How to write better ads: 2

24 feelgood factors (aka product benefits)
Your concept should highlight a single user benefit, such as:

If this benefit equates to the product's Unique Selling Point, and reflects its Unique Brand Personality, better still. Keep both in mind when you offer tangible incentives, such as:

• 0% interest - or less interest
• BOGOF (buy one get one free)
• buy now, pay later
• discount (or gift) for buying quantity or within x weeks/days
• easy payment terms
• end of stock close-out
• free gift for ordering
• free gift whether you keep product or not
• free trial
• no deposit
• nominal deposit
• prize draw entry
• sale
• sale or return (business)
• temporary price offer

Seducing Mr Sample
Short sentences are easier to read and understand. This is the easy bit - and what so-so writers will give you. But short sentences of short words can get boring. At every full stop, you lose another reader. What really seduces Mr Sample are changes of pace. The thrills of a roller coaster are its peaks and plunges - and they're more fun because of the climbs and the slow bits. Did you stop at that word 'seduces' because it had three syllables? I thought not.

Leave it out
Hard-selling copy is often strewn with adjectives - unique, exquisite, beautiful, superb.... Nine times out of ten you can leave them out and sound more convincing.

Here are some more hooks, for waverers:

• new improved product
• news item tied to your product
• prices about to rise, buy now
• specially imported from somewhere where it was a big hit
• testimonials
• we don't know how long we can hold this offer - prices may rise
• we only have a certain number in stock
• we're repeating this offer because it was such a hit last time

More from the gurus
Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, Prentice Hall 2005
Alan Tapp, Principles of Direct and Database Management, Pearson Education 1998
Drayton Bird, Commonsense Direct Marketing, Kogan Page 4th Edition 2000

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