Writing Potent Copy

I borrowed this post’s title from David Ogilvy, arguably the most famous advertising professional. Many professional people who are not in the advertising profession have heard of him, and as a testament to his ability to promote, a lot of these people would find it difficult to come up with another name associated with advertising (I can’t, off the top of my head).

Ogilvy was a great believer in research and in using the knowledge gained from   research to develop successful advertisements. To him, advertising had only one purpose – to get people to buy the product. He claims to have little patience for ‘artistry’, ‘creativity’, ‘novelty’, all of which he considers an exercise in self-amusement by the advertiser at the expense (financially and otherwise) of their client. Sales was of paramount importance.

In the chapter ‘How to Write Potent Copy’ from his book, ‘Confessions of an Advertising Man’, he gives some advice about how to make your copy more memorable. I’ve picked out below some of the most reusable ideas.

The Headline

Advertisements without a headline is an absolute no-no. He calls it ‘the wickedest of all sins’. The reason? Most people read only the headline. If you don’t have one, you automatically give up your chance of hooking your readers. The headline is your tool for grabbing hold of your reader they scan the pages.

Know who it is you are writing for (which is never EVERYONE; it is always a subset of the readership), and use the words that address what they are looking for. His example: if you are selling a product for people with bladder weakness problems, use ‘BLADDER WEAKNESS’ in your headline.

But be careful not to exclude a good number of the people who are not your target. If your product is targeted for senior people with bladder weakness, don’t write headlines addressed to females only. Why risk alienating male readers with bladder weakness?

Always include the brand name in the headline, because most people read only the headline. If that’s all they will read, make sure the product name makes it way into their head. How many times have I seen witty slogans like the one from a moving company: ‘You will be moved by our service’. I remember the slogan, but do not know what their company name is.

The headline should invite the reader to read the body of the advertisement. Make them curious. Make them want to read on. But since you do not have any assurance you’ll succeed in pulling the reader in, make sure the headline stands on its own. It must make sense even without reading the body of the advertisement.

The Body

His advice with regard to the body of the advertisement is simpler less wide ranging. First, be specific and be factual. Avoid superlatives, generalisations, platitudes. Especially in these times when people are swamped in information. Just tell the truth, but make it fascinating (his words).

Testimonials are your best friend. Use them when you can. Ogilvy wrote these words in the early 1960s and notice how prescient they are. How many times do you look for testimonials before buying a product (testimonials and reviews from strangers on the internet!)

Give helpful advice the reader can use. Readers appreciate this.

Write plainly and avoid the temptation to produce ‘literature’. Use simple words so that you don’t fail to communicate what you want to say to the reader. Ogilvy says he once used the word ‘obsolete’ only to discover later that many of his target readers did not know what that word meant.

Transferable Advice?

Is his advice transferable? Many of us are not in the advertising business, but we are all in the sales business. Can you use his insights in the forms of communication you use? I believe so, and I certainly will try.

Ten Rules of Effective Language

One of the challenges risk professionals wrestle with is how to convince stakeholders to take specific actions,  such as proactively identifying risks. These stakeholders can be individuals, or they can be organisations.  While these stakeholders are not necessarily reluctant to comply with the requirements of proper risk management, they do have to deal with their own realities, including other demands on their energy,  or simply a perception that risk management is a waste of time.

Perception is reality, as the saying goes.  If you want to change reality, you have to change perception.  And one way to change perception is through communication.  A risk professional often needs to organisational action through reports and recommendations and also through interpersonal communication.

Dr. Frank Luntz, who apparently is a highly sought political speech writer, provides ten rules for effective language in his book, “Words that Work”.   I think when he came up with these rules, he was thinking in the in the context of public speeches, political messages,  and media relations.  But his rules seem a useful guide for a launching  a coordinated approach to getting your message across. 

In summary his rules are:

1. Use Small Words.  Use only words that you are certain your audience understands.  Don’t risk getting your message misunderstood. 
2. Use Short Sentences. If you can deliver the same message using a dozen words, do not do so with a thousand.  Not only are fewer words easier to remember, you stand a better chance at having your writing  read.
3. Credibility is as Important as Philosophy. Make sure you are telling the truth.  Very catchy marketing of something false will fool some people for a little while, but not for long, and not again. 
4. Consistency Matters. This is a nice way of saying: repeat the message over and over, using the same words if possible.  Drill the message in. Repeat until it becomes the truth.  And don’t change your message. Don’t change what you are trying to say.
5. Novelty: Offer Something New. Add a new twist on the language or coin a new phrase that capture the message vividly and clearly and memorably.  Definitely avoid clichés. Avoid it like the plague ;-).
6. Sound and Texture Matter. A slogan that makes sound (like ‘Snap, Crackle, Pop!’) helps make the slogan memorable.  Alternatively, come up with combinations of words that make a distinctive sound (‘Melts in your mouth…’)
7. Speak Aspirationally. Show the way to an ideal place. He gives the example of Crest toothpaste’s “Look ma, no cavities”. Tap into the audience’s aspirations and ideals.
8. Visualize.  Paint a picture with your words.
9. Ask a Question. Engage the listener by asking a relevant and memorable question.  Note that it is a single question, not several.
10. Provide Context and Explain Relevance. Make it very clear ‘why’ you are telling them what you are going to tell them. Give context to your message.

Luntz summarises these ten rules with ten words: simplicity, brevity, credibility, consistency, novelty, sound, aspiration, visualisation, questioning, and context.

You don’t have to follow all his rules for every message you want to get across.  I don’t think that’s possible, nor is it Luntz’s intention.  However, the list is useful as a guide for formulating a memorable message.