Steve Slaunwhite - The Everything Guide to Writing Copy: From Ads and Press Release to On-Air and Online Promos—All You Need to Create Copy That Sells

THE
EVERYTHING
Guide to Writing Copy

Dear Reader,
I became a copywriter by accident. During an earlier sales career, I was asked by my boss to take a stab at writing a new product brochure. At the time, I didnt know a thing about persuasive writing. But I gave it my best shot.

To my surprise, I found copywriting fascinating, challenging, and fun. Soon I was reading everything I could get my hands on about the subject and picking the brains of some of the top experts in the field. I had stumbled upon a new passionand a new career.

That was fifteen years ago. The most important lesson Ive learned during that time is that effective copywriting focuses on the customer. So this book is structured with youthe customerin mind. Whether your task is to create a sales letter that sizzles, a Web site that converts, an advertisement that jumps off the page, or any other promotional piece, youll find the help you need in these chapters.

And if youre interested in making copy writing your business or career, this book includes advice on making that happen, too.

Persuasively yours!

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DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Elizabeth Kassab

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GUIDE TO
WRITING COPY

From ads and press releases to on-air and
online promosall you need to create copy that sells!

Steve Slaunwhite

To my daughter, Erin. The most fascinating person on the planet.

Copyright 2007, F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.

www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN-10: 1-59869-251-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-59869-251-8
eISBN: 978-1-44052-403-5
Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Slaunwhite, Steve.
The everything guide to writing copy / Steve Slaunwhite.
p. cm. (The everything series).
ISBN-13: 978-1-59869-251-8 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-59869-251-8 (pbk.)
1. Advertising copy. I. Title.

HF5825.S63 2007
659.132dc22
2007010848

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Sales letter sample used with permission of Ivan Levison & Associates Sales brochure excerpt used with permission of Kudzu Graphics Copywriter sales letter used with permission of Pam Magnuson

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

Contents

A cknowledgments

Id like to thank Lisa Laing, my sage and very patient acquisitions editor.

The following copywriters and other experts kindly contributed samples to this book: Michael Huggins, Ivan Levison, Pam Magnuson, Ed Gandia, Diane Autey, Neil Sagebiel, Oliver Sutherns, and Dianna Huff. Shannon Diederich provided invaluable assistance on some key chapters.

A big thank-you to my family for putting up with me during my marathon writing sessions.

And, finally, special thanks to Colleen Sell for recommending me for this project. (I owe you one, pal!)

The Top Ten Traits of Killer Copy

It has an attention-grabbing headline that instantly resonates with the people reading it (your target market).

It lets readers know you get them by telling a compelling story that is relevant to their world.

It promises a benefit to the reader that is unique to the product being promotedor that puts a unique spin on a benefit shared by, but not being touted by, competitors.

It speaks to readers rather than about products (or whatever is being promoted) and uses specifics to show how the product satisfies a desire or solves a problem of the reader.

It is written in a conversational tone.

It uses simple, meaningful, lively, and sincere language.

It has a rhythm and a logical flow of information so as to guide the reader seamlessly through the text from the first word to the last.

It inspires and instructs the reader to actby using words that appeal to the readers emotions and including a directive that tells them what you want them to do: Give us a try!, Call today!, Order now!

It is clean and polishedfree of typos, improper typographical treatments (bold, italics, oversized type, fancy fonts), and errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

It compliments and plays off of the graphic elements of the piece.

Introduction

ONE OF THE GREATEST COPYWRITERS OF ALL TIME was P.T. Barnum. Hes the guy who made the Barnum and Bailey Circus such an enduring success and created such memorable slogans as The greatest show on earth. In 1850, he took an unknown Swedish singer and, purely through the effectiveness of the ads and posters he wrote, caused a sensation when she arrived in America. More than 30,000 cheering fanswho had never heard her sing a note!met her ship at New York harbor.