"Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them, and sometimes it's an ad."

I just love this quote from Howard Gossage, an American advertising innovator from the ‘Mad Men’ era. His comment, of course, applies to every piece of marketing material we write, not just ads. Blogs, Twitter posts, direct mail letters, newsletters, web pages and brochures only get read if their contents are of interest to your audience.

So, how do you make sure your marketing material is read? Here are 5 secrets I’ve learned over the years reviewing and writing copy for many different clients.

1. Know your audience

This is the first rule of marketing and it applies just as readily to writing copy. You MUST know who you are writing for, in the same way that you must know who you are targeting with your product and services.

The more specific you can be the better. When I write my monthly e-bulletin I like to picture one specific client, business contact or a group of prospects that I’d like to get my message across to. This approach helps me to be really specific in the language I use, the examples I quote and the message I want to convey.

Try the exercise for yourself, it really helps focus the mind.

2. One thing at a time

When we first put pen to paper (or should I say finger to keyboard) we often have an awful lot we want to say. It is really important however that each piece of marketing material has a single purpose and you are clear on the message you want to get across.

If you’re writing a blog, an article or direct mail letter you will be so much more successful if you think about the purpose of that particular communication and write with that focus in mind. You would use a very different approach when writing a direct mail letter to try and get an appointment for example than you would for a blog or article in which you are trying to position yourself as an expert in your field.

So, as well as being clear on the purpose of your communication it’s important to choose the right medium.

The beauty of something like Twitter of course is that we are forced towards ‘one idea, one tweet’, and in my opinion that’s helping us all to get better at marketing communications.

3. Create a conversation

To quote Gossage again, he said that “an ad should ideally be like one end of a really interesting conversation”. Getting the reader to participate, now that’s a real challenge. But, making a passive medium like the written word interactive, can be done. In ads it’s often done with questions and calls to action. You ask the reader to participate in the ad. Gossage was particularly fond of coupons, sweepstakes, and other gimmicks apparently.

The same is true when you write Twitter posts, write a blog or even write copy for your website. You don’t want your reader to be a passenger in the process – you want them to engage. To follow a link, add a comment or pick up the phone to ask you more.

If you’ve written some copy, stop, re-read it and ask yourself “does it read like one side of a really interesting conversation?” If not, maybe you need to try again.

4. Have something to say

This may seem really obvious but how many ads have you seen which you’ve never read. Just think about that for a minute. You open the newspaper or a magazine and it’s full of ads – but how many of them have something to say to YOU, today?

When you write a piece of marketing copy you must make sure you have something of value to offer your reader, something that ‘interests them’. Sales copy in a blog, a company profile in an article or old news appearing on your website isn’t what people want to see. Instead they want useful information, special offers, tips, ideas or to be notified of new products or services that could be of use to them. If you know your audience you should be clear on what will be of interest and value to them, that’s what you write about.

Thinking about and researching what exactly it is you want to say is the part of the process that takes time. Spend this time wisely and the writing just flows.

5. Work on your headline

Every piece of successful marketing material relies on a great headline. A blog entitled ‘10 sure-fire ways to increase sales’ will elicit far more readers than one entitled ‘The sales process explained’. A web page headed ‘Welcome’ or ‘Home’ is weak compared to one that starts to give the visitor the information they need: ‘Accountancy solutions for West Midlands SMEs’ is OK but ‘Looking for an accountant in the West Midlands – you’re in the right place’ is better. In this case the headline has started to create a conversation, which is exactly what it’s for.

Sometimes it’s better to make the headline the last thing you write. I often write a headline first however, with the aim of keeping myself on track. As I write I can keep referring to my headline and self-edit any content that doesn’t directly address the point I’m trying to get across.

Writing powerful marketing copy is an art but following these 5 secrets will certainly help. And remember, practice makes perfect, so keep writing.

Further reading:

Stop before you advertise

Are you emotionally involving your readers?

Written by Teresa Harris, Second Opinion Marketing. Teresa is an independent marketing consultant working with professional practices, small businesses and public sector bodies to develop effective marketing plans which achieve their business objectives. As a marketing coach Teresa works with new marketing managers and small business owners to enhance their marketing performance.

Contact Teresa on 01789 740396 or by email.

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