How To Write Highly Effective Advertisements

Just do it. Share a Kodak Moment. For everything else, there’s MasterCard. These are just some of the best and most memorable advertising copy in the world. With a few words, the consumer already knows that Nike, Kodak and MasterCard are being talked about.

Consumers may think that advertising is just a waste of airtime and clutter an otherwise good newspaper. However, companies spend millions of dollars to advertise because it sells a product. Without advertising, people wouldn’t know what brands and choices are available to them. Think about it: aren’t you more inclined to buy a product that is well known and has a nice commercial, instead of something you’ve never heard of?

If you want your product or service to move, then you need to spend the money on advertising. Writing good copy is integral to the success of your ad campaign. Here are some ideas on how to write highly effective advertisements.

Know your product

In order to sell something, you need to know what you are talking about. Understand what the product is about. Know the benefits, be able to describe it and be able to differentiate it from the others in the market.

Know your target market

Once you know what you are selling, you need to know whom you are selling to. This way, you can speak directly to your market. For good copy to work, you need to be able to address your market directly. For example, you would use different words and phrase things differently when selling a box of children’s cereal versus if you were trying to sell a bottle of French red wine. You need to have a clear understanding of whom you are selling to so you can cater your ad appropriately. For example, when Sears learned that most of its consumers were actually women, it re-engineered its campaign to “come see the softer side of Sears” to cater to its market.

Grab your buyer’s attention

A good copy should captivate your audience and make them read more and want to learn more about the product. It should spark the interest of your buyer. “Voted World’s Best” is very attention grabbing. So are the words sale, best, effective and other superlatives. Aside from using the right words, you should be able to convey to your buyer the benefits of using your product or service. You should be able to differentiate your brand from other competing brands.

Call your buyer into action

Do you want your target audience to call an 800 number to order now? Do you want them to go to the nearest branch and grab a product now? Should your buyer book an appointment immediately? Make sure your copy encourages and compels your audience to act on what they see and read.

Combine the copy with an appropriate picture

A picture is worth a thousand words, but when combined with the right copy, it can make you millions of dollars. You may opt to go without a picture, such as in the Nike ads or do an extreme close up of your product, with the copy “I’m lovin’ it” for McDonald’s.

Advertising works so use the power of words to sell your product. Be original and don’t be afraid to go outside the box, push some boundaries and be controversial.

If you stay in people’s consciousness, they will be more likely to recall your brand name when it comes time to buying.