Articles

• Using Dirimens Copulatio in marketing copy

  September 02, 2010No comments

  Dirimens Copulatio (that’s right—no n) is a Latin term for an amplification tactic that is widely used in marketing campaigns worldwide. Dirimens means “separating” and copulatio is, well, as you might have guessed, “combination”. This tactic is best exemplified in modern usage by these four words: “But wait, there’s more!”

  So you probably heard that familiar line in countless television informercials. Overused as it may seem—it is, in fact, very effective. While it is nauseatingly funny to hear it used over and over again, it does have its hypnotic power. Count the millions of kitchenware sold throughout the years using these infomercials and you’ll be amazed.

  “BUT WAIT—THERE’S MORE! If you buy this microwaveable, lightweight, classy-looking dish right now, you will get not just one, or two, or three, but FOUR FREE sets of colorful, virtually indestructible serving spoons! All for the incredible price of a dollar and 99 cents!”

  Dirimens Copulatio, as illustrated by the previous statement, makes use of the phrases “not only” and “but also”, apart from the classic but-wait-there’s-more opening. You may use other words but the bottom line is, they should amplify your product/s’ desirability and convince consumers and potential customers that they are getting more value for their money.

  So how do you apply this to your copy? Here’s one tried and tested (heavily and successfully too!) method:

  1)      Start with a comprehensive description of your product or service.

  2)      Compare each feature or aspect of the product/service with others on the market. This is now your “argument phase”, where you have to use the most convincing words.

  3)      Intersperse the tactic in between arguments. Like for example, after a very important feature or aspect, you say: “Is that all? No! Listen up—there’s more!”

  4)      Save the “most value for your money” aspect for last. After building the argument, top it off with that generous “add-on”. If the consumer or customer wasn’t sold on your product or service beforehand, then this is where they should be hooked.

  Overall, your copy must have this sole objective: to make customers feel that they don’t have any rebuttal at all against your argument. And hence, there is no better offer than yours!

  There are many ways to adapt this tactic to market segments. For a specific target market, say, the youth sector, one may use more contemporary terms or even slang. Products and services that cater to niche markets should be very particular in studying the language of its target population. In copy for certain markets, dirimens copulatio may be reflected in using contrary qualifier statements that enhance previous statements. An example is: “Do you think that this price is a bit higher than that of another (competitor) product? Well, one cannot sell value for less. That’s why it’s called value. If you don’t agree, well, you can always go for that other product.” Copy then proceeds to compare the (de)merits of this other product.

  Not yet convinced on the usefulness of this tactic? Well here’s something for you to chew on: the Greek and Roman philosophers have used this to win debates, convincing thousands of people to accept their ideas. Hundreds of years down the line, the tactic is still around. As our pal Darwin said, well, only the fittest survive.

  

  Read more...
• How to write an email ad that works

  July 22, 2010No comments

  Despite the popularity of instant messengers and social networks, email remains an effective marketing communications tool for various industries.  In a marketing survey done by a digital marketing company, it is revealed that email marketing is the advertising channel that performed best for many companies in the last year.  In another study, email marketing outperformed all the other direct marketing channels examined in terms of return of investment (ROI).

  Email provides an opportunity to reach out to as many people at minimal cost and with less effort.  However, considering that most people get a lot of email daily, you have to state your message in the most concise way.  Remember that there’s a delicate line between writing an effective email ad and one that will be marked off as spam. So how do we write email ads that attract and lead recipients to open and respond to it?

  Let’s examine the parts and attributes of a good email ad.

  The sender.  Most of us can immediately recognize spam sources. Sender names that sound too “commercial” are promptly trashed, as well as names that don’t sound as if they belong to a real person or company. For example, emails that come from a company or at least corporate-sounding name is more credible and likely to be opened rather than obscure names of persons.

  The subject line. An effective subject line is catchy. It captures the recipient’s attention and makes him or her sense the benefit of opening the email at first glance. But don’t use phrases like “make money fast” and “$$$” on your subject line or else the spam filters will block your email.  Perhaps it would do you well to open your inbox and study the spam that actually escaped the email filters. Most filters today are too strong, even legitimate email could end up in the Spam inbox.

  The hook. This is the most important part of your email. It is normally placed in the first sentence or the lead and involves a persuasive call to action.  It states what benefits the recipient will get if he or she responds to the ad positively. Make sure to state it clearly and with conviction, preferably in active voice. Exercise: try your hook on yourself and see if it convinces you to buy the product yourself.

  The length.  It goes without saying that recipients will have short attention span because there are many emails and sites for them to look at daily.  Write the email in the fewest but most effective words possible. This is done by using bulleted lists and powerful one-liner hooks.

  The links and contact info. Email signatures look highly credible, especially if they have the complete contact information that the recipient needs. Provide links to your website for details not included in the email. Perhaps you can provide an alternative page through popular social networks like Facebook or MySpace.

  The unsubscribe option. It’s unbelievable for some, but yes, this feature adds more credibility. Recipients appreciate being given options. Even if it means not availing the product or service offered for you, they might recommend your site to other potential customers. Conversely, an annoyed recipient may just email another potential customer about your emails and thus tarnish your reputation.

  As a last note, remember that there are many digital marketing tools and strategies that a company could study and use. It all depends on who the target market is. As copywriters, this should be at the top of our daily to-do list—studying the market. Only then can our marketing copy be effective.

  

  Read more...

• More Articles

  Writing effective web copy – easy as pie?