Copywriting: Three Quick Tips for Better Catalog Copy
Looking for some simple tips to quickly improve your catalog copy? Direct marketing copywriting guru Herschell Gordon Lewis offered the following three quick tips in his session “Fast and Furious Tips for Catalog Copy in the 2006-2007 Season” at the Annual Conference for Catalog, Internet & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) held last month in Chicago.
* No misspellings or typos ... ever! One misspelled word in a sea of copy may be enough to shake customers’ confidence in your catalog operation.
* Use your hot spots. In a typical catalog, Lewis said, there are five hot spots where you can feature new products, best sellers and sale or clearance items. Such spots include the front cover, inside front cover, back cover, center spread (if the catalog’s saddle stitched) and the pages adjacent to the order form.
* Weigh your words. “You’re in command of the reaction to your words,” Lewis said. “Check each noun and verb to be sure it’s as colorful, specific and dynamic as it can be.” Consider the subtle differences you communicate to your customers. For example, how do your customers react to the following words? “Autumn” and “fall”; “pants” and “trousers”; “acquire” and “own”; or “made by” and “built by.”
- People:
- Herschell Gordon Lewis
- Places:
- Chicago