Effective Content for Catalogs and the Web
Once
you learn a few fundamental principles and techniques, writing persuasive catalog copy, web copy or product descriptions for printed brochures or sales sheets becomes an easy and enjoyable process.
List features and benefits of your products or services then connect them. If you've read anything about copywriting, you've heard about the importance of
including the benefits of products as well as their features. For
instance, when you say your widget is a 2-inch pink plastic paperclip, you are
describing its features. When you say it enables you to color-code stacks
of papers or it attracts attention on someone else's desk or it makes a great
gift for your organized-like-mad teenager, you are describing its benefits. People will seldom bring their
business to you unless they know what they stand to benefit.
For concise, interesting product descriptions in a printed or online catalog,
it's essential to combine features and benefits, weaving them together tightly
yet unobtrusively. Here's a sample excerpt
that I picked from a print catalog
that very effectively
merges features and benefits
Over
cobblestone or dirt, concrete or causeway, the
compression-molded midsole and metatomical footbed
provide all-day, all-terrain cushioned support. (In other words,
supreme comfort like we've never seen in a huarache.)
Keen's patented bumpered toe prevents stubs and smashes.
The traditional, tire-styled outsole features linen fabric
inlay for additional strength and flex.
The widget's
feature X gives you benefit Y.
Brainstorm
effective
angles and choose
one as your opener.
We at Prudent International Inc have daily brainstorming meetings in which a
minimum of 2 PR professionals analyze a media related announcements.
Almost always, you'll also need an attention-getter for the headline and first
sentence of your product description.
Polish up your descriptions in a
consistent voice.
This
is what unifies the descriptions at
a web site or in a catalog so that they have a corporate identity. When there's
a tight match between the writing voice and
your
customers' interests and needs,
your customer feels
your company is speaking
directly to them, and that they're
looking at the kind of widgets they'd most like to buy.
Whatever the voice chosen, it must be consistent throughout the catalog or web
site, or prospective customers get confused.
Proofread, checking details of your articles.
As with any marketing or sales piece, the last step consists of proofreading,
to make sure that you've included all the elements that people need to know
before making a buying decision - size, color, composition, weight, price, etc.
-- along with making sure that the details provided are accurate.
Tune-Up: Clients or even experiences PRs might suggest that you just call up to see if a press release has arrived. They are just teasing you. Don't ever do it. There are few things that irritate journalists more than the question "Did you get our press release?". Its a joke in many editorial offices Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant
This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations- United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.