The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-01-25
SCIENCE OF COPY WRITING
"know Your Audience" One Of the
Chief Requisites In Successful
Advertising.

Knowing ones audience and know
ing what to talk about are the chIei
necessities OF the successful copy writ.
er. declared George III. Perry, a well,
known advertising man. before an ad
vertising class in New York city the
other evening.
1.-THE first requirement-knowin
your AUDIENCES very simple
thing. but often forgotten by adver.
Users. A striking illustration of th.s
| occurs In one of the women's mega
zines. 1t is the advertisement Of an
electrical device, used in homes. 70
be sure, and good thing to adver-
tise in woman's publication. but the
ad is the same one used in an cleo
trical paper and addressed to dealers
In electrical supplies. The man VINO
wrote that ad used the language of
the trade in speaking to the woman
in the home. which Of course Is all
wrong"
In discussing the next question OF
what to say. the speaker analysed
the talking points of an article-com-
petition. price and quality.
There must always be difference
between competing articles. or else
they would not be on the market at
the same time. The question is. What
can you talk about that the other fell
low hasn't got? Your article is either
newer. simpler, Of different design,
more beautiful or better for some mer-
chandising reason.
I'm default of any such difference.
price is of tho next Importance. Can
you sell it cheaper? Then comes quail
ity-quality in the sense of character.
With some articles the competition
that is. the difference in manufacture
or design-may not be talking point
The purchaser of an auto. for instance.
does not care so much how his ma
chine operates as he does about the
quality or the price. You must de-
termine the talking point of your
article.
Nov. YOU know your audience and
you have picked out the talking points.
The next thing is the writing of your
ad-the text, Typography and illustra-
ton. 1t is no more necessary to be
smart or clever in your text than 1t is
to be handsome in business. What
the public wants now are the facts.
Your text must be practical as dis
tinguished from being merely clever.
Be sensible in your choice of Ian
guage; be simple and direct. Peo-
pie are not so particular as to the
literary quality Of advertisements:
they go TO the editorial pages for that.
Let the goods talk. II you say every.
thing you can say and your ad still
seems weak. the fault is not with you
but with your goods. You can not do
more than let the goods tell their
own story. If that story is insufficient
1t Is not your fault Don't be afraid
OF short ad; the shorter the ad the
better"
Mr.. Perry just touched on the psy-
Geological side of advertising: There
is governing trait in human nature
that makes you instinctively recog.
nize the truth You can always tell
when man is In earnest-hence the
necessity of sincerity in advertising.
When you once have sincerity no mat
ter what you write you will convince.
For that reason be receptive to in
fluence; don't let man deceive you.
but try to catch his enthusiasm in
his article"
In connection with the text Mr..
Perry told Of the important part
played by the headline. 1T must
catch the casual glance. which is
sometimes even antagonistic; in adj
dition it carries a message. There
fore. give the headline much thought.
Use simple. short words. Fill your
line without crowding. DO not use a
blind headline You not only lose q
reader-you disappoint him-and he
will have no faith thereafter. head.
line that merely makes an effect does
not accomplish its real purpose. If
you have an Illustration it must be
part of the story. Pictures are some
times too good and. instead of direct
ing to the story. distract. Rather than
be a companion to the text the illus
tration should be an auxiliary.
Then. if you have the right things
10 say and the right audience; if you
believe in the article yourself and
will tell what you know and believe
in the most simple, direct. quietest
most persuasive language and in the
shortest words you know-you have
the right ad."