Copywriting Principles Quiz PDF

## Copywriting Principles Quiz **1. Share your best definition of copywriting.** Answer: Copywriting is the art and science of writing persuasive, engaging, and effective content that compels a specific action or response from a target audience. **2. If copywriting isn't about writing, what is it...

## Copywriting Principles Quiz **1. Share your best definition of copywriting.** Answer: Copywriting is the art and science of writing persuasive, engaging, and effective content that compels a specific action or response from a target audience. **2. If copywriting isn't about writing, what is it about? Explain.** Answer: Copywriting is about understanding and influencing human behavior. It's about knowing what your audience desires, what motivates them, and crafting words that resonate with their needs and aspirations. **3. News Headlines** If you have news about your product, announce it in the headline. This news could be the introduction of a new product, an improvement of an existing product ("new, improved Bounty"), or a new application for an old product. Some examples of headlines that contain news: - Introducing the New Citation II - Chevrolet - Finally, a Caribbean Cruise as Good as Its Brochure - Norwegian Cruise Line - The Greatest Market Discovery Ever Made - Commodities trading newsletter **4. How-to Headlines** The words how to are pure magic in advertising headlines, magazine ads, and book titles. There are more than 7,000 books in print with *how to* in their titles. Many advertising writers claim if you begin with *how to,* you can't write a bad headline. They may be right. How-to headlines offer the promise of solid information, sound advice, and solutions to problems: - How to Turn a Simple Party Into a Royal Ball - How to Write Better and Faster - How to Stop Smoking in 30 Days...Or Your Money Back Whenever Iʼm stuck for a headline, I type “How to” on the page, and what follows those words is always a decent, hardworking headline: good enough to use until something better comes along. **5. Question Headlines** To be effective, the question headline must ask a question that the reader can empathize with or would like to see answered. Question headlines should always focus on the readerʼs self-interest, curiosity, and needs, and not on the advertiserʼs. A typical self-serving question headline used by many companies reads something like, “Do You Know What the XYZ Company Is Up to These Days?” The readerʼs response is “*Who cares?*” and a turn of the page. Some examples: - What in the World Is Wrong With Me? - When an Employee Gets Sick, How Long Does It Take Your Company to Recover? - Is Your Pump Costing You More to Operate Than It Should? - Do You Close the Bathroom Door Even When Youʼre the Only One Home? - Have You Any of These Decorating Problems? - What Do Japanese Managers Have That American Managers Sometimes Lack? **6. Command Headlines** Command headlines generate sales by telling your prospects what to do. - Try Burning This Coupon - Harshaw Chemical - Put a Tiger in Your Tank - Esso - Aim High. Reach for New Horizons. - U.S. Air Force Note that the first word in the command headline is a strong verb demanding action on the part of the reader. **7. Reason-Why Headlines** One easy and effective way of writing body copy is to list the sales features of your product in simple 1–2–3 fashion. If you write your ad this way, you can use a reason-why headline to introduce the list. Examples of reason-why headlines include: - Seven Reasons Why You Should Join the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics - 120 to 4,000 Reasons Why You Should Buy Your Fur During the Next Four Days. Reason-why headlines need not contain the phrase “reason why.” Other introductory phrases such as “6 ways,” “7 steps,” and “hereʼs how” can do just as well. **8. Testimonial Headlines** In a testimonial advertisement, your customers do your selling for you. For example, a testimonial is the Publishers Clearinghouse commercial in which past winners tell us how they won big prize money in the sweepstakes. Testimonials work because they offer proof that a business satisfies its customers. In print ad testimonials, the copy is written as if spoken by the customer, who is usually pictured in the ad. Quotation marks around the headline and the body copy signal the reader that the ad is a testimonial. When writing testimonial copy, use the customerʼs own words as much as possible. Donʼt polish his statements; a natural, conversational tone adds believability to the testimonial. **9. How would you describe "good copy"?** Answer: Good copy is clear, concise, persuasive, and relevant to the target audience. It should be easy to understand, resonate emotionally, and drive the desired action. **10. Your copy should be "simple yet significant."** 1. Use short, everyday words 2. Use bullets or numbered lists 3. Use white space in long-form copy 4. Eliminate any and all unnecessary words 5. Use parentheses (to give readers a break) 6. Tell a story - to help remember your message 7. Say something surprising to “hook” your readers 8. Ask questions and then immediately answer them 9. Write in the second person, using the word “you” often 10. Provide rich, specific detail to bring your words “to life” **11. For copy to convince the consumer to buy the product, it must do three things. Explain.** Answer: For copy to persuade a consumer, it must attract attention, build credibility for the product or service, and evoke a desire for it. It needs to grab the readerʼs attention, establish trust, and make them believe they want or need the product. **12. What is the main difference between writing copy in the past vs. today?** Answer: Copywriting in the past often relied on traditional formats and longer attention spans. Today, copy must be concise, visually appealing, and tailored to shorter attention spans in the digital age. **13. How many minutes is the average human attention span today?** Answer: The average human attention span today is often estimated at around 8 seconds. **14. Name at least 10 different forms of copy in the world today.** - Website copy - Blog posts - Social media posts - Email marketing - Print advertising - Video scripts - Product descriptions - Brochures - Newsletters - White papers **15. What is the creative challenge for every copywriter?** Answer: The creative challenge for every copywriter lies in crafting compelling and innovative content that stands out from the noise, captures attention, and effectively conveys a message. **16. Share your best explanation of outcome-based copy.** Answer: Outcome-based copy focuses on clearly defining specific goals and measuring their impact. It's about understanding the desired outcome and crafting copy that directly leads to achieving those goals. **17. Share your best explanation of why copy is visual too.** Answer: Copywriting in the past often relied on traditional formats and longer attention spans. Today, copy must be concise, visually appealing, and tailored to shorter attention spans in the digital age. **18. What are some ways to make our copy more memorable?** Answer: To create memorable copy, it’s important to use strong language, offer compelling benefits, tell a story, use unique imagery, and incorporate humor or surprise. **19. Clear vs. creative copy? Which one is better and why?** Answer: Clear copy is more important when promoting practical products or services, while creative copy works better for emotional appeals. **20. What are some writing techniques you should almost NEVER use in your copy?** Answer: Techniques to avoid include overly complex language, jargon, generic phrases, and clichés. These elements can hinder readability and make the copy seem unoriginal and predictable. **21. What does it mean to "put the reader first" in your copy?** Answer: Putting the reader first means crafting copy from the reader’s perspective, understanding their needs, concerns, and goals, and tailoring your message to resonate with them. **22. "Copy is not written. Copy is assembled." Explain what this means.** Answer: This means that copywriting is not just about writing sentences but about crafting ideas, combining different components, and arranging them strategically to create a compelling message. **23. What is the difference between super creative and really good copy?** Answer: Super creative and humorous ads can be risky because they might not resonate with all audiences or effectively convey the core message. They can also be easily forgotten and lack long-term impact. **24. For copy to persuade the consumer to buy the product, it must do three things. Explain.** Answer: For copy to persuade a consumer, it must attract attention, build credibility for the product or service, and evoke a desire for it. It needs to grab the readerʼs attention, establish trust, and make them believe they want or need the product. **25. What is the main benefit of good research for a copywriter?** Answer: Good research helps copywriters understand their target audience, identify their needs, and craft persuasive content that resonates with them. It also provides insights into market trends, competitors, and successful strategies. **26. Explain the differences between a client brief vs. a client call.** Answer: A client brief is a written document that outlines the project details and expectations. A client call is a verbal conversation with the client to discuss the project in depth, clarify expectations, and answer any questions. **27. What does a good client brief include?** Answer: A good client brief outlines the project objectives, target audience, key messages, desired outcomes, brand guidelines, timeline, budget, and any relevant background information. **28. Should copywriters ask a lot of questions?** Answer: True **29. What does the H.O.T. headline formula stand for?** Answer: H.O.T. stands for Hook, Offer, and Time. This formula helps create effective headlines by combining a compelling hook to grab attention, offering value or a benefit, and providing a sense of urgency. **30. From totally unaware to very aware, what are Eugene Schwartz’s 5 Levels of Customer Awareness?** Answer: Eugene Schwartz’s 5 Levels of Customer Awareness are: 1. Unaware, 2. Problem Aware, 3. Solution Aware, 4. Product Aware, and 5. Most Aware. **31. Name 2 types of fail-safe headlines. If you can, include examples too.** Answer: Two types of fail-safe headlines are: - **benefit-driven headlines** – focusing on the advantages of the product or service - **question headlines** – that pique the reader’s curiosity, such as, “Are you tired of…” or “Do you want to…” **32. A Checklist of “Copy Motivators”** As I’ve pointed out, different people buy products for different reasons. If I buy a car, I buy reliable transportation to get me where I want to go, and a used economy car suits me just fine. But the buyer of a Porsche or Mercedes Benz is buying more than transportation—she’s buying status and prestige as well. Before you write your copy, it’s a good idea to review the reasons why people might want to buy your product. To help you, I’ve compiled the following checklist of “copy motivators”: 22 motivations people have for making purchases. This list is not comprehensive. But it will get you thinking about who you’re writing to and why you’re writing to them. - To be liked - To be appreciated - To be right - To feel important - To make money - To save money - To save time - To make work easier - To be secure - To be attractive - To be comfortable - To be distinctive - To be happy - To have fun - To gain knowledge - To be healthy - To gratify curiosity - For convenience - Out of fear - Out of greed - Out of guilt **Other Important Information:** 1. **The 4 P's:** Picture, Promise, Prove, Push. The copywriter creates a picture of what the product can do for the reader, promises the picture will come true if the reader buys the product, proves what the product has done for others, and pushes for immediate action. 2. **The 3 Things Copy Must Do:** To convince the consumer to buy a product, good copy must: - Get attention - Communicate - Persuade 3. **The Copywriting Pyramid:** This is a diagram that shows the five levels of customer awareness, starting with totally unaware and ending with very aware. - **Totally Unaware:** The customer does not even know that a problem exists - **Problem Aware:** The customer is aware that a problem exits but doesn’t know what to do about it. - **Solution Aware:** The customer is aware that a problem exists and is looking for a solution. - **Product Aware:** The customer is aware of specific products that might solve the problem. - **Very Aware:** The customer is very aware of the product and is ready to buy it. 4. **Instead of:** - accomplish - ascertain - disseminate - endeavour - expedite - facilitate - locality - optimum - utilise **Use:** - do - find out - send out, distribute - try - hasten, speed up - make easier, help - place - best, greatest, most - use 5. **Instead of:** - with regard to - by means of - in the event that - until such time - during such time - subsequent to - it would appear that - adequate number of **Use:** - about - by - if - until - during - after - apparently - enough **It is important to note that this only provides the main information from the document. The document also has many visually appealing graphics such as pie charts and pyramids to illustrate the above information.**