By Chantal India, on 5 May 2023
In advertising, it's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but this is not entirely true. Writing effective advertising copy is crucial in order to get your brand's message across, define the benefits of your products or services, and convince people to make a purchase. Let's take a look at what effective advertising copy consists of and what resources you can use to write it.
What Is Advertising Copy?
Advertising copy aims to convince the reader to perform a certain action. The clearest example is encouraging the reader to buy, but the action can also be to download an app, fill out a form, etc.
In general, advertising copy is usually accompanied by images or video and employs a series of literary devices to attract the reader's attention and convince them to perform an action.
Characteristics of Good Advertising Copy
Originality. Advertising copy should capture the reader's attention and be memorable. It usually tries to surprise the reader and stand out among other similar messages.
Clarity. Advertising copy should convey an unequivocal message about the brand. There is usually little space to do this so the ability to synthesize is essential.
Coherence. Advertising copy is part of the brand's ecosystem. It must be coherent with other elements of the brand.
- Education: Advertising copy should educate consumers on how your product or service can improve the quality of your users' lives.
- Trueth: Advertising copy must be true. Don't make any sketchy false claims!
Types of Advertising Copy
Argumentative. Argumentative advertising copy presents a series of rational arguments to convince the reader to carry out a certain action. For example, if the desired action is the purchase of a product, this text will explain its usefulness, its characteristics, why it is different from other similar products made by the competition, etc.
Narrative. Advertising copy can have a more emotional aspect that seeks to present the brand through a story. This is known in advertising as storytelling. You can use human interest stories or humor to engage your audience and build awareness and enthusiasm for your brand
7 Tips for Writing Good Advertising Copy
Know your buyer persona. Advertising copy should always be written with a specific person in mind, and be aligned with their values, desires, and needs. Therefore, the first step is to be very clear about who you are targeting.
Define your objective. The mission of all advertising copy is to get the target audience to take action. Before writing a single line, you must determine what action you are looking for.
Define the channels well. A text for a press advertisement is not the same as a script for an online video or a landing page. Sometimes, you will have to write a basic text and then adapt it to different formats, taking into account their varying characteristics.
Brainstorm ideas. When it comes to creativity, it is sometimes said that you should discard the first ten ideas that come to mind because they are not original. Without going to extremes, the truth is that it is better to let your imagination run free for a while and then filter and discard. This way, brainstorming can be a great start to the writing process.
Come up with a great headline. The headline is the first thing that the reader or viewer will see so make sure it stands out and gets your message across. If your ad will exist online, use keywords that users enter when searching for the product or service you offer. This way, you're more likely to be found online by your target audience.
A/B testing. You can use A/B testing to try out different messages that you think could resonate with your audience. Doing this will help you see which ad copy connects best with your public.
Check, check, check. The final advertising copy has to be impeccable, clearly transmit your message, generate the desired impact, and, of course, not contain any typos. The best thing to do is to make several edits, leaving a little time between each one. Also share it with your colleagues so they can take a look with fresh eyes.
Having a good grasp of what advertising copy is and how to write it well will help you reach new customers and continue to grow your business. We hope these tips will help you do that!
