Brown Box Reveals 8 Ways For Business Owners To Succeed With Advertising
Why does this paragraph contain eleven words not more or less?
Because David Ogilvy told me so. He’s one of the best known advertising men of America’s recent history and I recently read his book “Confessions of an Advertising Man” - which lays out ways for companies to sell their product the same way he was amazingly successful for his clients.
8 ways to succeed with advertising according to one of the most successful ad men ever.
Headlines
1. Headlines are the most important element of your advertising. If you haven’t sold something in your headline you’ve wasted opportunity. Use it to flag down the readers who are prospects for the kind of product you are advertising. If you are writing to mothers use MOTHERS in the copy.
2. Include your brand name and arouse curiosity so people read on.
Body Copy
3. Get straight to the point.
4. Avoid superlatives, generalisations and platitudes. Be specific and factual but don’t be boring - tell the truth but be fascinating.
Photos and Pictures
5. Photography sells more than illustrations. Colour photographs sell more than black and white photographs.
6. Always include ’story appeal’, it makes people stop and take notice.
If You Are Writing A Lot of Copy
7. Make the first paragraph just 11 words long.
8. Paragraphs should be short and easily read - use language that people reading will understand. Speak in the language of the day and remember to be interesting.
Well that’s 8 ways for you to succeed with advertising - there are a lot more from Ogilvy’s book, but we think these are very important to take note of whenever you’re writing for advertising or making your own.
Bonus
9. If you’re selling to men - try and use men in your photography, if you want to sell to women use women in your ad or babies. If you use families in your photo - it doesn’t appeal much to anyone and is much less effective.
