You
know how distasteful and unappetizing undercooked food can be. Yuk.
You think people feel any differently about reading raw, half-baked, poorly
developed copy? Is this the memorable first impression you want to make on
potential customers?
Blame
an unripe ad pitch on one of three things:
1.
Your copy is amateurishly written. Today everyone thinks he's a copywriter.
A noble aspiration; but understand, it takes years of perfecting the craft
to know what to say, how to say it, and in what sequence. It makes a world
of difference in how the reader perceives you...and believes you. Hemingway
once said that New Year's Eve is amateur night. Today, the same can be
said of the Web. It's overrun with the ill-conceived blather of novices. Which
makes superior copy stand out all the more.
2.
Even if your copy is written by a (sometimes self-proclaimed) professional,
the copy is often rushed, not fully thought out, lacking in energy and originality.
That's because many so-called copywriters (a.k.a. hacks) rely on quantity,
not quality, to earn their living. Or they're lazy. They just don't want to
make the effort. Their copy is presentable, but weak and uninspired.
3.
Sometimes it's the client who's in a hurry. Yes, you. You'll spend
weeks, months, even years developing a business, then want your ad copy overnight.
("I'll show my writer who's boss.") Bad idea. Waiting a few extra
days, even a week, for the copy to be developed properly is well worth it.
You're only cheating yourself by rushing it.
When
I started out working for major ad agencies in New York City, everything was
created under tight deadlines. The job got done but I always felt we weren't
giving the clients their due. Now I take the time to make sure it's the best
it can possibly be. If I can't do it that way, I won't accept the assignment.
I'll write some copy, then set it aside to marinade a bit. When I come
back to it later on, I inevitably find a better way to say it. Time is a potent
editor. Winston Churchill once wrote to a friend (and I'm paraphrasing here):
"Please excuse the length of this letter; had I more time, I would have
made it shorter."
Your
advertising is the image you present to the world. So do it right. To see
some of the work I've labored so lovingly over, click
here.
