“10 Things to Avoid When Writing Ads”

This post is a complement to another called "Ad Speak is Invisible".

I have always been a believe that “Facts Tell and Stories Sell”. I believe people make almost decisions emotionally. You can make a pretty good argument about two doctors making a life or death decision over the “facts” presented to them in a diagnosis. At the end of the day, they/you are forced to trust “facts”. You have to have faith in the facts, making it an emotional decision.

My job is to sell stuff for people using media. To do it well, I have to tell stories. I decided to become a better story teller, by studying the best in the country. I bought the book STORY, by Robert McKee. He is the number one go to guy regarding movie screenplays in the country. I found a YouTube video of Mr. McKee called 10 Problems To Avoid With Dialogue In Screenplays. Wow, these are pretty much the same things I try to avoid when writing commercials that don’t sound like commercials!

I am calling this “10 Things to Avoid When Writing Ads”

1. Repetitiousness

a. Make sure you don’t say the same thing over and over and over using the same words.

2. Trightness

a. Dialog filled with clichés

3. Character Neutral Language

a. Using “all-purpose” lines that anyone could say in the same situation. Almost a cliché, but more of a “Duhhh, that is obvious!”

4. Ostentation

a. The writer using “flowery” with very artistic words to show their artsyness.

5. Arid Speech

a. Dry, “Ivy-League” and Pretentious wording, trying to sound like an intellectual.

6. Over-Statement

a. “Brawny” words with puny motivation. Often profanity is used when there is no substance.

7. Talking Wallpaper

a. The humdrum chit-chat of “Hi, how are you? I am fine. The weather is fine.” Writers add this stuff to sound natural, but no one really speaks this way.

8. Forced Exposition

a. One character telling another character what they both already know, in order for the reader or audience to learn important facts of the story.

9. Malformation

a. Scenes that are badly shaped. The audience or reader becomes distracted when their brain is screaming: “This is not a plausible situation.”

10. Writing Dialog “On the Nose”

a. Writing or saying exactly what the character is thinking and feeling without any sub-text. This is treating the audience or reader like they are stupid and insulting their intelligence with too many words.

If you fancy yourself a story-teller, a preacher, teacher or public speaker, you might consider avoiding these as well.

My Principles in Advertising

"Methods are many, principles are few. Methods always change, principles never do!"

1. People don't hate advertising, they hate stupid commercials that don't involve them.

2. If a commercial sounds or looks like a commercial, it's a bad commercial.

3. Speak to individuals, in the language of individuals, about what matters to individuals.

4. Always do long-term campaigns with a series of ads that are like chapters of a book. The book is your story and that of the reader or listener.

5. Rely on consistent, frequent INTRUSIVE media. TV, radio and billboards are INTRUSIVE. The other side of that coin is PASSIVE media. PASSIVE media requires action on the part of the consumer. INTRUSIVE media only requires them to be present to hear or easily read.

6. YES YOU CAN AFFORD TV, RADIO OR BILLBOARDS!!! You just can't afford to reach your entire city. One client built her law firm with two billboards that cost $250.00 a month each. She has gone from renting a little office for $500.00 a month to owning her own law office building over the past few years. (She had a message that mattered!)

7. You have to be competent, friendly and real for people to like you. "All things being equal, people want to do business with people they like. All things not being equal, people still want to do business with people they like!"

8. Raise your value, don't lower your price. What is value? It is the difference between the anticipated cost of the consumer and the actual cost when they get the bill. If you have a junky-cheap looking place of business, people will assume your prices are low. If you have a very nice, high-end place of business, people will assume your prices are high. VALUE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ANTICIPATED COST AND THE ACTUAL COST. (If your actual cost is lower.)

9. Expensive rent is cheap advertising. Generally, it costs more to be where people are. Generally, it costs less to be in a warehouse district on the edge of town.

10. Know the Marketing Boat. Make sure your business boat doesn't have holes in it! See illustration by clicking here.

11. Be where people are and have a big sign that says what you do! You would be amazed how many business owners have a great location and a sign that says "Johnson Enterprises" out front. What the heck is "Johnson Enterprises"?

12. "We judge others by their actions. We judge ourselves by our intentions." You are inside your bottle and can't read your own label. Ask someone outside of your bottle to help you see yourself as your customers actually see you.

Number 12 is the best thing I can give my clients. The ability to see you like the world sees you. Many times what is most obvious to the rest of the world is resting quietly in the blind spot of the business owner.

It takes courage to face the truth. It takes humility to allow someone else to point out your blind spots.