Great marketing materials start with great headlines. Whether you’re creating a print ad, a property flyer, a Web page, or a brochure, the headline that sits above your copy can make or break your communication effort, and here’s why
- Four out of five people read nothing but the headline.
- Only the most compelling headlines tempt readers to discover more by reading further down into your ad copy.
- You can write amazing ad copy, but if your headline is weak, 80 percent of people will pass right over your ad.
- The objective of a headline is to be provocative and to get the reader to pick up the phone.
Writing high-impact advertising copy
The body of the ad, called ad copy, is the descriptive part of the ad. When preparing copy you want to remember a few essential points.
Engage the reader’s imagination.
In newspaper ads, where you’re paying by the word or inch, you need to limit the number of words you use. However, you can still pick one powerful feature to describe in terms that evoke a compelling owner experience.
Emphasize benefits versus features
A large kitchen, a spacious backyard, a three-car garage, and air conditioning are all descriptions of a home’s features. Not one of these descriptions tells buyers what’s in it for them. No one conveys a benefit that the buyer gets from the feature. Add impact to your ads by converting features to benefits by following these examples,
Instead of simply announcing the feature of a three-car garage, advertise a three-car garage with abundant storage space. Note in the ad that this feature makes a rental storage unit. Translate the feature of air conditioning into the benefits of comfort, coolness, and the restful feeling that results from a good night’s sleep in an air-conditioned home.
What distinguishes great marketers from good marketers is the ability to build a sense of urgency and to prompt prospects to take immediate action. Every time you create an ad, give readers a reason to take action and provide instructions on how to take the next step. You can use low inventory levels or rising interest rates to urge quick action and phone calls.
