Copywriting in Phoenix

“Copy Is King.”

Dan Kennedy, the highest paid professional copywriter working today, focuses on the Message (and on Message To Market Match). While copywriting must be on target for your Phoenix, Arizona (AZ), national or international audience, it accounts for only 20 to 25 percent of a successful campaign.

One critical element is who is reading the copy. In direct-mail, this consideration makes precision list selection and segmentation very important. In online marketing, it has to do with where the traffic is coming from. Are you focusing on Phoenix and Arizona (AZ) or is your focus national?

Another critical element of copywriting is the presentation of the message. In face-to-face selling this may encompass the salesperson’s body language, attire, appearance and voice inflection. It also may encompass his visual aids, props and demonstrations or even the environment. In media, there are seven major items on the Presentation of Message List.

1. Format -- There are a lot of choices: in direct-mail, tear-sheets, letters in envelopes, different size postcards, brochures, magalogs and so on. Online, there are many ways to design web sites and landing pages. Different formats are better for different kinds of prospects. So what’s important? The format should be chosen because it presents the copy in the way most likely to be read by the intended readers. Things like the age of the reader enter into the decision. If using direct-mail, the long, personal, conversational letter sent in an envelope will almost always out-perform all other formats.

2. Cosmetics -- This refers to typography, layout and graphic elements. It includes boldfacing, italics, underlining, centering, indenting, varying typefaces and type sizes. It also includes graphic elements like hand scribbles, stars, margin notes in handwriting and boxes. This is too important to be left to a graphic artist. How it looks is not about aesthetics, but about effectiveness. The object is to engage and help the reader along, build enthusiasm as you would in person with body language and voice inflection.

3. Photographs or Illustrations -- Abundant research tells us the addition of a well-chosen photograph to an ad (making no other changes) can boost its response from 10 to 200 percent. In most cases, head shots should be avoided. Instead, do with an action photo that tells a story, like a funny photo that makes a selling point while making people smile.

4. Structured Readership Path -- Your copywriting cannot ramble on idly. You're trying to create a “greased chute” with side rails so readers can’t get out. You also want to adhere to a copy formula, such as AIDA (Attention, Desire, Interest, Action) or PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solve) – and, with long copy, to provide a Double Readership Path.

5. Aids For The Reader -- These are extra devices inserted to help the reader grasp and accept key points. These may be challenging questions in boxes, strategically placed testimonials or even multi-question, self-scoring quizzes.

6. Involvement Devices -- These include “grabbers,” like items attached to letters or other mailing components from dollar bills to bags of sand to band-aids to little toy American flags to smiley face decals. We're talking about “freemiums” people like getting. They can obligate your readership. Think of the samples of imprinted pens you receive with sales letters from a pen company. “That never works on ME,” you say, but they mail more than 20 million of those letters a year. It’s definitely working on somebody.

7. Response Mechanisms -- These include reply cards, order forms, pre-paid reply envelopes and clear directions to websites. The easier you make it to respond, more response you'll get. The more ways someone can respond, the more response you'll get.