West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-03-23
SCIENCE OF COPY WRITING
"krow 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.
er. declared George H. Perry, a we'll
known advertising man. before an ad.
Vertising class in New York city the
other evening.
THE first reQuirement-knowi
your audience-is very simple
thing. but often forgotten By adver.
Users. A striking illustration OF this
occurs I'm one OF the women's maya.
zines. II Is the advertisement OF an
electrical device. used In homes, TO
DO sure, and a good thing 20 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 In speaking 10 the woman
In the home. which OF course Is all
wrong"
In discussing the next question OF
what 20 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 al
he same time. The question IL, What
IAN you talk about that the other fel.
ow hasn't got? Your article is either
aewer. simpler OF different design.
more beautiful or better for some mer,
;handising reason.
I'm default OF any such difference
price is OF the next importance. Can
you sell II cheaper? Then comes quail
ty-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
The purchaser OF an auto. for instance
ioes not care so much how his ma
chine operates as he does about the
1uality or the price. You must de
ternlire 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
hd-the tsxt. typography and illustra
ton. 1t Is no more necessary TO be
smart or clever In your text than Il IL
to be handsome In business. What
the public wants now are the facts
Your text must be practical az din
unguished from being merely Clever
BE sensible in your choice OF Ian
guage; be simple and direct. PEG
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 stin
seems weak, the fault is not with YOU
but with your goods. You can not DO
more than let the goods tell THEN
own story. II that story is insufficient
It Is not your fault Don't be afraid
OF short &C; the shorter the ad the
better"
Mr.. Perry just touched on the psy
Geological side OF advertising: There
is a governing trait in human nature
that makes you instlnctively recoe
nize the truth. You can always tell
when a 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
huence; don't let a 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 ie
sometimes even antagonistlc; in ad
dition It carries a message. There
fore, give the headline much thought
Use simple. short words. FIJI your
line without crowding. Do not use
blind headline You not only lose a
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
ynu have an illustration II mus, be
part OF the story. Pictures are some
times too good and. instead OF direct
II 3 to the story. distract Rather than
% o companion to the text the illus
ration should be an auxiliary.
Then, II You have the right things
o say and the right audience; n ynu
believe In the article yourself and
viii tell what you know and believe
'n the most simple, direct. quietest
most persuasive language and in the
shortest words you know you have