How To Strike The Right Balance In The Tone Of Your Catalogs
Copywriting experts have different philosophies when it comes to the tone of catalog copy, among other types of copy. Some think that you should only include facts, presenting the information formally, with bullets and sentence fragments. Others think that you should write as if you are talking directly to the reader, using conversational copy.
Since there is no universal way to write catalog copy, here are some factors to consider that will help you decide which way is the right way for your catalogs.
1. The product. The copy style depends a lot on the product. A catalog selling computer equipment would do better with straightforward copy, since it’s hard to be conversational talking about computer equipment. On the other hand, a catalog for bridal gowns should be more conversational and add extra information that the bride-to-be will find helpful. It is easier to converse about bridal gowns than it is about computer equipment.
2. The audience. How much does your audience already know about the product? If they already know the facts, you can use some descriptive, conversational language. How busy is the reader? If your catalog is aimed for CEOs or business owners who do not have time to spend 30 minutes flipping through a catalog, keep your copy short and to the point.
3. The length of your catalog. If you are trying to cut down on catalog printing costs by printing a smaller catalog, you will want to pare down the copy so you can include more products than descriptive paragraphs. If you have the luxury of devoting one page per item, use a conversational style of writing that reads more like a magazine article and gets the reader involved. Keep in mind that longer is not always better. Do not waste readers time with a lot of useless words and ideas. Tell them what they absolutely need to know and then expand from there if you have the room.
4. Your catalog’s purpose. If your catalog is a mail-order catalog in which you expect people to pick up the phone or immediately mail in the order form, you will need longer copy that is very detailed. You will want to make sure you provide complete product information and specs so the consumer can make an educated decision. A catalog that is used as a sales aid can be shorter and afford a barebones, just-the-facts type of tone. With this purpose of catalog, your salesperson has probably at least mentioned the products, if not gone into great detail about the products in person, so the reader does not need a detailed recap. A promotional catalog that goes to prospects needs to have a benefits-heavy tone that uses appealing headlines and sales-oriented copy to get and keep the reader’s attention.
5. Do what is worked in the past. Keep track of catalog sales and learn from your past catalogs. Did the catalog that brought in the highest number of sales have a conversational tone or a factual tone? Did a catalog with one page per item increase that item’s sales? If so, try to expand your catalog so each item can have its own page.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit:
Catalog Printing
About the Author: Lynne Saarte is a writer that hails from Texas. She has been in the Internet business for some years now, specializing in Internet marketing and other online business strategies.
More articles by lynne
Print Article | Download PDF | 20 views | Sep 01 2008
|
|
