Convince Me—How to Write Compelling Ad Copy

As a homeschooler, you are determined and driven. 

You invest time and resources.  

You create, with ideas and inventions.

 Now that you're ready to strut-your-stuff to the world . . .

What do you say?

Many of you turned your creativity into merchandise or a service worth promoting—a web site, unique product, or family business. You may be interested in self publishing: professional blogging, writing curriculum, or plugging your E-Book.

What do you know about marketing? Or writing advertising copy?  

With my experience as a marketing copywriter in the homeschool sect, I'd love to share a few things I've learned with you. How you present yourself and your product is essential, and writing effective ad copy could make a big difference for you. Read on, and utilize these tips to help you look your best—writing fresh, inviting, and exciting ad copy. 

Convince Me—

How to Write Compelling Ad Copy

 Advertisements are almost everywhere, used in a wide variety of mediums. Do people want to be bored, or engaged by what they are reading? Which ads do you like best?

What's the focus behind every ad you see? Securing the SALE—how to reach those millions who need a particular product or service, and how to get them to buy, sign up, support, or take that one-step leap to purchasing. 

Writing ads could be compared to writing in general. Its words should appeal to the reader (the audience) and in the case of an ad, it appeals to the reader/buyer. All writing has a purpose intended to cause a reader to react or act. 

Compelling ads aim to get the viewer to do something in particular. This is the call to action, the essential part of all ad copies. Competition is great, so what compels a potential customer to act or buy?  . . . A well composed spiel or ad copy that meets the consumers’ need, along with several extras!

A persuasive ad contains certain elements enabling it to succeed. Some would appear to be common sense items you'd expect to include: 

• Gripping, enticing headline (it pulls you in)
• High-interest features drawing attention to your message
• Attractive display
• Relevant information
• Informal style
• Explanation of benefits
• Believable, credible, and excellent content
• Positive and cheerful approach (keep away from negatives)
• Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar
• Legible, concise, and complete
• Business contact, endorsements, and ordering information
• Reasonable price range (too high or low could cost you the sale)

 To write advantageous ads, you'll consider including: 

• An active “personal” voice (individual style or rhythm)
• Promise of benefits (with reminders)
• Testimonials
• Freebies, demos, sales, deals, deadlines
• Carefully chosen words and illustrations
• Short headlines of up to three words
• Bullets, side bars and text displays
• Italics, underscoring, highlights (not to excess, and don’t use all CAPS)
• Short paragraphs
• A separate, specifically crafted order card
• Key words (wanted/why/how/which) used to capture a striking headline
• Signature, logo, and identity information

There's more to consider though, if you want to be the one scoring phone calls and making sales.

Ad-copy writing is a creative, artistic one, endorsing your company’s exclusive expression of ideas. There is more than doing an “A to Z” on your check-off list. It attracts attention by sight, ear, or emotion. 

The overall design or style of the ad is pleasing to the eye, visually balanced, and in unity with the text. The visual imagery is impressive. Use of color and artistic elements are included in your design, and this is where a graphic artist/designer can assist you. I encountered this expression in my marketing study:  

“The finished ad is the symphony composed of many perfect notes.” 

I like music and I like that picture thought!

The rule of thirds is a helpful guideline as you sketch the first rough of your ad. The first third designates the headline, the second is reserved for the illustration, and the last third is for the copy and signature. 

An important component is the white space included as part of the design. Adequate white space generates a feeling of being open-fresh-clean, and enhances readability.  I like to think of white space as frames and boarders that set off your important information. Simplicity should rule, not clouding your single message with clutter. This includes text as well as illustrations. 

What works for one product may not work for another, and your particular product won’t interest everyone in the world (in most cases). Individuality plays an important role here. Speak to your specific viewers addressing them as such (college students, teachers, classic car owners, loved ones of cancer victims, etc). Customize and adapt to their interests.

The ad copy’s unique style is a representation of you or your company and its voice has to fit its image and be compatible with your target audience. This is a major selling point. Logos, captions, banners and graphics used in connection with company image are remembered. 

Customers will be impacted to repeat business with you.  Know what your business represents and can do in detail. Take a close look at your competitors. Keep the needs of the customer in mind, not the needs of the company’s. Think in terms of the benefits for the consumer that you can offer him. Knowing your prospective customers and what they want, and knowing your business in terms of what the shopper will buy, are basics to success.

These three essential “E"s will grab and influence the viewer in a profound way: 

• One is the advantageous role that emotion plays. Making an emotional connection with your readers links your product (or service or company) to them. The readers identify with something in the ad and it incites them, desiring them to be like what they see or envision in their mind, or may be to help-a-cause or fill-a-need. Most often this comes from a photograph but sometimes an illustration will work. Emotions like love, anger, passion, pride, freedom, or fear, are often used. As an example, think of a photo of an attractive couple embracing, featured on a cabin rental advertisement in a magazine. (That could be me!) The National Guard ads are also great examples. (Be all you can be!) Sometimes a few well chosen words alone can stir up an emotional response. I'm thinking of a certain ad that I hesitate to include here, but the headline alone conjures up imaginary images in your mind (it may even shock you enough that you simply can’t forget it!) It could elicit a negative response on purpose (somewhat risky), though it’s better to stick with positive based promotions. Humor is another touchy area that may be difficult to use effectively.
• Empathy is emotion's sister. You are establishing a trusting friendship with your clients through your ad, and it lets them know that you understand their problem and that you can help provide the solution. A homeschool product ad with a photo of a mother seated at the table with smiling children reading a book together, with a message offering to make my job easier (because they know how difficult it can be at times) is sympathetic to my situation. It just may be that what you are offering is exactly what the customer needs and desires (sold!).
• You’ve heard that enthusiasm is contagious, and it’s fundamental to dazzling, convincing ads. Get excited! Write in a conversational tone with zeal! Help fulfill the dreams of your patrons while you fulfill your own.

 When you've completed your work-of-art ad and after following all the rules of the advertising game, you can be pretty sure it'll work to its best capacity for you. But, there are always exceptions and occasionally it's fine to break those rules on purpose. I'm thinking of a Lambert's (throwed rolls) Cafe billboard in Springfield, Missouri where the entire sign is upside down capitalizing on its Heads Up theme in the headline! A little distance down the road you find the exact same sign is placed right side up. That’s a successful ploy done deliberately. And Lambert’s always has lines of people outside waiting their turn for that fun roll throwing. I am sure it’s just one little element in their marketing scheme.

These four “D” reminders will assist you in writing good ad copy:

• Dazzle your prospects
• Draw them into the ad’s content creating a sense of urgency
• and Drive them  
• to Do what you want.

There’s a lot of creative energy, imagination, skill, intuition, common sense, courage and plain old experience involved in ad copy writing. While I believe it is a fun process, I hope you have a new appreciation for writing artistic ad copy and are eager to apply this material that will aid you in reaching your marketing goals.

About Kathy: Back in 2008, she put into practice what she learned through personal study and in a marketing class  taught by the professional ladies at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine where she worked as a marketing copywriter for several years. She is an RN, a freelance writer, and contributor to the E-Book: To Market, To Market: Selling to the Home Education Sector. 

Could you use an opinion or a little help with writing your ads?  Email Kathy at: simplynaturalhomeschool@yahoo.com.

Tricks that Encourage Young Writers

I often hear from homeschooling moms who ask me how to motivate their kids to write and to enjoy writing. What is the trick, they want to know. There are a number of things that could contribute to their dilemma and many ways they can begin to implement good habits leading toward inspiring children to enjoy writing.

Writers learn by writing.

Perhaps young students have been pressured into writing before they were ready. Maybe the required writing activities held no real interest or meaning to the child. A lack of a good read-aloud diet and good oral skills could be the cause of immature language development. Kids are not made from a cookie cutter mold but there are some tricks (if you prefer to call them that) that will help your students become more interested and engaged in writing pursuits. Let's look at these closer.

Writers are comfortable writing.

Writing is hard work. Kids need plenty of time to get comfortable with writing—even the use of a crayon or pencil. Aren't most little kids pleased as punch with their new discovery in drawing (writing): You find your child's pictorial portrait on the wall or creative signature on the side of the house, crayon marks on the curtains, and marker stains on clothes and skin, etc. But some kids haven't had enough time to develop before they are suddenly required to make these neat little lines and circles and stay between the lines—and it's simply boring. Boring to those that already have a good grasp on things and boring and frustrating for those just starting to form letters and understand the process. Don't rush the process too soon if met with defiance.

When my guys were small most of them had a great vocabulary but slowly emerging writing skills. We did a lot of oral narration. I would write down what they dictated to me. This could be in the format of a letter to Grandma, a story that we made into a book, or a funny poem to be shared or just a retelling of something they learned or experienced. Oral "writing" is a prelude to the writing process. Once they get good at oral communication, the next step is getting what's in their brain onto their paper. Copywork can be used effectively here, as they copy what you have written down for them.

Writing takes patience and lots of practice. The best writers tell us the more they write the better they write. Give your kids time to practice their wonderful new language skills with plenty of encouragement. Help them brainstorm for ideas when appropriate. Editing is also a major part of writing which they learn as they go, but be careful, too much criticism too soon will only backfire. Let them get those thoughts down without worrying about spelling and correct punctuation just yet. Find positive things to say about a funny word or interesting thought or sentence that they used. Keep the atmosphere a lighthearted one.

Writers are good readers.

I mentioned a read-aloud diet. The avid reader is most always a better writer; they go hand in hand. I found this to be true in my own family. My oldest son learned to read early at age five, was fluent by seven, and adored reading. He was also a natural writer. The two middle boys were late readers who weren't fluent until ages 10 and 11. My last son was sort of average and in between the others but he was slower in language development—it just did not come easily to him. For all the boys, reading aloud offered them the ability to hear the words and gain proper grammar and excellent language syntax in which to base their internal linguistic processes. It all certainly pays off big time in creating a love for the written word and its capabilities. Kids who are not read to often and who may be less than great readers will most certainly be far behind their peers who are.

Writers are curious minded, and good communicators with many interests.

What excites your child and what interests do they have? How can you develop these into a writing passion? You don't want to stifle your child's natural curiosity and many kids get turned off in school subjects by having to digest and spit back endless amounts of information that have no real interest or meaning to them. I don't know who makes up those elementary scope and sequence charts or who writes those snippety texts, but I refused to follow their classroom focus. Instead search out real living exciting books that grab interest. Look for colorful language and stimulating detail about the subject matter. Let them get their hands dirty. It could make a huge difference in how your children view learning and their desire to learn more and to express themselves through words and writing about those interests. Hey, if you haven't given lapbooks a try, I highly encourage you to give it a whirl.

Writers write for a reason.

My boys always wanted to know the relevancy behind what I asked them to do. It wasn't good enough if I said, "because I said so," plus I could see their point. Why not make the things I asked them to do useful? What is relevant? How can I turn this writing assignment into something useful in the real world? After all, isn't that what I was preparing them for—the real world?

Writers need an audience.

Everyone has something to say, in their own unique voice. Keeping a journal is wonderful in and of itself and I certainly encourage kids to do this, however, it makes a big difference when they are able to share their writing and impact an audience other than themselves. Getting feedback on a job well done is important and the encouragement will spur them on to continue writing and consider other projects. There are many ways to do this, from reading a paper to Dad and sending a thank-you note, to getting a poem published in a magazine, or even publishing your own E-Book.

Over the years we made homemade books, wrote book reviews (Amazon.com and the local newspaper), started the Homeschool Gazette and participated in other newsletters for kids, wrote letters to family, sent anonymous Scripture notecards, made scrapbook pages, narrated, participated in homeschool classes, blogged, entered contests, wrote letters to the editor, made up written tests for friends and family, acted out stories, gave oral presentations, participated in a local theater workshop and wrote play scripts, wrote letters to companies about their products, and much more.

Writing is habit forming. 

Make it special, make it fun, and write everyday if possible. Enjoy, and remember that parents should share what they write with their children also. That's one of the best models children can have, to see Mom and Dad enthusiastically engaged in writing.

Writing is not a school activity, it's a lifestyle habit that is necessary, pleasurable, and rewarding.

Our Homeschool Gazette Story (Newspapers and Reporters Unit Study)

One of the best unit studies we ever did resulted in a wonderful way of sharing what we were learning and writing with other homeschoolers around the world. This is taken from our web site Homeschool Gazette. We no longer accept submissions there, nor do we have a newsletter, but you'll find some creative ideas and encouraging information. ~Kathy

Since age seven, Josiah took off with reading. He loved 3-2-1 Contact, Ranger Rick, and Highlights magazines. His favorite was Reader's Digest, in which I had to rip out any unwanted articles that I preferred to hide from him. I so enjoyed seeing him curled up with a book, and hear him chuckle at something funny he had read.

Writing was a different story. He had a vivid imagination and could sometimes narrate his ideas, but he seemed to balk at attempts to write on his own, outside of simple thank you notes and short letters to grandma. I felt he needed a reason to write.

An inexpensive work book caught my attention in a homeschool catalog - Newspaper Reporters (an introduction to newspaper writing), published by Teacher Created Materials. At age nine, Josiah, and Gideon, seven, began a unit study on "Newspapers and Reporters". My idea was to study various aspects of good writing related to newspaper and magazine type articles, try writing their own similar articles using our word processor, culminating the study with a newsletter filled with their writings to share with family and friends. The boys thought it sounded like fun. It worked out to be one of the best ideas I've ever had!

Grandma sent a Sunday paper from Ocala, Florida. We lived in Washington state at the time and I wanted a different perspective on the news to study from. We used the workbook but only as a guide to meet our own desires and needs, feeling free to skip parts that we had no interest in (like writing sports stories) or that were redundant, unnecessary, or unappealing to the boys. It had some great ideas though that we had fun using.

Before long, the boys compiled articles, poems, ads, puzzles, cartoons, and a contest. Josiah wrote a humorous piece after reading the Dave Barry columns. He wrote a feature article on traveling through New York state, requiring research. Gideon dictated an intriguing work of prose about springtime. We studied layout, headlines, art, advertising, weather, proofreading, interviews, and editorials. Some of Josiah's work was half narrated, which helped ease his way into writing on his own.

At the time we were ready to embark on our own newsletter compilation, a real live computer had just arrived in our living room! The timing was perfect. Our study turned to computers and learning how to set up our newsletter using Publisher software. We turned out our first Homeschool Gazette soon afterward. The computer became an instant love, and Josiah absorbed knowledge incredibly, as if by osmosis. The newsletter turned out so nice, we all had the idea to continue it, making it a publication that our friends (most all homeschoolers) could participate in. [We published it faithfully for close to five years. Josiah designed and maintains this web site, and other homeschoolers from around the world are welcome to participate.] But best of all, Josiah is a writer, and an editor. When he gets an idea, he can whip out an article on the computer and he enjoys it.

During this particular time of study, we concentrated on writing and language arts. Only a smattering of math was accomplished apart from facts review. We read a lot together, and discussed what we liked about the articles we read and what we didn't like. I also participated by writing some of my own articles to share with the boys. It was a very enjoyable time for all of us. As a side note, I have heard home school moms say to me, "But you are so creative. I could never do what you do!" Perhaps they are afraid to try. We are ALL creative, and just need to act on our ideas. Relax, and let your God inspired creative ideas go wild...

P.S. Our boys are presently 22, 19, 16, & 13.