Know-How Exchange : Copywriting

Hi Mary! This is a common problem. I am in marketing and sales. I make printed brochures and web sites for my own products/services as well as others so this is a familiar conundrum.

In my experience, people get so hung up on what the thing will look like that it overshadows their focus on the content. I take a goal-oriented approach the creation of brochures and web sites so my rule is that *form follows function*. Good pieces should be as visual as possible, but even visuals as well as words represent the content of the message. So, both the words and the visuals require the same primary messaging development process.

When creating for myself or supporting others, I start with the *function and goals* for the piece. Successful objectives will make a successful brochure. Ill-defined objectives (or not defined at all) will lead to the waste of time, money and effort so time spent on this first step is an investment in the success of the piece.

Then conduct primary development of the content, *writing copy* in a plain-text editor (which puts more focus on the words themselves.) The copy should be worked over at least several times in a distillation process to help the copy gain efficiency by saying more with less. (Probably what separates professional copywriters from novices is measured in the dedication to refining copy. The best salespeople also practice this verbally.)

I suggest that you develop a rule-of-thumb for your company materials for the number of words to target by examining previously successful examples. Most people over-estimate the amount of copy they can fit onto a brochure. Set the word count lower to force people to say more with less. As an exercise in the training, you might separate content from form with a few successful pieces to show the realistic amount of copy involved.

Once the goals and primary content are assembled, then we *look at the form*. This is efficient for many reasons. Maybe the original idea was for a certain form factor (sell sheet), but the refined content will have more impact in another form (down to postcard or up to brochure.) Also, bare content can be more readily repurposed in other formats like web pages, videos, PowerPoint and more.

From there, some give and take will be required to *develop the form and fine-tune fit the content* and visuals for best presentation. But once the objectives are clear and the copy is refined, that process will be easier to manage.

When people tell you they have trouble getting started writing copy without a layout or graphic design to guide them/inspire them, they are really saying they don't know where to start. Their only stated goal at that point is to have a brochure in hand. The designers claiming they need content are really saying they are not the deciders of the function and outcomes from the piece.

You make a good point regarding focus on benefits from features, but I take that further to a *focus on problem solving*. Challenge your attendees to have a laser focus on *problem identification and solution presentation* from the consumer's point-of-view (consumer generically meaning the person who will interact with the piece.) The best marketers can best identify the focus, priorities, values and patience of the consumer.

That consumer focus, when adopted, should overcome the issues of we, us, features, too many words and lack of directing consumer to the best action. Look at marketing from Apple for prime example of these issues.

There are more advanced things you can get into such as writing to personnas, the psychology of specific colors or visuals and layout placement, but start with the basic goals above which are required before advanced techniques will make a real difference.

Hope this helps.

-steve

The development of marketing materials requires a creative team that consists of an art director/designer and a copywriter. Neither comes "first." They work together, often in an iterative fashion.

But a good creative team won't take on a project at all unless and until they have a clear and specific Creative Brief that lays out the objective, requirements, and strategy for whatever they're supposed to create. Preparing the Creative Brief is the client's job -- usually that of the product manager.

Without wishing to rehash what others have said, I thought it may give you confidence to know that the process that david.boullata and mgoodman describe has been a successful one for me.

I have found that a brief creative meeting after the circulation of the detailed design brief provides all parties with the inspiration they need. That's where the 'idea' David refers to is given life. I've found a good designer will be able to provide an estimated word cap based on the decisions reached at that meeting. Sure, there will always be some tweaking required, but by that stage, it's a team effort and the entire process is very collegial.

Mary - I will summarise what I do in copy workshops:

1. A direct marketing basic is to chose the best medium to reach your target market. That could be magazine insert, advertisement, email, DM pack, landing page, simple A4 letter etc.

2. That first stage will then dictate your design format

3. Your copwriter then creates copy for that format.

4. The copywriter oversees the design. For example, the design MUST support the message in all ways.

You can see that design is subordinate to the message in the copy. Design is there to support and reinforce the message and if at all possible, increase the impact.

But you can only hope for 'increased impact' at higher levels of design. It is a real craft.

As is 'copywriting':

If you want your copy to sell a product or service, then you need a specialist who will already have a good grasp of all the above. If you just want business copy to explain and communicate, that is an easy task and there are hundreds of business journalists who do it, so you will have no problem keeping that in house.

Hope that helps,

Peter