How Important is Copywriting For Advertising and Marketing?

What is copywriting?

It is the creation of the message that ideally will compel the recipient to take action and become a client, customer, or patient. There is a time-proven formula that provides the foundation from which all copywriting can be judged for effectiveness and that is what we are going to discuss here.

The formula can easily be remembered by the acronym AIDA. This stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Although the variances of each component may be limitless, the actual sequence must be followed if results are to be achieved. Let’s look at each segment individually.

Attention – This can be likened to a headline in a news story. It must be compelling enough as you only have a few seconds to be able to go to the next step. It can be in the form of a picture, a sound or sound effect, a video, a statement, or just about anything else that can be conveyed in just a second or two. Examples might be “Save 50% Now”, Clear clog drains fast”, Get whiter teeth”… etc. In essence, the Attention getter may generally be a short statement, visual, or sound of what defines the final value from using the product or service.

Interest – Ok you got my attention, now what? You now have a little more time but you must go into the specifics of “how” and “why” the product or service will get me the benefits that I seek. What does it do? How does it work? Why would I want to consider it at all? It must follow the lead from the Attention getter and flow into creating an “emotional” appeal to go to the next step. “For two days only the XXX store has slashed the prices on every XXX in the store!” It is the mechanics of the offer.

Desire– This may be the part that creates the most challenge for the copywriter, but it is as important as each of the other parts of the formula. This is where you must convey the benefits of having or using the product or service will bring. It should expand on the emotion created in the Interest stage so that the prospect wants to have those benefits. “You will get a tremendous lifetime of enjoyment from the XXX that you want while saving XXX!” Another way to look at it is that the Interest stage explains the features while the Desire stage focuses on the benefits of having those features.

Action – This is where the “rubber meets the road”. None of the aforementioned matters unless your prospects take action and purchases or otherwise takes advantage of your product or service! This is done in the form of a direct command with time urgency. You have gotten Attention, created Interest, attained Desire, and now it’s time for Action! “Hurry to XXX today to take advantage of this incredible offer!”
Of course, this “formula” provides only the basics from which your successful campaign should begin. There is much more that can be done to further increase the effectiveness and hence the results from your campaign.
For more insight on how to create and implement a truly effective marketing campaign contact Direct Mail Xperts today to take advantage of their experienced advertising and marketing professionals who want to help you get the very highest rate of return on your advertising investment! Call 888-671-3115 now or on the web at www.directmailxperts.com!