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Vote for Long or Short Ad Copy

The 5th Deadly Communication Sin of Advertising is... Loooooooooong Sales Copy There is a controversy over this among the marketing gurus out there, but in my humble opinion, long sales copy only sells to men and, then, only when they are deeply interested in that subject. If you market to women, keep it brief! Most women are busy wearing many hats: wife, mother, housekeeper, baby sitter, teacher, medic, career woman... Most of the women I survey say that they don't have the time to read long, hype-y sales copy that doesn't reveal what they are selling until the very end. Most women like short and sweet ads that grab their attention and give them a way to find more information when they have the time to do so.

When I see a seemingly endless email or website with the typical white borders so that the sales copy is further elongated downward, my eyes get glassy and I develop a blank stare with an urge to gain relief by clicking the delete button or X out of the landing page.  Am I alone in this?  I don't think so.  I've talked to many women, moms, wahms and busy homeschoolers who say they just don't have the patience to read long sales copy and prefer to get, as Sgt. Friday used to say, "Just the facts, Ma'am!"

 

I don't think I'm the only one who doesn't even care to find out if it's something I vitally need before I gain freedom from having to read all those words, especially on a computer.

What say you?  Do you like long sales or ad copy or does it make you wince?  Do you think it's effective?  Is it effective on YOU?  Your husband?  Anyone you know?  Why do you think that is?  Please share what you like or don't like about long sales or ad copy.

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12 comments

  • Leslie

    Unless it’s something I really, really need, the shorter the better. I don’t have time to read long copy. So it’s totally ineffective if people are going to delete it before they get to the sales pitch.

    Speaking of advertising, billboards with too many, or too small words really irritate me. Billboard advertising is very cost effective, but if you can’t read it in the short time you are driving by, it’s totally worthless. Sometimes I wonder if companies try to save money by not hiring advertising experts to tell them not to do such things, or they just have really bad advertising departments.

  • jojosblog

    Thanks Cindy, Emily and Peg. This is what my research has told me, yet it must work for someone as I see it soooo often! Boggles my mind though as I always delete it.

  • Peg

    I abhor long sales copy. And, generally, any sales copy. Period, whether in an email or snail mail. Probably 98% of the time I won’t even read it. In email it gets deleted, snail-mail gets shredded.

    As most everyone has already mentioned. if it’s something that might interest me, sell me in the first paragraph. Otherwise, bye-bye.

  • Emily Akin

    I hate long sales copy. I want to know what it’s about and what it costs. I don’t need to know how many people around the world think it’s great. I can’t imagine younger people, male or female, sitting still for long copy, either.

  • Cindy Holman

    Brief is better! Say it in a few words to capture attention FOR SURE! I know most people tend to be WAY too verbose! I will skip over it too.

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