anyway, here it is. If you enjoy it, tweet it.
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Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra is a fifteen-time All Star and three-time MVP. He played in 14 World Series games. But what is he famous for? Mixed up quotes.
Someone once asked him what he would do if he found a million dollars. Yogi said, “I’d find the fellow who lost it, and, if he was poor, I’d return it.”
When discussing a Steve McQueen movie, Yogi observed, “He must have made that before he died.”
Commenting on a pair of gloves, he said, “The only reason I need these gloves is ’cause of my hands.”
On the surface, Yogi seems confused. But perhaps he is trying to convey a deeper meaning for those who care to consider his words carefully. In fact, I think Yogi can teach us about the art of copywriting.
Magalog? What the heck is a magalog?
Ask a roomful of copywriters to describe a brochure, sales letter, or web page, and most will give you a pretty good definition.
But ask about a magalog, and you’ll get a lot of blank stares.
In my Direct Marketing Glossary, I provide a simple definition:
Magalog — Direct mail sales format that looks like a magazine or catalog.
That’s accurate, but maybe not as helpful as it could be if you’re a copywriter and your boss or client asks you to write one.
So let’s take a look at an actual magalog sample and see if we can get a better idea about what it is. When you click that link, you’ll open a PDF in a separate window. Note: The order form and a few photos are missing because I couldn’t get a final sample. But you’ll get the idea.
Copywriting Revisions Gone Wild! Why it happens and how to handle it
It’s happened to all of us.
You take on what seems to be a normal copywriting project. You plan to do your research, write the copy, polish it, then submit it for review.
You figure the most you’ll get is a few minor changes. And at first, that seems to be the way things play out.
Then the project takes a nasty turn.
Your copy deck comes back bleeding red ink. You make the revisions, submit it again, and it comes back still bloody.
And it happens again, and again, and again. Sometimes you get a lot of changes. Sometimes it’s just one or two. But you start to feel like you’ll never stop revising.
What’s going on? And what can you do about it?
7 clever copywriting tricks to captivate your readers
I studied magic when I was young. Mostly closeup magic, such as card tricks and slights of hand.
One thing I learned quickly. The magic only works if you can captivate your audience. You must grab and hold their attention from start to finish.
So it is with copywriting.
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of tricks of the trade to grab and hold your audience. But here are seven for which I have a special fondness.
How to sell by not selling: the secret of the cedar plank
Fine restaurants in the Pacific Northwest had been serving cedar plank salmon for years. But Harry Aldrich and David Maddocks wanted to sell a home version.
Their idea was simple. They would manufacture a 6″ x 12″ piece of cedar wood. You put your salmon on the wood plank and put the wood plank into your home barbecue. Voilà! Cedar plank salmon.
Aldrich made an appointment with the seafood buyer for the Fred Meyer stores in Portland, Oregon. On the morning of his appointment, he bought a filet of salmon from the local Fred Meyer, went home, and cooked it on one of his cedar planks. Then he wrapped it in foil and rushed off to his meeting.
When he arrived, he didn’t bother with the usual sales patter. He simply placed the salmon on the buyer’s desk and handed him a fork. “I’m here to help you sell more salmon,” Aldrich said.
The buyer took a bite. “WOW! Where did you get this fish? It’s wonderful!” When Aldrich told him he bought the fish that very morning in a Fred Meyer store, the buyer couldn’t believe it.
Aldrich sat back and smiled as the buyer called other staff members to taste the fish. The reaction was unanimous. It tasted divine. Aldrich provided some facts and benefits, but the buyer was sold with the first taste.
Within a week, Harry Aldrich and David Maddocks had lucrative orders from more than 100 Fred Meyer stores. And they sold truckloads of those little cedar planks.
So what’s the lesson here?
Use command language to get the response you want!
When you write direct response copy, your goal is to provoke a response. That’s why it’s called direct response copy.
To do this you can’t be subtle or wishy-washy. You must tell people what to do.
This is what I call “command language.” Or in grammar class terms, you must use the imperative mood. The word “imperative” comes from the Latin imperare, meaning to command.
Why must you tell people what to do? Simple. Experience (and basic psychology) show that people are more likely to do something if you prompt them.
Is this considered rude? Some people think so. They are wrong.
The Elements of Style: the ad writer’s best friend
The best book ever written on the art of effective writing is The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White.
There is much good advice in this classic text, especially in the last 20 pages, titled “An Approach to Style.” Nowhere have I seen more helpful advice in so few words with such precision. This is why I always keep this book within reach.
I will leave it to you to explore this book on your own. But I would like to provide my own version of select advice from this essential reference. This applies to all writing, of course, but it is particularly important for advertising copy.
