Writing ads isn't as easy as it looks and there are no rules set in stone for you to follow. But here are some basics to help you get started.

2. The great thing about being creative is
that you can break the rules if you like.
Do your own thing. The only trouble is,
before you break the rules you have to
learn what they are. For the newbie
copywriter, here are a few basics about
writing ads. Learn them now, break them
later!
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3. Words & pictures
Which comes first: the picture or the words? Should
you come up with a killer headline and then a pic to
fit or the other way round? Truth is, it doesn’t matter
one little bit as long as what you do come up with fits
the brief. Weirder still, if you’re working with an art
director, many’s the time that he or she will come up
with the words and you with the visual idea.
Whatever works, works! One thing’s for sure, though.
The headline and visual should complement each
other not duplicate each other.
So if the headline says something like “Using this
product is a piece of cake” for goodness sake don’t
just show a piece of cake. There has to be some
tension between the two or some kind of word play
so that there’s a surprise or pay off for the reader.
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4. Where to start
Any journalist will tell you that a
good article should begin with all the
‘Ws’: Who, What, Where, When,
Why. (And perhaps an ‘H’: How).
They’re things that are likely to be
included in a press ad but not quite
in the same way. You need to get the
benefit of the product across as
quickly as possible. Answer the
reader’s question: “What’s in it for
me?”.
Another good start is to kind of ‘touch base’ with the reader by showing you understand him or her. So you could
begin with a question like “Have you ever…?” and follow up with the solution – your product.
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5. How to End
Having said that, the very end is as
important as the beginning. What do you
want the reader to do? Should they call a
number for more information? Should they
rush down to the shops right away? You’ve
got to give them a ‘Call to action’, an
instruction telling them what they should
do next. In well-crafted copy this call to
action will reference the headline or first
line of copy so as to give a neat sense of
closure and completeness to the whole ad.
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6. Control yourself
As copywriters we all love writing words. But
there’s no bit of copy that couldn’t be
improved by editing. So when you’ve written
your first draft and are congratulating yourself,
“Hmm, that sounds pretty good”, go through it
again and try to cut it back by 20 or 30%. 50%
even. You’ll find that it’s always possible and it
always improves the copy no end making it
tighter, punchier and easier to read. And, as
you’re writing, you should always try to be as
concise as possible.
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7. Practice word economy so, if you can get your
point across in five words, don’t use ten. Same
with sentences. Keep them short and easy-todigest.
Also, use brief paragraphs comprised of around
three to five sentences or approximately 50 to 75
words. The eye tends to get lost while reading
long blocks of text and psychologically, they can
seem overwhelming. It’s important to break up
the copy into easily digestible “bites” of
information.
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8. Watch your tone
In terms of voice, the general rule is to use
second person singular, “you”. We’re trying
to establish a link with our reader so it’s
good to address him or her directly. Too
much “We” can come across as being selfobsessed in a “Look at us, aren’t we good”
kind of a way. No one likes a smartarse.
Referring to your client as “They” or “It” or
“the company” could be okay in some
circumstances but it tends to put a little bit
of distance between you, the writer, and
the thing you’re talking about.
Then again, if you want to come across as authoritative and serious that may be just what you want. As ever, no
rights or wrongs here but it’s something you have to think about before you start.
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9. Most ads are written in a conversational tone of
voice. Imagine you were selling this product to
someone face to face. What would you say
then? Try and introduce that same tone (and
even the same structure of argument) into your
copy. The type of product or service you’re
offering will have a bearing on this too. You’d
adopt a more formal tone of voice to advertise,
say, a law firm than when selling bubble gum.
Try and get in the head of your target audience
and talk their language.
Please let us know what you think of this topic by leaving a short (or long!) comment
below. And sign up now for our regular newsletter at the bottom of the page.
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10. www.beacopywriter.org