As told earlier, the method or style of presentation is to do with the way in which the message is presented. It speaks of the different types of advertising copies to arrest, inform, impress and impel the reader; certain elements are to be present in a copy such as attention, suggestion, meaning, conviction, sentiment, education and instinct.
These copies are classified in a number of ways. However, the most practical one is to classify into six types as:
Institutional
Why?
Human interest
Educational
Suggestive and
Expository
Institutional Copy
Institutional Copy neither sells nor the products nor the service but the name of the business house. The aim is to build the sound edifice of reputation for the selling house. It seeks to build goodwill through its philosophy, objectives, and policies towards the public so that the prospects remember it.
Reason Why Copy
Reason Why Copy offers reasons as to why the customer is expected to buy a product or service of the advertiser. It appeals more directly to the intellect or the judgment of an individual than to emotion or impulses. It attempts to prove the product superiority by means of evidence in the forms of performance test, records, testimonials, guarantees and the like.
Human Interest Copy
Human Interest Copy appeals to the emotional and the senses than intellect and the judgment, sympathy, affection, love, fear, humor, curiosity and other emotional appeals are used to the sense of sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing.
It tells about the product in relation to the people instead of conforming to the facts about the products. It takes several forms of which four are very significant namely, ‘fear’, ‘humorous’, ‘story’ and ‘predicament’ copy.
Suggestive Copy
Suggestive Copy tries to suggest or pinpoint or convey the message of the advertiser directly or indirectly to the readers. Much is left to the reader to infer the ad message. Like a poem, suggestive language is freely used where the hidden meaning is to be picked by the readers. Such a copy can be ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ suggestive copy. The first tells directly about the products or services of the company while the latter does indirectly.
Expository Copy
Expository Copy is open copy that exposes unlike suggestive copy. It is so open that the facts are given in a very simple and clear way so that there is no need for interpretation. The information given is so clear and concise that hardly it taxes the reader’s brain. It makes possible effortless grasp and act.
AIDA
If you’ve ever been motivated to take action due to an advertisement, you’ve likely been influenced by a technique called “AIDA.” AIDA stands for “Attention, Interest, Desire, Action” and it’s a tried-and-true process used by marketers to entice prospects to make a purchase or take a desired action. The technique is commonly used in advertising vehicles such as television commercials, website copy and direct mail pieces.
The AIDA Model identifies cognitive stages an individual goes through during the buying process for a product or service. It’s a purchasing funnel where buyers go to and fro at each stage, to support them in making the final purchase.
It’s no longer a relationship purely between the buyer and the company, since social media has extended it to achieving the different goals of AIDA via information added by other customers via social networks and communities.
Attention
The attention portion of the marketing message occurs at the beginning and is designed to give the prospects a reason to take notice. Presenting a shocking fact or statistic that identifies a problem which can be solved by the product or service is one common method of gaining attention. Other methods can include asking a thought-provoking question or using the element of surprise. Visual elements, like an unexpectedly elegant design, loud colors or sudden motion, can also be good attention-grabbers. The purpose is to give the prospects a reason for wanting to learn more.
Interest
Initial attention-grabbers work for a moment or two, but your potential customer needs a reason to stay engaged. Once you’ve gained the prospects’ attention, the next step is to maintain interest in your product or service. Explain to the recipients how the problem you’ve identified in the attention step is adversely affecting their lives. A demonstration or illustration can help the recipients to further identify with the problem and want to actively seek possible solutions. By personalizing the problem, you’re making it hit closer to home.
Desire
In the desired stage, your objective is to show the prospects how your product or service can solve their problem. Explain the features of the product or service and the related benefits and demonstrate how the benefits fulfill the need. A common advertising process is the “before and after” technique, such as when a cleaning product makes a soiled item look brand new. Advertisers often use the suggestion of a better life (better health, better wealth, better romance) as a means of keeping would-be clients engaged. If done effectively, the prospects should now have the desire to make a purchase.
Action
Now that you’ve created the desire to make a purchase, the final step is to persuade the prospects to take immediate action. In a one-on-one sales process, this is the time to ask for the sale. In the advertising world, techniques involve creating a sense of urgency by extending an offer for a limited time or including a bonus or special gift to those who act within a specific time frame. Providing a phone number to call, a website to visit, or a digital button to click on gives prospective customers a clear and easy next step towards making a purchase. Without a specific call to action, the prospect may simply forget about your offer and move on.
Comments