When you’re writing the copy for your latest advertorial, the advertising copy should conform to journalistic style and tone as much as possible. Advertorials generally take the shape of a news article or editorial in print publications, such as newspapers and magazines. With advertorial writing, you’re blending techniques used in advertising with journalism. The goal is to sell a product or service while adhering to a style that clients see as having authority.
Here are a few tips to give your advertorial the authoritative voice it needs to get your product or service sold:
- The feature or human-interest story is an effective to way to lend credibility to the product or service you’re trying to sell.
- Be clear about what the main idea of the advertorial is. By the time the reader reaches the third paragraph, she should know what she’s reading about.
- Write in chunks. Use short two—or three—sentence blocks of information in each paragraph. The last thing you want is for the reader to get tired of reading a huge block of text and put the story down.
- Use quotes from happy customers to help potential clients envision what it would be like to use your product.
- Write snappy headlines and subheads that will draw your reader in.
- Stay away from jargon and industry speak. Instead use a conversational tone and use language that your potential client will understand.
- Use Associated Press style, or come up with a consistent style for the advertorial.
- Above all, don’t get wordy. Simple, snappy prose is the way to go.
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