Show a young guy watching Youtube how to video on his iPad while trying to fix something at home. You figure out how to you figure out how to pay for it. do it, we’ll help Passive or Active. Words that passive words. They suggest something will end in “ing” are happen sometime or maybe not at — all. Here’s an example. to help you by lowering your “We’re going interest rate.” same idea as a Here’s the straightforward statement… your “We can lower interest rate.” In an even bigger change and you can lower your fact, I’d make write, “Now interest rate.” for the reader and implies he or she is in control of the situation.) (“You” makes it personal But staying with the two similar examples above, the second one is more action oriented. The writer makes it clear the rate will be lower if the prospect accepts the The first campaign’s offer. the prospect to act. example sounds iffy. It doesn’t encourage This active-passive a direct marketing technique. I first heard it ages ago from a style isn’t only magazine editor who told me how to improve a story with active references instead of passive “ing” words. As part of the active, do-it-now message your marketing copy should Present or Future. project, you want statements to be in the present tense as much as possible. I realize it can sound a bit awkward when you write something is deducted like, “The payment directly from your checking want to position the statement in the future account.” Most writers tense: will be deducted directly from your checking “The payment account.” English majors will say the second sentence is preferable, but this is real-world direct marketing, not a classroom. The idea makes more of a difference when you communicate benefits… will get $100 “You get $100 cash,” versus, “You cash.”
Show a young guy watching Youtube how to video on his iPad while trying to fix something at home. You figure out how to do it, we’ll help you figure out how to pay for it. Passive or Active. Words that end in “ing” are passive words. They suggest something will happen sometime — or maybe not at all. Here’s an example. “We’re going to help you by lowering your interest rate.” Here’s the same idea as a straightforward statement… “We can lower your interest rate.” In fact, I’d make an even bigger change and write, “Now you can lower your interest rate.” (“You” makes it personal for the reader and implies he or she is in control of the situation.) But staying with the two similar examples above, the second one is more action oriented. The writer makes it clear the rate will be lower if the prospect accepts the campaign’s offer. The first example sounds iffy. It doesn’t encourage the prospect to act. This active-passive style isn’t only a direct marketing technique. I first heard it ages ago from a magazine editor who told me how to improve a story with active references instead of passive “ing” words. Present or Future. As part of the active, do-it-now message your marketing copy should project, you want statements to be in the present tense as much as possible. I realize it can sound a bit awkward when you write something like, “The payment is deducted directly from your checking account.” Most writers want to position the statement in the future tense: “The payment will be deducted directly from your checking account.” English majors will say the second sentence is preferable, but this is real-world direct marketing, not a classroom. The idea makes more of a difference when you communicate benefits… “You get $100 cash,” versus, “You will get $100 cash.”
Ad_Concepts_2014.docx