Effective structure for all kinds of copy
Many people like you who are trying to promote their companies and products in a clear and persuasive way are not sure where to start. Here our expert, Tim Bax a leading copy writer, gives you some tips on how to structure your copy more effectively.
- Always open with a fact. It helps to set the scene by telling your audience what you are going to talk about. Your fact should be non-contentious, so nobody can disagree with it, but never bland. “Fine chemicals are essential to many manufacturing processes, especially in the pharmaceutical sector,” for instance, would be better than “Everyone needs reliable chemical supplies.” Don’t start selling or making product claims right away – that comes across as pushy and off-putting.
- Follow up your fact with a problem that prospects face – what some copywriters call “the pain.” “If you don’t deal with a trustworthy supplier, you risk paying over the odds and receiving sub-standard chemicals.”
- Now they are ready for the offer that solves the problem you just outlined. “Our fairly-priced, guaranteed-quality supply service takes all the trouble (and much of the cost) out of finding the chemicals you need.”
- Before moving to a close there’s one more thing. The offer may have appealed to the audience’s heads, but now we must appeal to their hearts, through the inspiring principle… “And once essential chemical supplies are taken care of for less, you can concentrate on running your business more successfully.”
- Finally comes the call to action. Use words that create a sense of urgency – “Order low-cost, high-quality chemicals today”
These elements can be as long or short as you like, from a line or two as in online ads and emails, to longer paragraphs in press advertising. But unless all are present in some form your message will lack the structure that makes it most effective.
