West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-06-10
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 chief
necessities OF the successful copy writ
err. declared George II. Perry. we'll
known advertising man. before an adj.
vertising class in New York city the
other evening.
The first requirement-know
your audience-is very simple
thing, but often forgotten by adver.
Users. A striking illustration OF this
occurs In one OF the womens maya
zines. II is the advertisement OF an
electrical device, used in homes, to
DO sure, and good thing TO adver-
Use 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 who
wrote that al used the language OF
the trade I'm 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 a difference
between competing articles. or else
they would not be on the market at
| he same time. The question IL, What
can YOU talk about that the other fell
iow hasn't got? Your article is either
newer, simpler. OF different design.
more beautiful or better for some mer-
chandlsing reason.
"In default OF any such difference.
price Is OF the next importance. Can
you sell II cheaper? Then comes DUAL.
lty-quality in the sense of character.
with some articles the competition
that Is, the difference in manufacture
Or design-may not be a talking point
me purchaser OF an auto, for instance.
1oes not care so much how his ma
chine operates as he does about tho
quality or the price. You must de-
termine the talking point of your
article.
Now. 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.
tlon. IL Is no more necessary to DO
smart or clever in your text than it Is
TO be handsome In business. What
the public wants now are the facts
Your text must be practical as dis.
tlngulshed from being merely clever
he 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. IL 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. II that story is insufficient
1t Is not your fault. Don't be afraid
OF short ad; the shorter the ad tho
better"
Mr.. Perry just touched on the psy.
Geological side OF advertising: "There
is a governing trait in human nature
that makes you instinctively recog.
nize the truth You can always tell
when man is in earnest-hence tho
necessity of sincerity in advertising.
When you once have sincerity. no mat.
ter what you write you will convince
- mat iSdSOh De receptive TO In.
huence; 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: I'm ad.
dition 1t carries a message. There.
fore. give the headline much thought.
Use simple, short words. Fill your
line without crowding. DO not use n
blind headline You not only lose
reader-you disappoint him-and he
VIII have no faith thereafter A head.
line that merely makes an effect does
not accomplish its real purpose. II
you have an illustration It must be
part or the story. Pictures are some.
times too good and. instead of direct.
Ing to the story, distract. Rather than
De a companion to the text the illus
tration should be an auxiliary.
Then. II you have the right things
to say and the right audience: II YOU
believe In the article yourself and
VIII 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"