How to Write a Good Advertisement...

CHAPTER 2-SHOW PEOPLE AN ADVANTAGE

Highlight (yellow) - You’re on Both Sides of the Counter > Page 44 · Location 994

Millions of advertising dollars are wasted every year because what I want to hear has nothing to do with what you want to say . ”

Highlight (yellow) - What Do People Want? > Page 45 · Location 1006

Show people — in words , or pictures , or both — what they can save , gain , or accomplish with your product . . . how it will increase this : their mental , physical , financial , social , emotional , or spiritual stimulation , satisfaction , self - respect , well - being , or security .

Highlight (yellow) - What Do People Want? > Page 45 · Location 1009

people — in words , or pictures , or both — what risks , worries , losses , mistakes , embarrassments , doubts , drudgery , or other undesirable conditions your product will help them to avoid , lessen , or eliminate . . . how it will decrease this : their fear of poverty , illness or accident , discomfort , boredom , offense to others , and the loss of business , personal , or social prestige or advancement .

Highlight (yellow) - HOW SHALL WE SELECT OUR COPY APPEAL? > Page 57 · Location 1237

Mark O’Dea once wrote : “ To know the mass mind is no simple matter — to interpret what to do when one learns it is a greater problem . The inclination of an advertiser or writer who lives a conservative life is to be conservative in addressing others , possibly using an intellectual approach , whereas his audience can be moved only by the emotions . ”

Highlight (yellow) - HOW SHALL WE SELECT OUR COPY APPEAL? > Page 58 · Location 1247

“ It’s not the taste of the angler that counts : it’s the taste of the fish . ”

CHAPTER 3-PROVE IT

Highlight (yellow) - The Kind of Facts to Get > Page 71 · Location 1488

Now , what kinds of facts may be used as proof material — the proof of what your product will do for people . The following is my amplified version of those listed by the late G . B . Hotchkiss . I . CONSTRUCTION EVIDENCE includes any facts about materials and manufacture of the product . Specifications of quality concerning ingredients , design , and details of workmanship in the product itself . To itemize them more specifically : A . Reputation and Standing as a Firm How long in business , size — resources of plant , laboratory , finance , and other inanimate facilities — company policies indicative of its integrity , experience , and reputation — geographic , climatic , or other advantages of location which have a favorable bearing upon the merit and value of the product or service being sold .

Highlight (yellow) - The Kind of Facts to Get > Page 73 · Location 1533

Commendations , such as : A . Performance evidence in the form of letters , statements , or records of the experience of typical actual users . Baron Rothschild , the great banker , was once asked to make a business loan . “ It’s a sound loan , ” he replied . “ Yet present plans won’t permit me to lend you the money . But I will walk with you across the Exchange floor . ” He did — and the loan was at once made by another banker who saw them together . The baron’s mere gesture was a sufficient testimonial to the integrity of the borrower . “ Who says what ” about your product can make strong advertising copy . What you say is naturally subject to a certain amount of discount by the reader . Who supports your claims ? The “ dead storage ” files of many an advertiser bulge with sincere , unsolicited , gratuitous endorsements — crammed with the most effective copy of all : the enthusiastic “ here’s what happened ” case - history reports of those whose true experience with the product would carry more selling power than anything the advertiser himself might ever have the temerity to claim for it .

CHAPTER 6-HOW LONG SHOULD THE COPY BE?

Highlight (yellow) - HOW TO DECIDE THE BEST COPY LENGTH > Page 123 · Location 2395

How often we have all seen leaders become followers because they “ coasted along on their names ” ; while followers ( or even utter new - comers in the field ) became leaders because they put , and kept , the selling pressure on .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 128 · Location 2485

Don’t wait too long to introduce your first subhead . Some ads run three or four paragraphs before exhibiting their first one . Two short opening paragraphs and then your first subhead is not a bad rule to observe .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 128 · Location 2488

If your body matter is pretty long and ( for the reasons set forth above ) you are using a main top subhead as a sort of secondary headline , tie the first phrase of it up , definitely and directly , with the idea or promise of the headline itself . Then , in the last phrase of it , put in some good specific “ come hither . ” Make this secondary headline point the way to the promise of consumer benefits , helpful information , satisfaction of curiosity , entertainment , or news which the body matter itself is going to offer the reader . Such promises of specific , soon - to - be - given information help to get readers into the body matter itself .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 128 · Location 2495

Make some of your subheads interrogative in form — to excite curiosity and interest in the body matter which follows . Ask a question to which people will want to read the answer . Avoid declarative subheads that answer themselves — that don’t lead anywhere . Start some with interesting questions beginning with Why , When , How , Which , How Much , etc .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 128 · Location 2497

In some ads you can make your subheads

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 128 · Location 2498

progressively sequential in character , a kind of Sequential Subhead Synopsis of the sales story which the body matter tells more fully . This helps to keep your reader with you through the entire body matter ; aids in energizing the ad as a “ vehicle ” for carrying the reader toward the action you want him to take .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 129 · Location 2500

Integrate your subheads into the plan and context of the copy . Don’t virtually sprinkle them out of a shaker after the ad is written . They are closely knit links between your presentations of buying reasons . They are there to advance the copy story , not as static , mechanical devices of mere punctuation .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 129 · Location 2503

Sometimes you can use subheads in a form which will convey , in display , most of your principal sales points . In this form they provide a synopsized sales story which will get across to glancers , who do not read any more of your ad than this quick - flash epitomization .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 129 · Location 2505

Some subheads reiterate in capsule form the information already given in the preceding paragraph of the body matter . That doesn’t get you anywhere . Instead , make each subhead capsulize the “ news lead ” of what the next paragraph or section of the body matter is going to reveal to the reader . Lead him on with subheads that move forward .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 129 · Location 2509

Make your subheads stand out physically . Set them larger than , and in a face of type which is different from , that used for the body matter . If they don’t stand out from your body matter you defeat one of your purposes — which is to break up that matter and thus make it look more inviting to read . Your other purpose in using subheads is to hold and amplify interest . But if they don’t stand out physically they can’t flag the reader’s attention and thus win any opportunity to capture and build up his interest .

Highlight (yellow) - THE LOWLY SUBHEAD > Page 129 · Location 2513

Don’t worry too much about the fact that using subheads liberally , and displaying them prominently enough to make them worth using , may make your ad look a little more spotty , unsymmetrical , or inartistic . Remember , you are not creating a work of art . You are creating a work of business . You are trying to get your copy read more thoroughly so that it will do a better selling job . It should now be obvious to you that subheads may seem lowly merely because so little has ever been written about them . Actually , when well - planned and liberally used , they can be a more powerful factor in an advertisement than you may have ever fully realized .

CHAPTER 7-HOW TO GET MORE INQUIRIES

Highlight (yellow) - SEVEN OTHER FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ADVERTISEMENT > Page 147 · Location 2832

Naturally its size has a vital bearing on how much attention an advertisement will get and , if pulling for inquiries , how many it will bring . Concerning the latter , it is a mistake to assume that large - space advertisements will produce increased inquiries in direct proportion to their size . For example , experience indicates that a full - page advertisement will not bring twice as many inquiries as a half page ; it is more likely to produce about two - thirds as many more inquiries .

CHAPTER 13-THE HARD-BOILED ATTITUDE-AND HOW TO ACQUIRE IT

Highlight (yellow) - The Tougher the Job, the Better the Copy > Page 196 · Location 3665

“ The ads that are gentle and without guile are the ads of people who have never had to rely on advertising to get out in the brash market and bite and kick their way to success . They have depended more on salesmen or on dealers whom they could induce to sell their lines .

CHAPTER 14-RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

Highlight (yellow) - Page 222 · Location 4158

Thomas Edison gave the answer to the professionally opinionated when he said , “ The next time you are tempted to ignore the viewpoint of another person , remember , it is fairly unusual for anybody , or anything , to be 100 % wrong . Even a stopped clock is right twice a day . ”

#copywriting #source/book📚