The 10 Laws of Writing Advertising Copy

Follow these writing principles when it's your goal to create successful direct mail and advertisements.

1. Choose words wisely.

In an unexplained almost magical way, words sway people simply by the way they look or sound. For instance, words that convey quality and care are:

hand-woven, workmanship, craft, smooth. Exotic words are: Jamaica, lush, mist, lime, golden, lemon. Upbeat words include: child, light, extraordinary, squealing, flower. Safe words are: family, church, blanket, warm, apple. And serious words are: war, work, immediately, financial. To create positive (or negative) moods or feelings that will motivate buyers, choose words wisely.

2. Develop the offer.

To find a strong offer for your product or service, test various offers. Your objective is to find which offer, or combination of offers, will successfully motivate your market to buy. For example, will it be "sale price of $18.95" or "receive $10 off the original price of $28.95"? Or perhaps buyers will respond when they are offered free shipping and handling or a free how-to booklet that helps them save time or money.

3. Focus on selling.

Advertisers have a six step process to follow when selling products or services: 1) get attention; 2) make the sale; 3) get the order or inquiry; 4) provide a quality product; 5) maintain an ongoing relationship with the customer; and 6) repeat steps 1 through 5 over and over.

As with any process flow, if the advertiser focuses too much on one item, one or more of the other items will most likely suffer. A common mistake is advertisers put all their energy into step one.

But contrary to much of the advertising we are exposed to, doing whatever it takes to get attention is not the magic formula for successful advertising. You can scream, shout, or shock them all you want, but if you don't make them understand why your product is exactly what they want, you will never make it to step two.

Sometimes it helps to think of yourself as a salesperson walking up to a customer. You would not wear a flashy suit with bells and lights to get his attention. You would approach him looking professional, credible and honest, and immediately present the benefits of your product or service.

4. Establish believability.

Believability is capturing buyers' trust and confidence. First as first-time buyers, then as loyal buyers. It may include: 1) belief in a company and what it represents; 2) trust in the people who run the company; or 3) confidence in the company's products or services.