Archive for the ‘Internet Writing’ Category

A common error that most letters share, aside from the usual structure problems, is the “voice”. The voice of a letter refers to how the entire message is being put across and not so much about what the letter says. The voice of any sales letter is just as important as the rest of the elements – the big idea, the promise, the proof, the testimonial, the false close and so on. Paying close attention to the voice of your letter covers a totally different realm in your readers – something that is deeper down inside. Having an effective “voice” in your letter is very crucial in eliciting the proper response from your reader. It can either make him or her at feel ease or uncomfortable, trusting or skeptical. Read the rest of this entry »

Anybody in the field of production advertisements (including copywriters) should be familiar at the very least, with the following rules that every advertising material should have in mind.

1. Headlines should be set in bold, Sans Serif font, starting from the upper left corner of the page. Headlines that are set in all capital letters will be significantly less effective as compared to those written in lower case. Read the rest of this entry »

Some think that the more we use adverbs in our sentence construction, the more we improve its meaning. However, adverbs can have their down side. When you excessively used them you might take the meaning of the sentence out of the context.

Don’t get the writers wrong, they use exclamation point and adverbs not to confuse the reader but to provide some good measure. They use adverbs not to distort the meaning of the sentence but to give a deeper understanding by intensifying the verb. But this style had led to a wisecrack called “Tom Swiftie” which puts the joke on adverb.

The adverbs are doing their job well if they support or compliment the verb or the adjective they are modifying. But when used terribly, they just don’t make sense in the sentence because they just repeat the meaning already in it.

In this sentence “The blast completely destroyed the church office.”  The adverb used was “completely” Consider taking it away from the sentence and you’re left with “The blast destroyed the church office” You will notice that there was an effect when the adverb was dropped.

 First, it shortens the sentence. Second, it sharpens the point. Lastly, it gives elbow room for the verb.

 The idea that the sentence can stand independently would mean that even without the adverb the sentence would still mean something on its own. And since you only have the subject and the verb in the main sentence, it provides the meaning directly. This now gives the verb a chance to act on its part. The absence of adverbs can actually work for verbs. Sometimes it’s when they stand alone in the sentence when their vigor is felt.

Excessive use of adverbs reflects the style of immature writers, but even the pros can be caught red handed with this. Writer can be guilty of too much use of adverbs. Adverbs when used improperly could distort the idea. Sometimes they can also be guilty of turning formal statements to informal ones.

Adverbs are mostly used in speech especially in daily conversations. The problem that comes with it is when people try to put it into writing. They sometimes carry with it what they say to what they write. 

Adverbs are not totally bad. They have their effective use in some writing but in as much as possible try to use them in moderation. As they say, too much of something is bad.

When you get a new job and you walk in the office for the first time and everyone just starts watching your every move, yes, they’re all thinking the same thing, “the rookie”. The newbie, the baby, the noob and whatever words use for a beginner, that’s what being a rookie is. Everyone would look at you as something fragile, someone who needs knowledge in the cruel place called employment.

Everyone becomes a rookie, whatever your position is, if it’s your first time, then you’re a rookie. And whether you like or not, you’re a danger because you don’t know the ways and the rules. Being a rookie is difficult because you need to meet expectations and first impressions are always important.

In the advertising and copywriter world, being a rookie is very dangerous. One mistake could cause your job and your company a lot. It’s a jungle in this type of world, you have to compete and you have to survive.

Competition is tough in this world because you need to sell your words and not selling means only one thing, that you’re bad at it. Selling is the main thing in mind when you’re a copywriter. You’re ads should be worthy enough for people to take their wallet for and buy what you are trying to sell, and this is very difficult because your audience can be very confusing sometimes.

The main concept of being a copywriter is to get the message straight. Sometimes when you’re a rookie you tend to get a little out of hand and think that too much “flowery” words sell, well that’s not the case. Getting into point is the best thing you can do, simple and easy are more comprehensible to your reader or audience.

Remember to re-write and do not be afraid of admitting that your work is bad. Re-writing really helps. Focus on your first draft and try to ask questions about your work and then re-write it and try to answer your questions in the next draft. Also, when you see yourself asking the question “so what?” then your ad is not good. The “so what?” question is difficult to answer to your readers or audience, they do not take time to make an effort of taking a second look of your work when they already pass judgment that your work can’t do anything for them. So remember, “so what?” is big NO to your work and never forget it.

Also, remember that if something is peculiar about your work and you can’t pin point it, then it’s not good. Something that is off pitch of your work can ruin your chances of selling. Again remember to be simple and straight to the point.

Rookies are all over the world so you’re not alone. In the advertising and copywriter world, remember that the best tool is to re-write until perfection. Someday, you’ll just wake up and find yourself not a rookie anymore but a professional.

Why can’t you sell your product? Why can’t you effectively advertise your services? Why does a decision maker immediately reject your proposal without second thoughts?

These are the questions that surround your thoughts and being after another rejection, another failure, or another disapproved business proposal. The entrepreneurial world is such a tough haven to penetrate. You make 20 proposals, projects you believe would help your business make profit but it seems that only two, three if you’re lucky, are approved.

What could be the matter? Are your plans so weak that the decision-makers in your department know already this early in time that it’ll never be the success you claim it to be? But you did your research and you believe in all your heart that it’s going to work.

The problem lies in your presentation of these business plans. It is in the words you used to convey your message. It is in the phrases you used to supposedly emphasize your point. These words and phrases are weak and unconvincing. They are what the copywriting industry would call as “words that don’t work”.

No matter how wonderfully made, how creative, or how fool-proof you’re say advertising copy seems to be, your clients still need convincing through the words you use in the copy and in the words you would be using in your presentation.

An example of these words is the adjectives or adverbs “daring”, “bold”, and “experimental”. As much as you are tempted to use these words to describe the product or service you’re making an advertising copy on, think again. Studies show that these words aren’t effective and persuasive enough. They simply won’t work on your clients and neither will it on your product’s target market.

You can use these words instead to describe the product’s competition especially the word “experimental”; say theirs or the competitor’s product is still on its experimental phase. You can use this word in warning the product’s market of how the competition is yet to test the product, of how untested products can turn out to be very unreliable. This should result in your client-company’s getting the bulk of the market and in your advertising copy’s being approved for actual production.

Phrases, on the other hand, that should be avoided include “flexible pricing”, “a huge return on investment”, and “take everyone’s wishes into account”. These are phrases that simply won’t work and will get you nowhere if you insist on using them. Decision-makers have preferences and it would be better if you go along with this prefer-ability if you want that advertising copy of yours to succeed and see production.

Truly, it’s in the words and the phrases. Being creative and interesting won’t be enough. You have got to use the words and phrases that will “work” for the decision-makers.