It’s hard enough to write good copy in one language. Writing copy that works in two languages is at least twice as hard.

Here are some mistakes you should avoid if you’re creating bilingual copy for the first time.

Mistake #1: Doing a simple translation.

Let’s say you have a direct mail package that works for an English-speaking audience. Now you want to break into the Hispanic market with a bilingual package. So you figure all you have to do is hire a translator. Right? Not quite.

The “words” may translate, more or less, but the meaning may not. Try this experiment: take a simple phrase and use an online translator to go from English to German then back to English.

English: He’s mellowing out and getting his grove on.

Translates to German: Er ist aus Gärung und immer sein Hain auf.

Translates back to English: He is on from fermentation and always be Hain.

Huh?

Mistake #2: Always writing in English first.

This will be your first instinct if English is your native language. But sometimes it’s a good idea to start with the other language.

For example, some languages are more verbose. So if you start with 2,000 words in English, the version in the other language might be 2,500 or more words. It can be hard to cram that much extra copy into the same layout. By going in the other direction, you may end up with a more workable result.

Mistake #3: Making the same sales pitch in both languages.

Never assume that everyone’s hot buttons are the same. Price might be the main motivator for people of one culture, while social status might be the main motivator in another. Once again, bilingual marketing isn’t about translation as much as it is about appealing to the sensibilities of two different audiences.

Mistake #4: Using culturally-based phrases and ideas.

The advertising world is full of horror stories about how copy can go haywire in translation. Pepsi’s upbeat slogan, “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” translated poorly in China, where it meant “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”

The Parker Pen company goofed when it tried to sell a ballpoint pen in Mexico with ads bragging, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” Unfortunately, the translation proclaimed, “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

Mistake #5: Going it alone.

There’s just no way to market in another language if you’re not fluent in the language and don’t understand the culture. If you’re serious about bilingual marketing, you have to bring in people who understand both languages and cultures and have experience selling to each.

There are no shortcuts.

If you’ve done any bilingual advertising copy, tell me about your experiences.

Related posts:

1. Long copy vs. short copy. Who is right?

Click to see a larger version of this ad.

The long copy vs. short copy debate has been raging for decades.

And it rages on today.

On one side are the traditional direct marketing people who look at history and at testing to support their notion that long copy is proven to engage readers and sell products.

On the other side are, well, everyone else, who claim that long copy is outdated and that people today are overloaded with information and don’t have the patience to read lots of words.

Who is right?

To answer that, let’s look at a classic print advertisement from Ogilvy & Mather. The ad pictured here is one of many from O&M that ran in The Wall Street Journal back in the 1960s or 1970s.

The ad itself is a clinic in long copy. Targeting industrial advertisers, it provides 13 principles for how to create advertising that sells, backed up by statistical research, examples, and case studies.

Yep, that’s a lot of copy. And the ad writer knew it.

That’s why in the lower left corner, the ad addresses the issue of long vs. short copy, which inspired heated debate even then. Here’s what it says about long copy:

Ogilvy & Mather has prepared many industrial advertisements with very long copy. Yet readership research shows that the vast majority of the readers of any advertisement never get beyond the headline.

Since so few people read the copy at all, why does Ogilvy & Mather recommend long copy so often?

The answer is that those relatively few people who read the copy are prospects for your product or your service.

If you aren’t in the market for a product you are unlikely to read an advertisement for it, no matter how long or short the copy. (Most readers of The Wall Street Journal have little interest in industrial advertising — or Ogilvy & Mather. Chances are they haven’t read this far.)

But real prospects — especially industrial prospects responsible for spending large sums — are hungry for information. Research shows that industrial advertisements with really long copy actually tend to get read more thoroughly than advertisements with shorter copy.

You might be able to sell a candy bar with very short copy. But you could never make a case for buying a Cessna Citation in a handful of words.

So there’s your answer.

While it’s true that most people won’t read long copy, it’s also true that most people won’t read short copy either. That’s because most people aren’t interested in your products, and you shouldn’t be interested in most people.

You should be interested in that part of the market who are interested in your products. These are the people seeking information and who will read your copy, even very long copy.

Just think about this for a moment. When you’re in the market for something, especially something expensive, do you buy with only a little information, or do you inhale all the information you can get?

I’ll bet it’s the latter. Why? Because you want to justify the purchase. You want to make sure you’re making a good decision. You don’t want any surprises. Short copy can’t do that. Long copy can.

So if your competitors share only a little information and you share a lot of information, what choice do you suppose potential buyers will make?

I’m not saying you should use long copy all the time. I’m saying use all the copy you need to make the sale. As the O&M ad says, you might sell a candy bar with short copy, but not a Cessna.

No related posts.

I recently received an email from a young copywriter who informed me that the word “free” was now dead.

“It’s a cliche. No one uses this anymore and no one pays attention to headlines that say free. Who believes that anymore? You have to be more subtle now.”

Well golly, thanks for sharing your 6 months of experience. I’ll inform the entire marketing world that “free” should officially be dropped from the selling lexicon because … um … why did you say we can’t use “free” any longer?

Oh, it’s a cliche. Well, let’s think about that before we take any drastic action. What is a cliche?

Here’s how Dictionary.com defines the word cliche:

1. a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox.
2. (in art, literature, drama, etc.) a trite or hackneyed plot, character development, use of color, musical expression, etc.
3. anything that has become trite or commonplace through overuse.

So if the word “free” is a cliche, that means it’s a common idea, it has lost its originality, and it no longer has impact. Is that true?

Okay, “free” is a common idea. No argument there. You frequently see the word used in ads and everyone understands it instantly.

It has also lost its originality. Advertisers have used it for as long as I can remember. A quick search in the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests that it was first used in the 1580s to mean “free of cost.”

But has it lost its impact? That’s the crux of it. Who cares if a word is common or unoriginal? All that matters in marketing is “does it work?”

After all, there are quite a few things that are common and unoriginal that work. Announcing a “sale” nearly always boosts revenue, for example. Neither the business owner nor the customers care whether the concept is original.

I’d say that “free,” while common and unoriginal, still works. When I created a radio ad offering a “FREE Better Sex Kit” for one of my clients, it got people’s attention and generated phone calls. When The Teaching Company offered me a “free” audio course, I downloaded it. When my wife saw an in-store offer for “buy one get one free” in the makeup section of Macy’s, she immediately took advantage of it. (As if she needed any encouragement to buy something at Macy’s.)

In fact, I use “free” all the time. In direct mail. In online sales pages. In radio and emails and videos and, well, pretty much everywhere. And so do thousands of other businesses. Free offers don’t always work, but that’s not because the word “free” is defunct.

Some years ago, I wrote and designed a self-mailer with the word “free” in big, honkin’ 300 pt. type and got 700% more response than the control mailer which used more subtle language to talk about stuff at no cost.

So, with all due respect for the vast experience of the 22-year old copywriter with over a half year of experience, I beg to differ.

“FREE” is not a cliche. It’s common. It’s unoriginal. But it still has impact. You know why? Because the idea of getting something without cost is a basic human motivation. It does not go out of style any more than the promise of sex goes out of style. People have always wanted free stuff and they always will.

And what’s the simplest, clearest way to say that? FREE!

Related posts:

1. Free shipping: Does it actually boost sales?

A few months ago on my Pro Copy Tips blog, I published a short list of copywriting blogs that offer sound and often entertaining advice.

That post got a fair number of comments and tweets, so I thought it would be worthwhile to re-post it here.

A few people emailed me and wondered why I didn’t include this or that blog. One or two people were insulted. But I assure you, this isn’t meant to be a list of the only copywriting blogs, just a list of some of my favorites which I think are worth reading.

So if you don’t see your blog of choice, don’t get your panties in a twist. This isn’t a contest. If there’s a particular blog you like, leave a comment and a link. Okay?

I have no-so-humbly added Pro Copy Tips just in case you copy or bookmark this list. I didn’t want to get left out.

Dean Rieck’s Pro Copy Tips
Kristen King’s Inkthinker
Bob Bly’s Bly.com Blog
Brian Clark’s copyblogger
Peter Stone’s Blog
Dianna Huff’s B2B MarCom Writer Blog
Charles Brown’s Dynamic Copywriting
Michael Stelzner’s Writing White Papers
Nick Usborne’s Excess Voice
Thomas Chandler’s Copywriter Underground
Matt Ambrose’s The Copywriter’s Crucible
David Garfinkel’s World Copywriting Blog
Nicky Jameson On Copywriting, Marketing, Tech and Social Media
Copywrite, Ink.
Written Expressions
Men with Pens
The Copywriting Maven
Freelance Writing Business Blog
Copy Break
Maximum Results Copywriting
Helpinthecity’s Copywriting Blog
Freelance Copywriters Blog
Turner Ink Copywriting Blog
NLP Language Patterns for Advertising
Miguel Alvarez’s Copywriting.com
Marketing Words Copywriting Blog (on SEO Copywriting)
Stephen Dean’s Copywriting Blog
Divine Write
American Copywriter
Copywriting That Sells High Tech Blog

Related posts:

1. Tweets and blogs and stuff
2. 5 copywriting cheats to write better and faster
3. Design and legibility: 10 basic principles of reading

Copywriters are not starving artists living in ivory towers slaving over delicate poetry. They are sales people with word processors.

If you’re a copywriter, you have to write copy that works and stick to schedules. And no matter how creative and energetic you are, you can’t just pull great copy out of thin air day after day.

What I’m getting at is that it helps to have a few “cheats” up your sleeve to help you get the job done, better and faster.

So here are a few copywriting cheats that I’ve found helpful.

Lift key ideas from existing promotional materials. No, this is not plagiarism. There is no such thing as plagiarizing your own company or client. Most existing businesses have brochures, sales letters, print ads, annual reports, a website, product sheets, trade show materials, and all sorts of information ready-to-go.

Not only should you study all this as background, you should take notes on some of the better copy. Often you can find buried copy that would make a great headline or theme. Look at testimonials especially, since these can be a gold mine of copy ideas.

Steal “smart” from your swipe file. You DO have a swipe file, don’t you? Most good copywriters have at least a box where they collect samples for future reference. A few copywriters I know go all out and have multiple filing cabinets filled with carefully categorized samples of direct mail, brochures, ads, and other formats.

You can do the same thing online by creating a computer file and cutting / pasting copy or saving Web pages (on Windows, right click, then save page as).

Stealing smart means looking at what others have done successfully and adapting the idea for your own copy. You could write a spin-off headline, borrow a technique, use a similar format, get ideas for offer presentation, etc.

Use a stock letter opener to get started. Sales letters can be challenging, so it helps to have ways to start that important first sentence. You don’t want to limit yourself to writing the same letter over and over, but if you’re stuck, a stock opener can bail you out and get things moving.

Here are just a few stock openings:

• If you’re like me …
• What if …
• I need your help …
• Congratulations!
• I invite you …
• Good News!
• I’ve enclosed …
• Have you ever wished …
• Did you know …
• Remember when …
• How would you like to …

Write things out of order. Who ever said you have to write copy in order, start to finish? It helps to first outline what you want to write then write all the easy things first, such as the order card, guarantee, feature list, and call to action.

This not only gets your fingers moving, it helps you ease into the subject matter so you have some momentum to tackle hard things like headlines. I don’t recall ever writing anything in order. I write in chunks and piece things together. It’s much faster and the copy generally turns out better.

Modify successful headlines to fit your project. Headlines are so important, you should be spending significant time on writing them. Some people say you should write 100 headlines to get the one headline idea that’s best. But how do you get started?

One way is to rework existing headlines, such as this list of 117 tested headlines. Another way is to study vintage ads, such as the ones at AdClassix.com.

In the previous tip, I said you should write out of order. But I’ll admit that I usually have to get a handle on the main headline or promise before I can do any serious writing. Modifying old headlines gets my engine running and I usually end up with a completely fresh headline by the time I’m done.

No related posts.

In a recent Target Marketing webinar, Robert Lerose and William Fridrich discussed how clients can work successfully with DM copywriters and designers.

Target posted four of these ideas on their Web site:

1. The most precious thing you can give a copywriter is time. Hiring a copywriter at the last minute and then expecting him to turn around brilliant, well-conceived copy shortly thereafter is unreasonable, says Lerose. Plus, many of the quality copywriters will be booked! So make sure you hire early and set a reasonable deadline so the work comes in on time and in great shape.

2. The aim of design is clarity and involvement, not fancy-pants visuals. It’s very easy to go overboard with design, especially with the new tools available to designers. But restraint is necessary when the chief motivator is to get the copy read and keep readers involved until they respond, Fridrich asserts.

3. Make your key people available for interviews. This is an overlooked crucial step in helping a copywriter not only understand the company and product he’s writing about, but also in coming up with the right kind of copy, explains Lerose. Often, visiting the site where the product is made and talking to the people involved, such as a magazine and its editorial staff, will eventually produce copy that is accurate, inspired and effective.

4. All changes and corrections should be collected and communicated to the designer at one time. Depending on how many people have a say in the look and design of a particular mailer, it’s essential to first come to a consensus about the necessary revisions before asking the designer to make changes, says Fridrich. This results in a more efficient process and ultimately is a mutually satisfactory result.

I’d be happy if clients would just provide adequate time and forward changes in one document. They both have to do with time, and unfortunately many marketers simply don’t understand the time that can go into delivering good work.

What else would you like clients to do to make working with them easier?

No related posts.

Want to read some great headlines? Check these out:

Man’s head explodes in barber’s chair.

Woman with 4 legs opens dance studio.

Skiing squirrel dies trying to break 196 m.p.h. speed record!

Cow crashes domino game.

Inflate-a-Boob. New breast implants take gals from flat to fabulous … in seconds!

And these are just the beginning. Alex Eckelberry from Sunbelt Blog turned me on to a collection of Weekly World News back issues preserved in all their eye-popping glory by Google Books.

This stuff is like a Barnum and Baily nightmare. But they hold a treasure of incredible headlines that, while weird and over-the-top, work like money machines. I mean, they certainly sell these publications.

If you want a quick education in using headlines to get attention and get people reading (which is the #1 purpose of any headline), spend some time with these marvels of unabashedly hardcore copywriting. Notice the startling choice of words and extreme specificity.

Pig-nosed man roasted alive in fire-walk tragedy!

Headless ghost haunts railroad tracks … looking for his booze and smokes!

18 things you never knew about Hank the angry drunken dwarf!

Loving her was easy – until she took off her clothes!

Ghost airliner brings back dead rock starts

Rub the famous magic fish … and get anything you want!

Teen’s hair changes color … with her mood!

Half of U.S. hookers are space aliens – and they don’t have sex organs!

Man makes $60,000 a year as human lawn jockey

Is your cat from mars?

London man is electrolysist by day and … werewolf by night. “I know all about unwanted hair growth says spa employee.”

Secretary lifts car off boss – and he fires her!

Iraqi elephant man keeps 10 wives happy! His trunk is his secret charm, says neighbors.

Supreme Court judges are naked under robes!

Nazi UFOs to attack U.S.

Chain-smoker kicks 30-year habit … then chokes to death on wad of nicotine gum!

Want more? Browse this collection of trashy tabloids.

No related posts.

I get them. You get them. We all get them. E-mail scam spam. And you probably just delete them like most people do.

But did you ever take a few minutes to read these messages and consider why some of them work?

There are some key copywriting lessons to be learned here. Let’s look at one short scam spam e-mail I received a few months after tax season a couple years back (I collect these things).

Subject Line:

IRS Notification – Tax refund (Internal Revenue Service)

Message:

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $249.30.

Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access the form for your tax refund, please click here

Note: For security reasons, we will record your ip-address, the date and time. Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicated.

Regards,
Internal Revenue Service

Copyright 2007, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A. All rights reserved.

First, the subject line gets your attention. It says it’s from the IRS, which is a government department everyone is familiar with. There are no wild claims, just the suggestion that you may have a tax refund, something everyone wants.

When you open the e-mail, you see a small IRS logo at the top of the message. It looks real, and it is. See for yourself. This adds a touch of credibility.

Then the copy begins without a salutation or any wordy introduction. It simply states a few “facts” bluntly, which create an official tone. It also uses official-sounding words and phrases, such as “calculations,” “fiscal activity,” and “eligible.”

The “offer” is specific and believable: $249.30.

Then comes the call to action: “submit the tax refund request.” It’s simple and direct.

Next comes this: “A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.” This suggests a deadline to encourage a prompt response.

Finally, there’s another call to action and, since this is an e-mail, a direct link to the “form” you are supposed to fill out.

Obviously it’s a scam. The IRS doesn’t communicate by e-mail. They don’t calculate your “fiscal activity.” And you don’t interact with the IRS about your tax return with online forms.

That said, the copy works:

• It includes an attention-grabbing subject line (or headline).
• The message is from a familiar organization.
• It makes a promise about something you want.
• It uses a logo that adds credibility.
• It gets to the point quickly.
• It creates an appropriate tone and includes well-chosen words.
• The offer is specific.
• The call to action is simple and direct.
• It suggests a deadline.
• It provides an easy means of response.

That’s a pretty good copywriting formula.

E-mail scams work in part because some people are gullible and because the messages are sent to so many people odds are there will be enough response to justify the effort.

But they also work because the low lifes who blast them out test lots of messages and see what works and what doesn’t. So the next time you get an e-mail spam scam, read it before you hit the delete button. It’s amazing what you might learn.

No related posts.

I have an old, crumbling Roget’s Thesaurus on my desk along with a variety of other well-worn writing resources. A bookshelf on the other side of my office holds even more.

I will never give up these beat-up books because when I’m in serious need of a synonym, grammar rule, or other tidbit, these loyal references never let me down.

But when I’m in the heat of writing, I often don’t have time to peruse my reference library. I need something quick. That’s when I turn to a variety of handy online writing resources that can give me what I need in a minute or two.

Here are a few of the best. Bookmark these sites, especially Thesaurus.com, which is so fast and simple I find myself visiting it nearly every day.

Copyright and Plagiarism

• 10 Big Myths about copyright explained
• Copyright & Fair Use
• Plagiarism.org
• U.S. Copyright Office Home Page

Dictionaries and Synonym Tools

• The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
• Dictionary.com
• Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus
• Synonym.com
• Thesaurus.com

Editing

• Copyediting Terms
• High-speed, high-stakes copy editing
• Proofreading Your Writing
• Self-Editing Checklist

Grammar

• English Glossary of Grammar Terms
• Grammar Slammer
• GrammarBook.com
• Guide to Grammar and Style
• Guide to Grammar and Writing
• HyperGrammar
• Modern English Grammar
• Schoolhouse Rock Lyrics

References

• Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• The Encyclopedia of World History
• The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy
• Resources for Writers and Writing Instructors
• The World Factbook

Style and Usage

• The American Heritage® Book of English Usage
• The Columbia Guide to Standard American English
• Common Errors in English
• The Elements of Style
• The King’s English

Technical Writing

• Technical Report Writing
• Technical Writing
• Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students

Related posts:

1. Quick tips for writing variable direct mail copy
2. 5 bilingual copy mistakes and how to avoid them

“Semantic noise” is the term communication professors use to describe what happens when words mean different things to different people.

Here’s one notorious example. A copywriter wrote the following slogan for a cough syrup company:

“Try our cough syrup. You will never get any better.”

You can see what the poor copywriter meant to say, but his slogan can be understood in two ways. It creates major semantic noise and you are left wondering why anyone would buy a product that promises to NOT work.

Here are other examples of semantic noise caused by writers from around the world.

Sign in Norwegian cocktail lounge: “Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.”

Detour sign in Japan: “Stop. Drive Sideways.”

Hotel in Vienna: “In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter.”

Elevator in Germany: “Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up.”

Dry cleaner window in Bangkok: “Drop your pants here for best results.”

And my favorite from a Japanese hotel: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.”

These are all extreme examples, of course. But they show what can happen when you mean to say one thing and your words are understood to mean something else.

Even something as simple as writing “soda” when your audience would normally say “pop” can stop a reader long enough to derail your sales pitch.

The solution? Well, I have three simple suggestions:

1. Look for semantic noise in your copy. Just being aware of the possibility of confusion, and that words do not carry set meaning, can help you avoid this sort of copywriting catastrophe.

2. Don’t write in a rush. I always try to build “cooling off” time into every project. I write, set aside the copy for a day or two, then come back to it with fresh eyes. This always helps you see things you didn’t see in the heat of writing.

3. Show your copy to other people. A client, proofreader, friend, anyone. Fresh, objective eyes can quiet semantic noise in a hurry.

I’ve never created a major piece of semantic noise, but I did once title an article “How to cut down traffic on your Web site.” It was intended to be a snarky look at what not to do if you want more Web traffic. My intended meaning for “cut down” was “reduce.” But the publication editor pointed out that “cut down traffic” made it sound like I wanted to “slay” or “kill” people on a Web site.

Semantic noise happens to all of us. So keep your ears open.

No related posts.