As with persuasive texts in general, advertisements can take many forms – from billboards and radio jingles to movie trailers and pop-ups on your computer.
In this guide, we’ll work towards writing a standard magazine format advertisement known as the print ad. Print ads are text-heavy enough to provide something meaty for our students to get their teeth into. Though advertisers are increasingly overlooking print ads in favor of more trackable and often cheaper digital forms of advertising, the same strategies and techniques can apply to both. 카지노사이트
Likewise, strategies such as emotive language and other persuasive devices are essential when writing ads. Much of the writing advice that follows applies to the other persuasive texts, which can also be found on our site. Be sure to check it out, also.
Let’s explore the structure and persuasive elements that make an advertisement successful. These elements combine to make us think and act favourably about a service or product. So let’s get into it and learn how to write an advertisement.
STRUCTURE AND FEATURES OF ADVERTISEMENTS (PERSUASIVE ELEMENTS)
For students to create their own advertisements and successfully employ the various persuasive techniques, they’ll first need to develop a clear understanding of an advertisement’s underlying structure. We’ll explore the primary structural elements and features of advertisements, though the order of how these appear varies from advert to advert. Here, we’ll take a look at the following persuasive text elements.
Brand Name
Audience
The Image
Logo
Call to Action
The Offer
Headline
Slogan
Body Copy
THE BRAND NAME AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
The brand name of the product or service frequently comes at the top of the advertisement – though not always. One of the first tasks for students when writing their own advertisement is to decide on a name for their product or service.
Please encourage students to select a name that reflects the product, service, or values they wish to present to their audience. 안전한카지노사이트
Brand names have evolved from being wordy and aspirational to very short and snappy since the inception of the internet, so they can be found easily on a search engine.
BRAND NAME CONSIDERATIONS
What are the names of similar already existing products or services?
Does the name look and sound good?
Is the name short, punchy, and memorable?
Does it evoke a feeling or an idea?
Is it distinctive and original?
THE AUDIENCE AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
An advertisement’s target audience may not always be immediately apparent and often needs to be inferred through language and imagery choices made by the writer.
However, who the target audience does need to be decided before writing as it will inform subsequent choices on the use of language (e.g. pronouns, tone, etc.) and imagery.
There are several ways to help students determine their target audience. A good starting place is for them to consider creating a target persona, a fictional character who represents the type of person their product or service is aimed at.
Age
Gender
Location
Hobbies
Income
Education level
Occupation
Marital status
Likes/Dislikes
Who they trust
What they read/watch
An effective print advertisement presents a product or service in an appealing manner. It quickly conveys essential information about that product or service. It will include a clear and specific offer and also provide the information required for the reader to act on that offer.
Once we have the brand name sorted and the audience defined, it’s time to look at the critical structural elements to consider when writing an ad. It’s important to note that not every element will be used in every ad, but the following model serves well for writing most print advertisements. 카지노사이트 추천
THE HEADLINE AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
The ad headline should provide a short, snappy preview of what the reader will find in the copy. A good headline grabs the potential customer’s attention and makes them want to read the rest of the ad. There are several tried and tested means of writing a good headline. Here are 3 of the most effective:
The Problem/Solution Headline – This headline details a problem a potential customer may be facing and offers the solution in the form of the product or service. For example: Tired? Sluggish? Overweight? Excero Bike Gets You Where You Need to Go, Fast!
The Testimonial Headline – This headline uses a quote from a customer’s positive review to help sell the product or service. The testimonial allows the potential customer to see some ‘proof’ upfront before buying. “With the Excero Bike, I lost 15lbs in 15 days. I’m now thinner, fitter, and much, much happier!”
The Question Headline – This headline asks a question that the target customer will be seeking an answer to, for example, “Are you paying too much for your x?” Are You Paying Too Much for Your Gym Membership?
THE LOGO AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
Logos are visual representations of a brand and are used to help promote a range of products and services under a single umbrella and also to allow for quick identification by the reader. They are more of a design element than a writing one.
THE SLOGAN AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
A slogan is a phrase or a short sentence used to represent or sell a particular brand. Usually, they’re designed to be short and snappy to help make them more memorable for readers. Slogans often use alliteration, rhyme, puns, or other figurative language techniques to make their message more memorable.
THE OFFER AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
A good print ad makes readers an offer. This is usually in the form of a benefit the potential customer will gain or a motivating reason for finding out more about the product or service.
The Offer acts as a ‘hook’ that maintains the reader’s focus and draws them into the body of the ad. It can take the form of a time-limited discount or a 2-for-1 offer, etc. This Week Only – 25% Off!
Offers can also form part of the Call to Action at the end of the ad – more details on this soon.
THE BODY COPY AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
Good body text (or body copy) in an ad is well-organized and quickly gets to the point. Readers want to get the necessary information with minimum effort. For the writer, this requires skill, patience, and much editing. There are several different types of body copy that students need to consider when writing their ads. Let’s take a look at 5 of these:
Factual – Factual copy gives the reader just enough factual information about the product or service to persuade them that it’s worth buying.
Humor – Using humor is a tried-and-tested means of making an ad memorable. To use it successfully, students will need to have an excellent understanding of their target audience.
Narrative – This copy tells a story as a way to draw the customer in. Many people are resistant to direct selling. Narrative copy uses the power of storytelling to build a connection with the customer to ‘soft sell’ to them.
Testimonial – While testimonial content usually comes from a customer, it can also come from experts, celebrities, or any kind of spokesperson. The testimonial is based on what the customer or spokesperson liked about the product or service. Testimonials are often woven into the humanity of the ad. This copy appeals to emotions. Rather than boasting directly of the benefits of the product or service, this type of ad evokes the senses and appeals to emotions.
The body copy might include details of available products or services, special offers, or specific information the advertiser wants potential customers to know. Subheadings and bullet points can help organize the text and make information easier to find. Texts should be short and easy to read. Walls of text can be off-putting, and if the language is too complex, it may turn off potential customers.
THE CALL TO ACTION AS A PERSUASIVE ELEMENT
The Call to Action or CTA frequently comes at the end of the advertisement. It’s usually made up of a few sentences that invite the reader to take a specific action. This action might take the form of buying the product, sharing contact information, or, in the case of an online ad, clicking on a link to find out more about the product or service.
Call to action Contexts:
An electronics company encouraging readers to buy their new computer
A helpline requesting readers to call a number
A political party urging readers to vote for them in an upcoming election
A travel agent appealing to readers to book
A travel agent appealing to readers to book their next holiday through them
There are many ways to write a CTA but some effective strategies that are commonly used include: