ARTICLES
WHY WRITE WHEN NOBODY READS?
TELL ME WHAT I DON'T KNOW!
YOUR MOTHER WAS RIGHT
ARE YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF?
WHAT ARE YOUR ADS REALLY SAYING?
ARE YOU A LEADER OR A FOLLOWER?
WHY ENGLISH TEACHERS DESPISE COPYWRITERS
|
(This article appeared in the February 2000 issue of The Business 2 Business Marketer, published by the Business Marketing Association.)
Nobody reads copy anymore. At least that's what everyone tells me. Nobody pays attention to the printed word. They notice design, motion, and interactivity. Keep that copy to a minimum and don't even think about using a word with more than two syllables.
Much as I hate to admit it, there's some wisdom behind that. Couple the oversupply of information to the lust for instant gratification, and you have a recipe for little patience.
So should I worry about my future financial security? Hardly. In fact, the less people read, the more you'll want to have a good copywriter on your side.
As the number of words decreases, every word must work as hard as possible. And that's the copywriter's specialty.
Is copy dead?
Copy has long been the secret weapon of business-to-business marketers and the consumer direct marketing crowd - those without the patience or luxury to wait for things like image ads to work their magic. They know that one of the quickest ways to trigger immediate results is to give buyers the needed information, especially in a benefits-driven fashion.
Smart marketers use copy to develop a rapport with their targets, describe all the benefits, gently overcome objections and obstacles to purchases, and wrap up with a call to action.
But today's self-styled experts tell us that nobody has time to read copy. Bunk. Whether you're trying to reach a factory's purchasing manager, a technology company's specifying engineer, or a fifteen-year-old movie fan, people will take the time to read your message if they believe they stand to gain something from it.
Reading thrives.
People may read differently these days, but most still enjoy the printed word. If you don't believe me, spend a couple hours at your nearby Borders or Barnes & Noble. Visit the library (remember it?) and try to find the latest Grisham novel. Count the titles on the drugstore magazine rack, or near the supermarket checkouts.
"Wait," you say. "That isn't copy. That's reading for enjoyment." True, but good copy doesn't read like copy. It reads like a conversation with a friend, like literature, like poetry, like a theater of words on the page. It draws you in and takes you along for a ride. It leaves you with a smile. Or angry. Or in the mood to act. But it never seems like advertising.
Web-woven words.
Many visionaries thought the Internet would supplant printed materials in a very short time. It hasn't. Most of us still prefer sitting down with a good magazine to scrolling down. But there's no question that the Web is here to stay.
Most companies initially believed that creating Web communications fell into the purview of programmers. After all, what could a writer or graphic designer bring to a web page? It's that Internet thing, and HTML has nothing to do with pronouns or baselines, does it?
It didn't take too long to realize that few code wizards were conversant with even the most basic tenets of graphic design. Soon, graphic designers extended their range into cybermedia, and sites started to look good. It was only a matter of time before companies realized that writers could have a similar effect.
But are words really important on a website? A lot of experts don't think so. Visuals are more important! Animations! Games! Interactivity! Yet nearly every study I've seen confirms that most business Web users are surfing for detailed information, not clever mailbox animations. They want it well-organized, thorough, and easy-to-read. Care to guess what kinds of professionals are skilled at all three?
Publishing information channels.
Companies churn out reams of newsletters, annual reports, and other house organs. It isn't surprising that most prove to be pretty ineffective at communicating.
Think back to my comments about the Web. Today, people want information, and don't want to work too hard to obtain it. Start thinking of these tools as information channels. Include the information people want, and make it easy to find.
Don't expect everyone to hang on your every word. They'll never read the copy as carefully as you do. Instead, they'll scan your publications, looking for something that might interest them. After a second glance, they'll move on if the subject matter falls short.
To improve effectiveness, work with the reader. For example, in a newsletter for bank executives, we begin every article with a bullet-point summary. Each paragraph starts with an explanatory lead-in. Bankers scan the summaries to see whether the information will be of benefit and read only those paragraphs of interest. While they read less of each issue, what they do read is meaningful and memorable. Remember, too, that readers may have different levels of interest or different needs for information. Just as you include your phone, fax, mail and email addresses on brochures so that people can reach you in the way they prefer, do what you can to make sure each can reader find what's needed.
Journalism 101.
Every journalist learns a writing style called the Pyramid. A lead paragraph summarizes all of the pertinent information, and the rest of the story expands upon the lead.
When you read tomorrow morning's newspaper, limit yourself to the first two paragraphs of each story. You'll know that the President had a press conference where he supported weapons talks. You won't learn that the conference took place in Topeka, that he was wearing a burgundy tie, and that he dined on tasty barbecued beef. In other words, you'll get what's important from the first few lines.
Can you say the same thing about your ads and brochures?
And in conclusion.
High school students know that every term paper needs an introduction, a body, and a concluding summary. Somehow, that requirement has been woven through marketing communications, which explains the structure of many brochures.
Yet few people read brochures in a linear fashion. Instead, they skim through the headlines, subheads, captions, and other elements to zero in on what's important to them.
Is a conclusion really important? In a presentation or a term paper, yes. But in a vehicle like a brochure, it typically becomes a piece of excess baggage, tacked on only because "you're supposed to have one."
If you believe that your entire brochure can be summarized in one cogent closing paragraph, maybe the darned thing is too long. Maybe that one paragraph is really all you need to say. Or maybe you need to try another summary approach, such as a bullet-point sidebar of key attributes or benefits.
Article copyright 2000 Scott Flood All Rights Reserved
|
