How many times have you heard this about campaign advertising copy?
“Keep it short.”
Copywriting legend Dan Kennedy says: “BS.”
“Fact: LONG copy out-performs short copy 9 out of 10 times, often by double-digit percentages, no matter the media or the purpose.”
Adds veteran political strategist Roger Stone in Stone’s Rule #59…
“The idea that short advertisements and heavily abbreviated advertising copy are the most effective is wrong. … Longer direct mail, newspaper, magazine and other direct-response print advertising invariably outperform shorter copy.
“Attention spans may be short today, but when a reader does opt to engage with focus, having longer, more detailed copy ultimately gives more bang for the buck. Better to have 10 percent read the longer copy, with some real impact, than 100 percent wiz past a short copy ad, none of it sinking in, much less having an impact.”
The Marketing Masters Creed: The more you tell, the more you sell.
Cheers!
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
THE CAMPAIGN DOCTOR
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections