writing

 Title:  Should You Write a Long-Copy Ad or Keep it Short? Word Count: 735 Summary: Should you write a long or short ad? The truth is, the reason people read ads has nothing to do with copy length. Keywords: copywriting, copywriters, writing, advertising copy, ads, brochures, mailers, web content Article Body: Okay, you’re ready to write the ad of a lifetime.  The one that will pull like crazy and leave them begging for your product like Somalians for food.  So, do you whet their appetite with a short and sweet ad?  Or write a long-copy ad that’s stuffed with information?   The 80-20 rule says 80% of the people only read the headline (and maybe a caption, if you have one).  But the fact is, readers will read a long-copy ad.  One McGraw-Hill study looked at 3,597 ads in 26 business magazines. What they discovered was that ads with 300 or more words were more effective that shorter ads in creating product awareness, inducing action and reinforc...

 Title:  Perfect Grammar Is for Sales Sissies Word Count: 658 Summary: If you’re like me, you’re not writing that banner ad, Web site, or landing page to make your English teacher proud. You’re writing to sell. Keywords: marketing, grammar, copywriter, copywriting, sales, copy, prospect, copywriters, direct response Article Body: If you’re like me, you’re not writing that banner ad, Web site, or landing page to make your English teacher proud. You’re writing to sell. If you get an “A” while you’re at it, great. But don’t count on it. To get prospects to click, call, or buy, you’ll need to take some liberties with the English language. As direct-response legend Herschell Gordon Lewis so aptly said, “Grammar is our weapon, not our god.” Although copywriting requires a different approach than Strunk and White would advocate, don’t burn your grammar books just yet. It’s important to know the rules before you break them. Following are some rules to keep and some rules to bend or br...

 We all learned how to write in school, but in advertising, there are some simple techniques that experienced writers use to convey messages with greater impact and brevity.  Without being too tutorial, you’ll find these 9 tips quite handy when writing your next sales letter, brochure or web page. Avoid the wimpy verbs—is and be. These “do-little” verbs only occupy space and state that something exists.  So don’t write “There is one simple omission that can transform a sentence from boring to brilliant.”  Do write “One simple omission can transform a sentence from boring to brilliant.” Similarly, avoid “We will be running the new program from our Dallas office.”  Instead, opt for “We will run the new program from our Dallas office.”  Place the longest item at the end of a series.  Start with the simple and work toward the complex.  It’s less confusing and makes a more memorable ending to the sentence.  If you have a series like “He was always...

 Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster than a flawed review process. The result is severely handicapped marketing efforts and, alas, fewer sales. How can you avoid this dire marketing situation? By having a smart and consistent review process that preserves the selling power of your marketing communications. Following are 7 essential tips for reviewing and approving copy. <B>1. Review the copy from the customers’ perspective.</B> On the first pass, read the copy (all of it) without your red pen in hand or editing hat on. That’s how your customers or audience will read it. Now, what do you think? Does the concept work? Did the headline grab your attention? How was the tone? Does the copy flow? If you begin by editing the first sentence or sweating the details, you will do your clients or customers a disservice. <B>2. Don’t get hung up on grammar and usage.</B> If you think the copywriter broke a writing rule, 9 times out of 10 there was...

 I remember the first time a client offered me a case study writing assignment. I was petrified. It was early in my freelance writing career and I didn’t even know what one looked like. I had a lot of questions. “What the heck is a case study?” “How long is it?” “What is the format?” “How much do I charge?”  I didn’t have a clue. Of course, these days, I know more. A lot more. In fact, I write dozens of case studies for clients each year. Case studies now rank high on my list of the most fascinating — and lucrative — projects I handle. (I’m sure glad that client offered me the job all those years ago!) If you’re unfamiliar with case studies, don’t worry. They’re really quite simple. A case study is just a fancy name for a success story – the tale of a happy customer and his or her experience using a product or service.  Lately, I’ve noticed that more and more companies need case studies written, yet have difficulties finding writers who can do the job.  That spells O...