The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-09-24
Points on
Advertising
By HERBERT KAUFMAN
(CopyriEht.)
How to Write Advertising Copy.

A skilled layer of mosaic works
with small fragments Of stone-they
MT into more places than the larger
chunks.
The skilled advertiser works with
small words-they fit into moro minds
than big phrases.
The simpler the language the greater
certainty that II will be understood by
the least Intelligent reader.
The construction engineer plans his
roadbed where there 10 a minimum OF
srade-he works along tho lines OF
least resistance.
The advertisement which runs into
mountainous style is badly surveyed
all minds are not built for high grade
thinking.
Ad. ortising must be simple. When
II is tricked out with the jewelry and
silks OF literary expression II looks az
much out OF place az a ball dress at
the breakfast tablet
The buying public Is only interested
In facts. People read advertisements
TO md out what you have to sell.
Tho advertiser who can fire the
most faets In the shortest time gets
the most returns. Blank cartridges
make noise, but they do not hit
blank talk. however clever. ia only
wasted space.
You force your statesmen to- keep 10
solid faots-you don't allow them TO
sell muslin with quotations from Omar
or trousers with excerpts from Marie
Corelll. You must not tolerate In your
printed selling talk anything that you
are not willing 10 eountenanoe In per
sonal saiesmanshiP.
Cut out clever phrases II they are
inserted to tho sacrifice OF clear ex.
planat!ons--write copy ~ you talk.
Only be more brief, Publicity is cost
Her than versation-~rRnging In
price downward from $40 line: talk
Is not cheap, hut the most expensive
commodity in the world
Sketch In your ad TO the stenogra.
pher Then you will be 30 busy SAY
Ing ~ that you will not have time to
bother about the gewgaws OF writing.
Afterwards take the typewritten man
usoript and cut out every word and
every line that can be erased without
emitting an important detail. What
remains In the end IL all that really
counted In the beginning.
Cultivate brovity and simplicity
'sayon Francois" may look smarter.
but more people will understand
tETRn.sh a. o.
explanation OF grayitation covers six
pages, but the schooiboy's terse and
homely What goes up must come
down" clinches the whole thing In slS
words.
indefinite talk wastes space. Il ID
not 100 per cent productive. The copy
that omits prices sacrifices half It's
pulling power-it has a tendency 20
bring lockers instead OF buyers. II
often creates false impressions. Some
people are bound TO conceive the idea
that the goods are higher priced than
In reallty--otherH. by the same token
are just as likely 20 infer that the
prices are lower and 20 away think
Ing that you have exaggerated your
statements.
The reader must be- searched out By
the copy. Big space is cheapest be
cause II doesn't waste a single eye
Publicity must be on the offensive
There are far too many advertisers
who keep their lights on top Of their
bushel--the average citizen hasn't
time 20 overturn your bushol.
Small space Ia expensive. Like q
one-nake snowstorm, there Il not
enough OF II 10 lay.
Space IL a comparative matter after
all II IL not case of how much II
used but how II 10 used. The paasen
gers on the limited express may real
Ire that Jones has tackled twelve
Inch shingle on every post and fence
| for stretch OF five miles. but they are
| going too fast 10 make out what the
Thingles say. yet the two-foo, letters
Of Browns big bulletin board on TOP
Of the bin leap at them before they
have a chance 10 dodge e. And Al
| that Il doesn't cost nearly 70 much as
the sum total OF Jones' dinky display
Just NO Advertisements attractiyeIy
| displayed every day or every week for
/ year IN one newspaper will end the
eye Of all readers. no matter how rap
idly they may be- going" through the
\ advertising pages. and produce more
results than doxsn piking pieces of
copy scattered through hall q doxen
papers.
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