In Confessions of an Advertising Man, David Ogilvy, founder of the highly regarded advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, wrote, “Ninety-nine percent of all advertising doesn’t sell a thing.”

You don’t want your products to be in that 99%. So how do you make sure you are in the coveted one percent?

Using 1:1 (personalization) techniques in your print marketing can help. Relevance is absolutely critical. But even those things won’t amount to much if they aren’t paired with something equally important. That’s good marketing copy.

Personalization stops you. Relevance gets you reading further. But if the copy is not compelling, if it’s bland, uninformative, or unoriginal, these things cannot carry the load. You need good, solid marketing copy that is interesting, engaging, and compelling.

Simple Steps to Great Copy
Not all of us can hire great agencies like Ogilvy & Mather, but there are some fundamental principles that all marketers should follow.

Be imaginative. Break out of the mold. Look for different or unconventional ways to say the same thing.

**Be a salesman. ** Cute and clever doesn’t get you anywhere if it doesn’t sell anything. Be creative, but also be clear. Sell benefits. Give an overt call to action. Balancing creativity and salesmanship results in good marketing.

Talk about your customers first. As one marketing communications site puts it, “Self-interest is the best hook.” Start off by identifying with customers first. Talk about their problems, their challenges, and their bottlenecks. Then talk about how your products and services solve them.

Be honest. Part of building a brand and gaining repeat customers is maintaining customer loyalty and trust. That starts with honesty about the products and services you sell.

Hire a professional editor. Hire someone to make sure your copy meets professional standards, even if only on a freelance basis. Someone who is “good at grammar” isn’t enough. When it comes to marketing, there are rules for punctuation, capitalization, and usage that only professionals know.

Of course, there are other elements to great print marketing, as well. Good layout. Interesting graphics. Compelling offer. But great copy ties it all together. Talk to us about turning these simple rules into a standout 1:1 print campaign that will motivate your customers to action.