Writing Copy For Dummies®
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2004112318
ISBN: 0-7645-6969-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Jonathan Kranz is an award-winning copywriter and principal of Kranz Communications (www.kranzcom.com ), a marketing communications firm serving consumer and business-to-business clients in high-tech, healthcare, banking, insurance, education, financial services, and other industries. His client list includes 3Com, American Express, Aon Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boston University School of Medicine, Candela, Dell, Home Service Store, IBM, iparty.com, Lesley University, Liberty Mutual, Matchmaker.com, NCR, Publishers Clearing House, Reader’s Digest, Reed Elsevier, Spaulding & Slye Colliers, Surebridge, Terra Lycos, Time Warner, and USTrust, among many others.
In addition, Jonathan is a published author of short fiction (Missouri Review and Green Mountains Review , among others) and has been a repeated guest essayist on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He has taught writing courses at Harvard University Extension School, Emerson College, and Northeastern University.
Jonathan lives in Melrose, Massachusetts, with his wife, Eileen; two daughters, Rebecca and Anastasia; and a vast collection of LP records.
To Eileen: O mondo, pieno di pazzi innamorati!
I’m deeply grateful to Natasha Graf, the acquisitions editor who retrieved my book proposal from the slush pile and encouraged the book’s publication. I also very much appreciate the hard work, brilliant insights, and enduring patience of Georgette Beatty, the project editor who helped me carve a finished book from a rough draft. In addition, I want to thank Tina Sims, the senior copy editor, and Roberta Rosenberg, the technical editor, for their sharp eyes, sage wisdom, and precise guidance. Natasha, Georgette, Tina, and Roberta, thank you!
Thank you, Eric Wholley, Sally Moren, and Paula Pinheiro, three wonderful colleagues and marketing experts who gave me answers and advice that got me through some tough spots in this book.
Finally, I want to thank three people who helped me get started in my copywriting career: Glen Wish, artist, friend, entrepreneur, and inventor of the WishDog, who gave me my first copywriting assignments; Jane Winsor, copywriter extraordinaire, who has been a frequent source of encouragement and inspiration; and Evan Stone, the best creative director I’ve had the privilege of working with and an all-around terrific human being.
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/ .
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Georgette Beatty
Acquisitions Editor: Natasha Graf
Senior Copy Editor: Tina Sims
Technical Editor: Roberta Rosenberg
Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich
Editorial Assistants: Courtney Allen, Melissa S. Bennett
Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com
Composition
Project Coordinator: Maridee Ennis
Layout and Graphics: Jonelle Burns, Andrea Dahl, Lauren Goddard, Denny Hager, Joyce Haughey, Stephanie D. Jumper, Michael Kruzil Heather Ryan
Proofreaders: John Greenough, Brian H. Walls, TECHBOOKS Production Services
Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services
Special Help Josh Dials, Sherri Pfouts, Elizabeth Rea, Chad R. Sievers, Trisha Strietelmeier
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel
Brice Gosnell, Associate Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Title
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Understanding Copywriting Basics
Chapter 1: Writing Copy: Capturing Hearts, Minds, and Money
What Copywriting Is (and Isn’t)
Recognizing Copy’s Different Uses
Looking at People Who Produce Copy
Selecting the Right Tool: When and Why to Use What
Chapter 2: Marching Ahead with Copywriting Fundamentals
Writing Copy 101: The Building Blocks
Adding the Finishing Touches to Your Foundation
Editing Your Work: The Grammar You Need to Know
Part II : Direct Response Writing That Makes the Sale
Chapter 3: Looking for Ideas: Finding Inspiration through Investigation
Gaining Insights about Products and Services through Questioning
Understanding Whom You’re Talking To
Researching on the Prowl, on the Cheap, and Often on the Mark
Coming Up with Brilliant Ideas
Chapter 4: Working with the Power of Direct Response
Ready, Aim, Sell: The Important Traits of Direct Response
Scanning the Methods: A Brief Survey of Direct Response Options
Cooking Up the Crucial Ingredients to Direct Response Writing
Is It Working? Testing Direct Response Writing
Chapter 5: Writing Direct Response Letters That Win Business
Looking at the Common Characteristics of Successful Letters
Tinkering with the Nuts and Bolts of Your Letter
Writing Great Letters, Step by Step
Putting the Pieces Together: A Sample Letter Shows You How
Chapter 6: Creating Direct Response Brochures That Sizzle and Sell
Putting Brochures to Work
Planning Your Brochure’s Layout, Panel by Panel
Organizing Your Brochure’s Interior Content
Adding Supporting Elements to Your Brochure
Chapter 7: Completing the Direct Response Package
Come-Hither Copy: Writing the Teaser
Answer Me! Creating the Reply Device
Writing Lift Notes: Another Way to Tell Your Story
Sending Presents: Big Dimensional Mail
Quick and Dirty: Direct Mail in a Day
Chapter 8: Going It Alone: Self-Mailers, Postcards, Catalogs, and More
Creating the Self-Mailer
Producing Postcards
Making the Sale with Catalog Descriptions
Bid on This: Writing Descriptions for Online Auctions
Chapter 9: Blasting Away with E-Mail
Determining Whether E-Mail Is Right for You
Asking Permission to Send E-Mail
Writing Your E-Mail Message (and Not Getting Deleted)
Using E-Newsletters to Maintain Contact
Part III : Building Awareness of Your Business
Chapter 10: Basic Branding 101
Creating a Sense of Unique Value with Branding
Building a Brand Message from the Ground Up
Chapter 11: Writing High-Powered Ads for Your Business
Putting Your Message in Print
Advertising on the Web
Tuning In: Advertising on the Radio
Chapter 12: Creating Effective Press Releases and Press Kits
Leveraging the Media to Your Advantage
Writing a Press Release That Reels Them In
Presenting Your Business in Press Kits
Chapter 13: Gaining Credibility with Outstanding Articles
Understanding When Writing Articles Can Be Right for You
Making Plans for Publication
Writing a Winning Article
Publishing Successful Newsletters
Part IV : Managing the Sales Support System
Chapter 14: Creating Web Sites That Attract and Hold Customers
Planning a Must-See Destination
Writing in Bits and Bytes
Developing Different Types of Online Content
Chapter 15: Crafting Collateral: Using Supporting Materials
Examining the Role of Collateral
Tackling the Corporate Capabilities Brochure
Writing Sales Sheets and Pamphlets
Producing Other Types of Sales Literature
Chapter 16: Writing to Sell to a Business, Not a Consumer
Managing a Different Kind of Sales Process
Talking the Talk: Connecting to Businesspeople
Promoting Seminars, Webinars, and Other Events
Part V : Looking at Special Copywriting Situations
Chapter 17: Raising Money, Getting Votes, and Promoting Health and Education
Raising Money with Letters
Vote for Me! Generating Political Support
Getting to the Heart of Healthcare
Back to School: Communicating to Students and Prospective Students
Chapter 18: Solving Problems When Good Copy Goes Wrong
Putting Processes in Place to Prevent Problems
Bandaging the Wound: First Aid for Hurting Writers
Fixing Your Copy in Special Situations
Chapter 19: So You Want to Be a Copywriter
Considering Your Career Options
Preparing for Your Career
Marketing Yourself as a Freelancer
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 20: Ten Things You Should Always Do Before Writing
Creating the Team
Clarifying the Purpose
Setting the Benchmarks
Gathering the Facts
Resolving the Format
Establishing the Copy Points
Turning Features into Benefits
Profiling the Customer
Identifying the Marketing Challenges
Setting the Tone
Chapter 21: Ten Cures for Common Copywriting Problems
Establishing Focus When Your Message Is Diffuse
Getting Specific When Your Writing Is Vague
Getting Real When Your Copy Is Jargon Filled
Speaking the Customer’s Language When the Tone Is Wrong
Talking about the Customer When Your Copy Is Self-Flattering
Using Active Words to Fight the “Flat”
Being Bold When Your Pitch Is Too Soft
Trimming Text When Your Copy Is Wordy
Making an Offer When Your Conclusion Is Wilting
Going Back to the Source When You Have Writer’s Block
Chapter 22: Ten Fast Ways to Find Copywriting Inspiration
Reviewing Customer Letters or Testimonials
Talking to Salespeople
Running a Web Search
Getting Support Beyond Your Desk
Reading the Copywriting Classics
Experiencing the Product or Service
Pretending You’re the Prospect
Playing a Free-Association Game
Immersing Yourself — Then Taking a Break
Opening Your Mind
Y ou’re about to get an inside look at one of the cheapest yet most powerful ways to motivate customer action: effective copywriting. In the thousands of marketing messages you’re exposed to every day, you’re surrounded by copy — the language of anonymous writers encouraging you to look, buy, shop, or respond. Yet, like the air, it’s so pervasive that you rarely think about it — what it is or how it works.
While it serves the interests of the large, expensive advertising agencies to make you believe that copywriting is a mysterious process that only a worthy few can accomplish, the truth is, anyone with motivation, common sense, and a willingness to think clearly can write good copy. This book gives you everything you need to know to get the job done.
The subject of this book is copywriting , the craft of writing advertisements and other marketing-related materials, not copyrighting , the rules and regulations pertaining to intellectual property rights. I can help you with the former; for the latter, you’re at the mercy of a lawyer.
Most other books on copywriting assume that the reader wants to be a copywriter; that assumption doesn’t apply here. I wrote this book for people who don’t want to write, but who need to write or review copy as part of their job or business responsibilities. Although those interested in the profession will find help in these pages (and even career tips in Chapter 19), Writing Copy For Dummies is primarily for entrepreneurs, professionals, businesspeople, office workers, and managers who need a fast, fun, and easy-to-understand guide that takes you through every step of a successful copywriting project.
This book is explicitly designed so that you don’t have to read it cover-to-cover (I won’t object if you do, though!). Instead, you can skim the Table of Contents and go directly to those sections that apply to your immediate needs. That means if you’re assigned to write a press release that was due yesterday, you can go right to the press release chapter (Chapter 12, by the way) and find everything you need right there, period.
Whether you sell products or services, are targeting consumers or other businesses, or are writing advertising or publicity pieces, this book gives you practical, time-tested methods for putting the power of the written word to work for you. Because, amazing as it may seem, you can turn the fundamental writing skills you learned in elementary school into one of your most effective tools for making sales, attracting new customers, building revenues (or raising funds), and increasing profits. The secrets, and not-so-secrets, lie ahead.
To help you navigate through this book, I use the following conventions:
Italic is used for emphasis and to highlight new words or terms that are defined. A lot of copywriting examples are also set in italic.
Boldfaced text is used to indicate keywords in bulleted lists and the action part of numbered steps.
Monofont is used for Web addresses.
For simplicity’s sake, I also stretched a few words to extend their meaning. Often when I refer to your “business,” for example, I really mean any institution that you work for, including nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations such as schools, charities, or hospitals. Likewise, both “customers” and “prospects” refer to any persons you serve or would like to serve.
If you’re standing in a store right now weighing your decision to purchase this book, you may find it odd to stumble on a section about what not to read. Heck, as a writer, I sure find it strange to tell readers that they can skip some (or any) of my golden prose.
In any case, you can skip anything marked with the Technical Stuff icon and not suffer any harm. It’s interesting stuff, to be sure, but nothing you can’t live without. Likewise, you can save anything you see in the sidebars (the shaded boxes throughout the book) for a rainy day when you have more time on your hands.
Given the source (myself), most of my assumptions tend to be foolish. Of these, only a few need concern you:
You have at least a fair command of the English language and its basic rules of grammar and punctuation.
You’re interested in copywriting because you have some sort of business objective in mind (for example, sales, profits, or new customer acquisition), or, if your objectives are currently nebulous, you have the desire and ability to form business objectives and pursue them.
You’re responsible for writing copy for your business or organization, but you’re intimidated by the copywriting process and would like guidance on how to create and fulfill great ideas.
Writing Copy For Dummies is organized into six parts, with each part serving as a cluster of like-minded chapters focused on a particular topic. And as you see in the Table of Contents, each chapter is itself further subdivided into subsections that make it easy to identify the issues that interest you.
In Part I, I cover the ideas, issues, and challenges common to all copywriting projects, regardless of format or marketing purpose. Chapter 1, for instance, defines the territory: what copywriting is, who uses it, and how to select tactics for your needs. In Chapter 2, I dive into the fundamentals of copy itself, such as writing captivating headlines and compelling body copy. Chapter 3 is something special, covering a topic rarely addressed in books on copywriting: how to collect information before you write and then turn your research into a springboard for generating brilliant ideas.
While good writing inspires respect, great writing provokes action. That’s what Part II is all about: copywriting that, in itself, serves as the virtual salesperson that collects, leads, closes sales, acquires new customers, and expands current business relationships.
Chapter 4 gives you an overall perspective of direct response writing and its key topics, such as selecting lists, forming offers, and testing results. In Chapter 5, I tackle the Grand Old Man of direct response writing: the letter. Chapter 6 shows you how to write brochures that put your products and services in your customers’ laps. In Chapter 7, you find a comprehensive review of the remaining direct mail elements, such as reply devices and lift notes. Chapter 8 reveals the power of alternative mailing formats, such as self-mailers, postcards, and catalogs. Finally, Chapter 9 helps you apply the time-tested techniques of direct mail to the more modern innovations embraced in e-mail.
In Part III, I explore those writing techniques that make your products and services unforgettable and irresistible. Chapter 10 provides an introduction to branding on the cheap. In Chapter 11, you get everything you need to know to write memorable advertisements. Chapter 12 gives you the inside scoop on media exposure, including a blow-by-blow guide to writing the press release. In Chapter 13, I present a secret weapon ignored by other copywriting books and overlooked by most of your competitors: writing articles for and about your business.
Even when copy doesn’t have the starring role in your marketing strategy, it can go a long way to support your objectives. In Part IV, I show you how to write copy that helps strengthen your relationships with customers. Chapter 14 talks about the Web and offers a number of inside tips for writing Web site content that attracts and holds visitors. In Chapter 15, you discover fast, easy ways to write and manage collateral, the miscellaneous materials that support the sale. Chapter 16 addresses the special writing challenges you’ll meet when your customer is not a consumer, but another business.
This book needed a place to talk about important copywriting topics that just didn’t fit neatly anywhere else: This is the place. Chapter 17 discusses the delicate art of raising money (and gathering support) for nonprofit enterprises such as charities and political causes. When bad things happen to good copy, you find consolation — and practical fix-it advice — in Chapter 18. In Chapter 19, I take a detour from my mission to help nonwriters by addressing the career options of writers who want to turn pro.
When you get stuck, turn to Part VI to get unclogged. Here, I put together three chapters of short-and-snappy tips, hints, and suggestions for getting started, solving problems, and finding inspiration.
One of the many smart things these For Dummies books do is use clever little visual clues — called icons — to help you identify different kinds of stuff. Here’s what they mean:
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If you’re under the gun to finish a specific job — and fast — use the Table of Contents or the Index to find your project and go right to it. Remember, all For Dummies chapters are designed to stand alone: You get complete how-to information in each project’s relevant chapter.
If you’re in a hurry but have a few minutes to spare, I encourage you to start with Chapter 2 to get a firm grip on important basic issues, such as benefits, offers, and using a customer-centric perspective.
For those of you who actually have time to plan your marketing tactics in accordance with an actual honest-to-goodness strategy, take a look at those chapters that can help you select formats to match objectives, such as Chapter 4 on direct response, Chapter 10 on branding, Chapter 12 for public relations information, and Chapter 16 on business-to-business marketing.
When you find yourself at an impasse and don’t know how to move forward, turn to Chapter 3 for help on uncovering information and ideas, Chapter 18 for problem-solving suggestions, and any of the Part of Tens chapters for immediate inspiration.
In this part . . .
Copywriting is the crossroads where business and language meet. Choose the right path, and you’ll see a steady improvement in sales, growth, and profits. If you take your writing in the wrong direction, however, you’ll find yourself in the dark place with brimstone and pitchforks.
This part leads you in the right direction. In these three chapters, I show you the general copywriting terrain, map out your options, and give you the basic tools for researching, forming, and writing messages that resonate with the most important people in your business: your customers.