Copy Writing Under Pressure

Mike O'Malley hosted a Client-Wide Conference Call on creative copywriting with Dan O'Day (www.danoday.com) Dan has conducted hundreds of seminars and workshops world-wide on important issues related to our business. Dan took an hour with us on the subject of “Copywriting Under Pressure. Here are the highlights from our call.

ON DEALING WITH WRITER’S BLOCK
You have the time, but can’t get started or you get started but get stuck

• Once cause is lack of information (hasn’t worked out the story, or know the characters well enough)
• Stopping and getting the information often leads to copy ideas, themes

• Ideas for client conversations:
• How did you get started
• The one thing you love best about running business (for restaurant – it’s seeing guests’ delight in the food)
• What’s the one biggest misunderstanding about your business (may give you idea for either a story or a piece of the copy)
• People have stories about the businesses they are in
• Talk to people who use the service (why do you buy so many shoes, how do you choose which stores to shop in)

Other ideas:

• Just put something on the page

• Don’t end your workday when you finish a segment (chapter), start writing the next part so tomorrow you’re working on something that’s already in progress (which makes it easier than starting with a blank page)

• Write a bad commercial quickly – then pick one thing in copy to make something huge – exaggerate concept to be ridiculous

• Think of someone who you care about/know for a long time, write them a letter to convince that person to buy product or service – not a sales pitch, but in how you’d normally speak with them. Write form the heart as if you’re trying to convince a dear friend to do something good for them, not a sales pitch.

• Start with, “you’ve got to be an idiot not to…” and continue writing; you probably won’t use this phrase, but it will help you come up with good copy points

• Discover the client’s USP – Unique Selling Proposition – not what makes you different, but “why should I give my money to you instead of a competitor”
• Don’t know? Ask customers why they bought this product from this store today”

ON DEALING WITH PHONE NUMBERS IN COMMERCIALS

• Goal is not to make an unmemorable number memorable; trying to get them to write it down; make them care.

• Unless the desired action is to have them call, don’t include the phone number.

BE ENGAGING QUICKLY AND SUCCINCTLY

• Cut out the fluff

• If’ it’s not strengthening the sales message, it doesn’t belong in the promo or spot

• Core message: the ONE message you want the target to hear, understand and remember

TOP 3 DO’S AND DON’TS

• Do capture attention of target listener from the very first moment of the commercial

• Do pick core message and devote 100% of spot to it, including evaluating everything in terms of how well it sells the core

• Do sell results of the product or services (not benefits); feature – care has 4 doors. Benefit: easier to get in and out of backseat; Result: so when you do car pool, you get ids in and out more easily
• Don’t make commercial brochure for client business

• Don’t try to cram too much info into commercial

• Don’t talk about advertiser, talk about how the product or service will help target’s life

ON IMPROVING THE AUTHORITY OF THE COPYWRITER

• To help client let station write copy instead of themselves, position copywriter as an expert from the beginning, not brought in later; too late to be perceived as expert when you come in mid-stream