copywriting

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Creating Desire.

November 25, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

steak bw

Have agents of advertising forgotten how to create desire? I often think so. David Ogilvy –sorry, I had to do it– once said “our business is infected with people who have never sold a thing in their lives.” He was referring to artists more worried about the art than the sale. Until, you’ve actually looked into the eyes of someone while coaxing money for product, you haven’t sold. You haven’t learned about creating desire.

I saw a black and white ad for Omaha Steaks in the paper-paper today. Steak is one of my favorite things, with many mental images and smells conjured up simply by saying the word. But a poor reproduction of a plate of gray, less gray and glistening gray steaks is not one way to do it. The picture was more likely to create desire for turkey. “The ad’s headline “Give the gift that will thrill everyone” doesn’t create desire. Nor do the phrases “2 free gifts” or “now only $49.”

Advertising today has often jumped to the transaction without spending time on the sell — on creating desire.

The Internet as a selling medium is working because it offers up multi-media images: color, sounds, motion and a non-static storytelling. The problem is, the medium is doing more of the work than the creative department. The writers, art directors and creative directors’ fingerprints are hard to find in most of web selling today. Ergo, the industry’s fascination with consumer generated content.

The web gives sellers and selling agents an enormously rich canvas on which to create desire. Way more powerful than print and TV. Let’s use it people. Peace and Happy Thanksgiving to All!

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Writers, writers everywhere.

November 13, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

windfarm

I met with a friend yesterday who is with a very big magazine publishing company. She told me most magazines today are filled with editors but few, if any, staff writers. This approach keeps overhead down, plus the pool of writers out there is so vast, so talented, and so specialized, that the written product is often better. The pay for these writers is a dollar a word. Can you say “game changing business model?”

There are small countries of subject matter experts (SMEs) out in the ether who are ready, willing and able to write for your company at reasonable prices. These are not copywriters, they are writers. You wouldn’t want them to write an ad but they are great for your website or your brochure.

Millions of new and updated websites go live every day, and they all need to be professionally written. Who’s doing that? If a small business, it’s the business owner or her husband. If a mid-size company, it may be a newly minted journalism graduate in the marketing or sales department. At a large company? An ad or digital agency copywriter. Fail. Fail. You need a SME. It’s faster, cheaper and, likely, more effective.

If my company needs 800 words on solar power for my windfarm website, I’d prefer a writer who knows the market. I’ll provide a brand brief (or briefing) and let writer do his or her magic. The piece will be crafted by someone with contextual smarts and assembled by a true wordsmith. Did I mention it will cost a buck a word?   So where is the well filled with all these SMEs? Stay tuned.

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Words and Copy

April 17, 2007 in Marketing | 0 Comments

What does it take to be a salesperson? A car? A clean shirt? The ability to say “ask” rather than “aks,” or “you” rather than “youze?” That’s a start, I guess.

What does it take to be a great salesperson? Empathy? The ability to listen? Purpose and confidence? Believability? Yes to all.

What does it take to be a copywriter? A pen? Microsoft Word? A dictionary? A place that will run your ad? A reader?  I reckon so.

What does it take to be a great copywriter? A heart? An ear? A nose (to smell the stale)? Experience with consumers? Experience selling? A steady hand? Huevos?
Yes, 7 times yes.

Words are powerful tools. We must choose each and every one wisely if we are to write great copy.

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The copywriter.

January 19, 2007 in Marketing | 0 Comments

It is my opinion that the copywriter is the most important spoke in the wheel that is advertising.  I’m a big strategy guy, don’t get me wrong, and brand strategy is the fundamental building block upon all selling must take place, but the copywriter is the persuader.  The salesperson.  

Is copywriting a lost art today?  You betcha.  And it is very sad.

I forgot who once said “That’s not writing, that’s typing.” but he summed up pretty well what’s going on today in copy.  Many copywriters think their job is done when the facts are communicated. Perhaps with humor. Maybe even using the parlance of the target. Certainly with nice cadence and tempo. However, more often than not, they are not intoxicating the consumer with persuasion and truly creating disposition toward purchase.

Real copywriters can do this.  The good ones still do.  And the really good ones should be paid millions.  

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