Lesson 1 - Intro to Copywriting and Creative Management

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  • Copywriting - is an essential part of the design communication mix.
  • Copywriting - is one directional and is written strategically for a singular call to action, whereas content is more organic and educational.
  • Copy (or text, or words) - is a very particular type of creative writing that requires the inspiration of an artist and the control of a craftsman or craftswoman.
  • Mesopotamia - where the earliest cuneiform writing was developed to record ownership of animal and goods.
  • Selling - which is what you are doing when writing copy.
  • Innovative graphic design - is a powerful way to catch and hold the attention.
  • Tone of Voice - a clear benefit or an inspiring proposition.
  • Benefits - are what your customers really care about.
  • ABC's Copywriting Elements
    • A is for Attention
    • B is for Big Promise
    • C is for Call to Action
  • Three keys to writing copy that works in the digital age
    1. Human Emotion
    2. Data Analytics
    3. Digital Compliance
  • Human emotion - good copy used to be primarily driven by an understanding of human emotion.
  • Data analytics - human emotion remains important, but copywriting is increasingly driven by data as reported by analytics.
  • Digital compliance - following the ad guidelines and rules in the internet.
  • How online video has changed copywriting:
    • Video mp4 for people who like to watch.
    • Audio mp3 for people who prefer to listen.
    • Books and E-books for readers.
    • Workshops, training exercises, and other live events for people who learn by doing.
  • Sales funnel - is a planned sequence of communications that takes people from being unfamiliar with you to doing business with you.
  • First impression - the first thing the reader sees, reeds, or hears can mean the difference between success and failure.
  • "The headline is the most important element in most advertisements. It is the telegram which decides whether the reader will read the copy." is a quote from Ogilvy & Mather
  • The Four Functions of the Headline:
    1. Get Attention
    2. Selecting the Audience
    3. Delivering a Complete Message
    4. Arouse his or her curiosity
  • Get attention - use a really attention grabbing headline. This could be for your email newsletter or a new page on your website or an article for your blog.
  • Delivering a complete message - according to David Ogilvy, four out of five readers will read the headline and skip the rest of the ad.
  • Eight Basic Headline Types:
    1. Direct Headlines
    2. Indirect Headlines
    3. News Headlines
    4. How-to Headlines
    5. Question Headlines
    6. Command Headlines
    7. Reason-why Headlines
    8. Testimonial Headlines
  • Direct Headlines - it states the selling proposition directly, with no wordplay, hidden meanings, or puns.
  • Indirect Headlines - it makes its point in a roundabout way. It arouses curiosity, and the questions it raises are answered in the body copy.
  • News Headlines - if you have news about your product, announce it in the headline.
  • How-to Headlines - the word show to are pure magic in advertising headlines, magazine articles, and book titles.
  • Question Headlines - to be effective, it must ask a question that the reader can empathize with or would like to see answered.
  • Command Headlines - it generate sales by telling your prospects what to do.
  • Reason-why Headlines - one easy and effective way of writing body copy is to list sales features of your product in simple 1-2-3 fashion.
  • Testimonial Headlines - in this type advertisement, your customers do your selling for you.
  • The 4 U's formula for writing effective headlines:
    1. Urgent
    2. Unique
    3. Ultra-Specific
    4. Useful
  • Urgent - it gives the reader a reason to act now instead of later.
  • Unique - the powerful headline either says something new, or if it says something the reader has heard before, says it in a new and fresh way.
  • Ultra-Specific - boardroom, a newsletter publisher, is the absolute master of ultra-specific bullets, known as "fascinations," that tease the reader into reading further and ordering the product.
  • Useful - the strong subject line appeals to the reader's self interest by offering a benefit.