What is advertising copy?

Advertising copy is the written content of an advertisement that aims to promote a product or service, increase brand awareness, and persuade people to take a specific action. It can appear in various forms, such as print ads, television commercials, social media ads, and more.

According to Wells and Moriarty (2012), advertising copy is “the verbal or written part of an ad that communicates the message and establishes a dialogue with the target audience”.

Advertising copy is essential in the marketing industry as it helps businesses communicate their message effectively to their target audience. A well-written advertising copy can increase brand recognition, drive sales, and create a loyal customer base.

Key Attributes or Characteristics of a Successful Advertising Copy

Creating an effective advertising copy is crucial to the success of any marketing campaign. With so much competition out there, it can be challenging to stand out and capture the attention of your target audience. Here are the 5 key attributes of a successful advertising copy:

1. Attention-Grabbing Headline: The headline is the first thing that people see when they come across your advertising copy. It needs to be catchy, attention-grabbing, and intriguing enough to entice the reader to keep reading. According to a study by HubSpot, headlines with numbers or statistics perform 36% better than those without (Morris, 2019). Using a strong headline is essential to get your target audience to engage with your advertising copy.
2. Clear Message: A good advertising copy should communicate its message clearly and concisely. People are busy and don’t have the time or patience to read long, convoluted advertising copy. According to a study by Nielsen Norman Group, readers only read about 20-28% of the text on a web page (Nielsen, 2008). Therefore, it’s essential to get straight to the point and communicate your message in as few words as possible.
3. Unique Selling Proposition (USP): A unique selling proposition is what sets your product or service apart from your competitors. It’s the reason why someone should choose your product or service over others. According to a study by CXL, emphasizing your USP can increase conversions by 30% (Lloyd, 2019). A strong USP is essential to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
4. Emotional Appeal: Emotions play a significant role in the decision-making process of consumers. Therefore, a good advertising copy should tap into the emotions of its target audience. Whether it’s happiness, fear, excitement, or curiosity, the copy should create an emotional connection with the reader. According to a study by the Advertising Research Foundation, emotionally-based ads perform twice as well as those based on rational appeal (Bakker, 2015).
5. Call to Action: A call to action is a statement that tells the reader what action they should take next. Whether it’s to buy a product, subscribe to a newsletter, or contact a business, a clear and compelling call to action is essential to the success of an advertising copy. According to a study by HubSpot, adding a call to action to a website can increase conversions by 85% (Morris, 2019). A strong call to action is essential to convert interested readers into paying customers.

            In conclusion, an effective advertising copy should have an attention-grabbing headline, a clear message, a unique selling proposition, emotional appeal, and a compelling call to action. By incorporating these key attributes into your advertising copy, you can increase engagement, conversions, and ultimately achieve your marketing goals.

References

Bakker, J. (2015). Emotional Advertising: How Brands Use Feelings to Get People to Buy. Retrieved from https://www.adroll.com/blog/marketing/emotional-advertising

Lloyd, A. (2019). What is a Unique Selling Proposition? Why Every Business Needs a USP. Retrieved from https://cxl.com/blog/unique-selling-proposition/

Morris, M. (2019). How to Write Headlines That Drive Traffic, Shares, and Search Results. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-headlines

Nielsen, J. (2008). How Little Do Users Read? Retrieved from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-little-do-users-read/

Nielsen, N. (2017). Visual Attention. Retrieved from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/

Wells, W. D., & Moriarty, S. E. (2012). Advertising: Principles and practice. Pearson.