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Who's that?

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Even though the world of advertising has become more and more competitive, the principle behind the ad copy remains the same. The four steps that the copywriters use in their ad to persuade the consumers to buy the products are attention factor, interest element, desire element and action element which is called as AIDA. Advertising and marketing objectives are met by the effective use of this model.

The phrase AIDA, in marketing communication was coined by American advertising and sales pioneer Elias. St. Elmo Lewis in the late 1800s. The model talks about the different phases through which a consumer goes before going to buy a product or service. According to him, most of the marketers follow this model to fetch more consumers for their product. Marketers use this model to attract customers to purchase a product. This model can be seen widely used in today's advertisements.
THEORY
The acronym AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. These are the four stages that a consumer goes through when watching or viewing an advertisement. According to Lewis, first and foremost, the role of an advertisement is to attract the customers. Once an ad grabs attention, it has to invoke interest towards the product in the minds of the consumers. After creating an interest, the ad has to bring desire in consumers mind to use the product and finally the consumer has to take a favorable action towards the product by ultimately purchasing the product.
THE PROCESS OF AIDA

Attention: Attention is usually grabbed by the use of image, color, layout, typography, size, celebrity, model etc

Interest: Once attention is grabbed, it's necessary to create interest in the viewers mind so that they will read more about the brand being advertised. By the use of an attractive sub head, interest can be invoked

Desire: The element of desire is usually created by the use of body copy where you write in detail about the necessity of buying the brand, thereby explaining the features of the brand, facts and figures

Action: Towards the end, the contact information of the brand will be given where they expects the viewers to take action immediately. It can be in the form of shop address, toll free numbers or website address

An advertisements success depends up on the viewer's ability to notice and understand its message. The AIDA model helps the copy writer to present the elements of a print ad, Headline, Subhead, Body copy, slogan and contact information in a format that makes the viewers read in a flow and understand about the product easily.
Example
Given below is an example of an ad that has used AIDA model to present the message elements.

In the given ad, the Headline "Marriage does come with its rewards" and the image of the car attracts the viewers attention. The subhead "The New Beettle, Best Gifted" creates interest in the viewers to know more about the product. The Body copy & the slogan given in the ad create desire in the viewers mind. The contact information given towards the end makes the viewers take an action.

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INTRODUCTION Even though the world of advertising has become more and more competitive, the principle behind the ad copy remains the same. The four steps that the copywriters use in their ad to persuade the consumers to buy the products are attention factor, interest element, desire element and action element which is called as AIDA.

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"Slop something down.

I’m going to give you a ground rule now. Editing is out. Editing as you go is counterproductive. If you keep second guessing yourself and hitting the backspace key, the page could remain blank for a mighty long time...

Maybe you don't love what you wrote. Doesn’t matter. You haven’t published anything yet. You’ll edit later. To be prolific, or even productive, give yourself permission to write messy first drafts. The pros do. I promise."

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"I can't write."

It's the resignation declaration of the self-defeated. It's also a fat slice of baloney.

You won't write? You don't want to write? I'm willing to buy these statements. But "can't?" Sorry friend, you can.

You've been writing your whole life. You write now. You write emails, greeting cards, shopping lists, meeting notes, etc. In your school years, you wrote every day. When you graduated you wrote a resume.

But now, a blank screen transforms you into an anxious, insecure mess.

It's time to face the fear.

Look, the starter (or restarter) lesson I'm about to give you won't magically transform you into a legendary writer. However, I believe if you take my advice and apply yourself a bit you can make meaningful copywriting contributions to your company's inbound marketing efforts.

Start with an attitude check. Write something for me. Jot down a positive thought about busting through your renewed dedication to writing. You can do it.

Belief is the first thing you'll need. Your lack of it traces to an unwarranted inferiority complex. You believe in order to call yourself a writer your work needs to measure up to the legends of language. It doesn't. Remind yourself, every journey begins with the first step.

Slop something down.

I'm going to give you a ground rule now. Editing is out. Editing as you go is counterproductive. If you keep second guessing yourself and hitting the backspace key, the page could remain blank for a mighty long time.

I often ask my gridlocked writing patients, "What is it you want to say?" Note: I didn't ask how, just what. Perhaps you want to say "We're hosting an event and would like you to attend," or maybe, "We have added a series of features to our product." These are perfectly good starting points. Type one.

Now put the details down. Tell your reader why this stuff matters. Then, tell them what they should do.

This isn't so hard now, is it?

Maybe you don't love what you wrote. Doesn't matter. You haven't published anything yet. You'll edit later. To be prolific, or even productive, give yourself permission to write messy first drafts. The pros do. I promise.

Talk to me.

Does public speaking freak you out? You've probably heard the tip speaking phobes often get. Fix on one person in the audience. Find a friendly face and talk to him or her.

The same concept applies to writing. A large part of the fright factor comes from worrying about addressing a large audience. Try a different approach. Imagine you're writing to just one person, a good friend.

Now, converse. Want to ask a question? Go for it. Want to prove you've been listening? Let the reader know you know why she's there. Want to ignore the writing rules you learned in school? Do it. This ain't school.

Write as if you're talking. If you can't get that ball rolling, then don't write. Get out a recorder and talk. Play it back and transcribe it.

My hope is you're gathering the crux of my lesson thus far. Writing's only hard if you make it hard.

Now for some tips and tricks of the trade.

Understand the reader.

Whether you're performing the role of copywriter, in the classic sense, or creating content such as a blog post, your challenge is to persuade your reader. However, you don't need to be a master of psychology to write persuasively.

You need to understand you're addressing an emotional being with wants and desires. Identify one (or more) and speak to it. Push an emotional button. People buy (or take action) to increase their pleasure or avoid pain.

When you approach your writing this way you'll be far more effective focusing on benefits instead of features. Features mostly have a rational appeal. Your job is to translate features into benefits that invoke an emotion.

A teacher of mine once demonstrated this idea like so:

Feature: McDonald's has drive-up windows.

Benefit: You can get a tasty, hot breakfast fast, on the way to work -- without getting out of your car.

See how the feature was void of any emotion, while the benefit tapped into desires? Maybe the reader doesn't want to make breakfast. Or maybe the time-saving element hit a hot button. It might have been the "tasty hot" part that appealed to the desire for comfort.

Now this is not to say you don't need to understand your product. You do. The process of selling requires overcoming objections, so your benefit statement will need support. As a copywriter, you'll hold the aces when you know your product and customer and find where the two meet in the form of a human need.

Strive for clarity.

Your goal with every sentence you write is to get your reader to read the next one. A number of factors threaten to sabotage your efforts -- first and foremost, confusion. You can confuse readers a number of ways.

A number of professionals in the online copywriting business will tell you to write at a fifth grade level, or eighth, or whatever. I reject this advice. I would only agree to write at a fifth grade level if you're writing to fifth graders.

A better rule of thumb is to simply assume your reader doesn't know what you know. This is where the oft-cited and dangerous "curse of knowledge" comes into play. Writers make the mistake of skipping or glossing over explanations because they assume the reader has the same level of knowledge. Big mistake. Err on the side of caution taking care to explain your ideas.

Avoid jargon. Back buttons tend to get clicked when you babble on with industry speak, buzzwords, and technical terms. If you have no choice but to get into bits per second and gigabytes, inform the reader what you're talking about using simple terms.

Stress action.

Hit verbs hard. Notice my word choice? Hit. It's action-oriented and dramatic. Focus on putting your ideas in motion and energizing your copy with verbs.

Beginning copywriters overindulge with adjectives. The writing gets flowery. Slow. Abstract. I'm not saying don't use adjectives. Use adjectives where they add color and intrigue. Avoid them when they simply take up space and mean little.

An important part of your editing process will be to find and strike blasé words and phrases such as "mission critical" or "extremely." When you nix the fluffy stuff you'll find what remains is more on point.

Your nemesis will always be boredom. You can't bore people into buying your products or ideas. Inject all the action you can into your prose to keep your reader engaged start to finish.

Offer evidence.

An important principle of persuasion is something called "social proof." The concept speaks to the consumer's need for assurance. Think of how you respond emotionally when you peer in the window of a restaurant with nothing but empty tables. Contrast that to the cram-packed restaurant with a waiting list. Which eatery do you want to feed you?

Social proof comes in many forms: testimonials, statistics, accolades, endorsements, customer lists or examples, reviews, and so forth.

Weave social proof into your copy to build credibility. It need not be heavy handed or forced. Just play a card that works for your company and, of course, is true. It might be something like ... "twenty of the Fortune 100 companies rely on ..." or something less lofty such as ... "... is enjoying a 20% annual growth rate." Both approaches help overcome the reader's fear of betting on an unknown commodity.

Can you be specific?

You can be and you should be. Look back at the previous paragraph where I chose to cite facts including a specific number of companies and a specific percentage. If I simply wrote about having Fortune 100 clients or experiencing growth, my copy would have been less credible.

Specifics are more believable, easier to relate to, and more interesting.

I could tell you I have kids. It's true, but not all that conversational. Now, when I tell you I have twelve and fifteen year old daughters that both love to sing and dance, I suspect you'll respond to that with a question or comment. That's engagement, a good thing, and the result of me offering specific details.

Write with rhythm.

Readers are bound to get more engaged when your writing has a nice rhythm to it. You accomplish this mixing up the length of your sentences and paragraphs. Try to avoid long sentences. Or, when you write one, follow up with a short one.

Short passages are more inviting. Short paragraphs are less taxing to read. Use punchy staccato phrases. Zingers.

Tell your readers where to go.

Are you familiar with the term "call-to-action?" It's the written version of asking for the sale, a must in almost any form of marketing copy you'll compose. The object is to get your reader to take action. Your success rate will increase when you tell the reader exactly what to do next, where to go, how to order, and when to act (which tends to be NOW!).

I'll offer some tips for your call-to-action. You won't always be able to play these cards, but consider them when appropriate.

Include urgency: Limited time frames, deadlines, reasons to be prompt.

Make an offer: Discount, bonus, free information.

Highlight value: Get your informative report, join our exclusive community.

Overcome objections: Eliminate or reduce risks with free trials or money back guarantees.

Write irresistible headlines.

Shouldn't this have been first? Obviously, your headline will be read first. And undoubtedly, it's the most important line you'll write because it's the one you know will get read. Of course, it's also the one that will (or won't) inspire the reader to keep reading.

I didn't address the headline first because I didn't want to spook you. This is a low-pressure lesson. The takeaway I'm aiming for is to get you started, to give copywriting a go.

Sure, if you have a headline idea that inspires the rest of your copy, go for it. Put it down. I almost always do. However, you could just as easily write it last, after your piece takes shape. Your thesis, so to speak, might be clearer when you're nearing completion. Many writers handle headlines this way.

I confessed I start with the headline. I love writing headlines. But I'll add another admission. I usually go back and change them.

Writing headlines is a challenge you'll want to take seriously. Your early attempts might not be perfect, but you'll improve steadily with practice.

I was once taught a handy little trick. Fill in the blank:

How to _____________________ .

There's a headline. It might work great. Or you might try to improve it. Write variations. Before you call your headline done, ask yourself, would I read this?

What might get you -- and your reader -- to answer "yes?" The list is long. A great study on headline writing is to look at the headline "teasers" on the covers of popular magazines. They are penned by expert writers and editors, and almost always have strong pulling power.

A few great headline tactics include:

The useful headline: Often a "how to."

A curiosity builder: This tactic has a teaser element that capitalizes on suspense and mystery. (Read "How Do You Write the Powerful Headlines?")

The urgent headline: Why? Why not? Why now?

The list headline: Proven winners such as (X) secrets, tips, ways, shortcuts, etc.

The news hack: Attach your piece to something topical or someone famous.

The contrarian: Mistakes, dangers, lies. I find negatives positively irresistible.

Here's some additional tips for great blog post titles.

Write now.

The way to become a writer is simply to write. Yes, it's work. Yes, you'll need to practice.

You'll want to try to find the flaws. Read your work aloud. Run it by someone for an opinion. Share it with an accomplished writer.

But remember, if you think you can't write, you're wrong.
Barry Feldman is president of Feldman Creative. He creates compelling content by telling stories. He's a content marketing strategist, copywriter, creative director, speaker, and author. He also specializes in creating websites, ebooks, and integrated online marketing programs. You can follow him on Twitter @FeldmanCreative.
Image credit: Tagxedo

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Copywriting 101: The Principles of Irresistible Content

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"I can't write." It's the resignation declaration of the self-defeated. It's also a fat slice of baloney. You won't write? You don't want to write? I'm willing to buy these statements. But "can't?" Sorry friend, you can. You've been writing your whole life. You write now.

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10 Tips for Turning into a Killer (copywriter)

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10 Tips for Turning into a Killer (copywriter)

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"Good salesman are not verbose. They do not use fancy words. They speak like an aged rural sheriff. Calm, confident, and kind.

They are patient, good listeners, and fantastic storytellers. Each story is trimmed of excess. It’s a spell-binding time spent with a good salesman. In fact, you don’t even know you are being sold."

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In spite of being a literary snob, when I was first introduced to the world of direct-response copywriting ... I fell in love.

I fell in love with the thought of using my writing to influence and persuade people.

I also fell in love with the idea of getting rich. (I wanted to be a wealthy snob).

But the road between loving it and actually writing with great skill (and making obscene amounts of money) is a long one. And I had one particular road block: I was the poet, but certainly not the killer ...

That would've been beneath me.

See, as a new copywriter I wanted what I wrote to sound so good that people would cock their heads, grin, and say, "Boy, you are so clever!" In other words, I wanted my ego to get stroked because of my creativity.

Unfortunately that desire held me back.

I didn't write effective copy until I humbled myself and became that killer. And I didn't become that killer until I understood the following ten principles behind effective sales copy ...

1. The only purpose of advertising

Advertising is nothing more than a planned and purposeful neglect of everything except making the sale.

This means you need to include things in sales copy that support that plan - exalting benefits, building trust, overcoming objections.

Discard anything that doesn't achieve those purposes. If you walk away from this post with only one lesson, let it be this: Good advertising is defined by actual revenue.

2. Treat sales copy like a salesman

Since your single goal is to make the sale, treat your copy like a salesperson and evaluate it on performance.

Does it sell or doesn't it? If it sells, keep it and attempt to squeeze even more out of it. If it isn't selling, fire it.

Here's the thing. A salesman can only sell to one person at a time. Sales copy can sell to thousands at a time. The corollary to that truth is that a bad salesman can only harm your company a little. But bad advertising can harm your company a lot.

3. Sell in person first

When I was 14, I was offered a job as a canvasser for a home-improvement company. The guy who offered me the job was very friendly. I was going to work with a close friend, too. But I never showed up for my first day.

When I was 18, I took a job selling newspaper subscriptions. It was a trial run. I was supposed to call 100 people. I called two people. I was supposed to work eight hours. I took the offer to leave - without pay - after four.

It wasn't until I was in my third or fourth year as a professional that I sold anything. Over the phone. And I spent two weeks as the customer service manager. It was difficult - but very rewarding. It's being in the hot seat ... thinking on your feet ... that cuts a potent copywriter.

Before you try to sell your product online with sales copy ... try to sell it in person first.

4. Use copy that would help a salesman

Now that you have had experience at selling ... use what you learned to help you sell in print.

Would telling a joke help a salesman? Possibly. Would sharing the benefits of a product help? Absolutely. Would identifying with the customer's pain point help a salesman? Yes. Would showing empathy help? Definitely. Would an example of social proof help? Yup. What about trotting out an authority? Indeed.

5. Clear, concise, and compelling conversation

Good salesman are not verbose. They do not use fancy words. They speak like an aged rural sheriff. Calm, confident, and kind.

They are patient, good listeners, and fantastic storytellers. Each word is pronounced properly. Each story is trimmed of excess. It's a spell-binding time spent with a good salesman. In fact, you don't even know you are being sold.

6. Literary writers are rarely good copywriters

William S. Burroughs. Lew Welch. Joseph Heller.

All writers who were once copywriters. They came from the educational ranks, did the responsible thing, and got a job. That job taught them the most important thing about writing: be clear, concise, and compelling.

It's not the other way around. Literature doesn't have much to teach copywriting. Tell a good story. Give your reader what she wants. Literary writers (like me) have to be broken to become good copywriters.

Interestingly, though, what you'll learn is that copywriting will make you a better literary writer, too.

7. Ignore the "Brief Copy" thumpers

There's a pervasive thought (typically from non-writers) that sales copy should be brief ... a paragraph or two ... and the images should sell. This comes from the same person who has no problem reading a 3,000-word article in Sports Illustrated or a 70,000-word novel.

It's not the length that matters. People will read forever if you make it about them.

If it's interesting and solves a meaningful problem, it wil get read.

8. Avoid the strange and unusual

Imagine you walked into an auto dealership. You're in the mood to buy a new car. It's snowing outside, so the salesmen are idle, chatting behind the Volvo SUV in the showroom.

One walks toward you. He's wearing a black vest, massive, billowing white scarf, white baseball pants, and a pair of pink Adidas running shoes. He doesn't introduce himself, but asks you a riddle instead. It has something to do with caterpillars and pillows. You ask if he's the mascot. No, he's a salesman. Did he miss his morning medication? No, it's who he is. You ask to see someone else.

Listen, I love me some dysfunctional. Some unusual. But when it comes to selling - be plain and simple. Black and white.

9. Don't think of your audience - think of her

When it comes to selling online you are not in a conference room (with a chandelier) working a crowd of one hundred ... or a crowd of ten thousand. When you sit down to write, picture yourself selling to one person.

You need to woo her and her alone.

A salesman does the same thing. He works on one customer at a time. Sure, he may be juggling a handful of prospects. But he never addresses these prospects as a group. He focuses on each prospect individually.

10. Study your customer

The best salesman and the best copywriter are both unapologetic students of the customer and product. Another way to put it: it's not about you.

A good copywriter digs into the customer's history, her likes, and dislikes. He studies her friends, her habits. He drills her with questions, bounces ideas off of her. He spends a great deal of time listening and good deal time of shutting his mouth. He never objects to what she says, but finds everything fascinating.

And then he studies the product. He looks for the angle - the hook - that will attract the attention of his customer, stir her desire, and build her interest in the product as if she feels that the product was made for her - and her alone, so not purchasing seems rather silly.

Your turn ...

Great sales copy isn't going to impress your writing professor. It probably isn't going to win any awards.

What it will do, however, is persuade people to buy your product. And make you a good deal of money. That's the "killer" way.

Become a killer today.

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10 Principles for Turning into a Killer (Copywriter) - Copyblogger

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In spite of being a literary snob, when I was first introduced to the world of direct-response copywriting ... I fell in love. I fell in love with the thought of using my writing to influence and persuade people. I also fell in love with the idea of getting rich.