While the specific requirements of an appeal will vary by advertiser, one element that stays the same is that you’ll need to write compelling copy to draw in potential customers. So what exactly is an appeal in advertising copywriting? Here are the answers to some of the most common questions.
What is the Difference Between an Appeal and a Directive?
An appeal is typically a call to action that urges readers to act or perform a particular behavior. In advertising, an appeal could be as simple as “Buy this product!” or it could be more subtle like “Try this new restaurant!” The key is that it’s something that will cause the reader to want to take action. Directives, on the other hand, are more general in nature and often have an emphasis on the product or service without an immediate call to action. A good example of this would be “Improve your daily wardrobe with this new fashion collection.”
What Is the Purpose of an Appeal in Advertising?
The main purpose of an appeal in advertising is to persuade the reader to take action. As discussed, appeals can come in many different forms and can be used for various purposes. For example, you could use an appeal to encourage someone to register for a website or to make a purchase in a retail store. Once the reader takes the desired action, you would then follow up with a conversion page, thank-you page or some other type of communication to keep the conversation going.
When Should You Use an Appeal in Advertising?
Use an appeal in advertising when you want to encourage someone to take action. There are four basic situations where you might want to consider using an appeal:
- When you want to encourage someone to register for a website or to make a purchase in a retail store
- When you want to encourage trial or demonstration of a product or service
- When you want to encourage someone to participate in an event or contest
- When you want to encourage someone to spread the word about your product or service
How Do You Write an Appeal for Advertising?
To write an appeal for advertising, you will first need to determine what the desired action is. Some examples of desired actions would be registering for a website, making a purchase, filling out a form, or demonstrating an interest in your product or service. From here, you can develop key appealing points that will encourage the desired action. When writing an appeal for advertising, it is best to keep in mind three elements:
- The action you are encouraging the reader to perform
- The benefit you are offering
- The value that the product or service provides
How Long Should Your Appeal Be?
The length of your appeal will vary by situation, but as a general rule, you want to include enough information so that the reader learns exactly what he is supposed to do. If you have trouble deciding how long to make your appeal, take into consideration how much space you have available and how much information you need to include to effectively persuade the reader. In most cases, you will want to keep your appeal under two or three pages. Longer appeals are acceptable, however, if you have a lot of space and the information is important to include.
Where Should Your Appeal Be Located?
Once you have decided on the desired action, you need to decide where you will place your appeal. You have three basic options:
- At the end of a webpage (this is called a landing page)
- At the end of a blog post (this is called a content piece)
- In a standalone email (also known as a “blast” email)
Each option has advantages and disadvantages. If you decide to place your appeal at the end of a webpage, you will have the option of using a call to action to direct the reader to the next step. This is often a good choice for demonstrating a product or service in use because there is limited space for other types of content. At the end of a blog post or in a standalone email, you will not have this option. You will not be able to ask the reader to take some action directly from the email.
What Forms Should Your Appeal Take?
You will need to decide what kind of appeal you will use and, as a result, what forms it will take. Some examples of forms would be a link, a button, a box, and an image. The important thing to keep in mind is that whatever form you use, it needs to relate to your message and be something that the reader will be able to act on easily and quickly. If you are writing about a product or service and decide to use an image, for example, make sure that it is a high-quality one and that it relates to your product or service.
What Should You Include in Your Appeal?
The last thing you want to do is write an appeal that is incomplete or ineffective. To write an effective appeal, you need to make sure that you have included all relevant information including but not limited to:
- The benefit that the product or service provides
- The action the reader is encouraged to perform (for example, to register for a website, to make a purchase, to fill out a form, to participate in an event, etc.)
- The value that the product or service provides
- Any limitations or restrictions
The key elements to include in your appeal are those that will help to persuade the reader to take the desired action. Once you have written a compelling appeal, it is important to test it out and see how effectively you were able to persuade the reader to take the desired action. To do this, you can use tools like Google Analytics to track the success of your appeal.
To write a successful appeal, you will need to utilize many of the same strategies that you would use to write any other type of ad. Keep in mind though that in addition to using compelling words, you will also need to keep the structure of the ad linear and simple so that it’s easy to understand.