What The Election Can Teach Us About Copywriting

by James L. Rubart

Don't worry. This post isn't going to be about politics. Yeah, I know ... whew.

But the insane campaign/election season that just ended can teach us a salient point about our own copy writing. What works, what doesn't. 

Trump didn't win the election, Clinton lost it. (A quick review for those who might not know a few pertinent facts.)

• Trump received less votes than Romney did in '12.

• Trump received less votes than McCain did in '08.

It wasn't so much that voters turned out for Trump as they didn't show up for Clinton.

Why?

A number of factors, yes, but I think her poor copy writing was part of it. 

Question: What was Obama's campaign slogan in '08? Hope.

What was Trump's campaign slogan? 

I'll give you a second ...

A few more ...

Yep, "Make America great again."

Hillary's Turn

What was Clinton's?

Before you scroll, down, do you know? A majority of people would have a tough time nailing it.

Wait, you're saying, "I thought it was something else." You're right.

Wait, you're saying, "I thought it was something else." You're right.

The Lessons For Us

A few quick lessons, then I'll let you get back to praying for our country (no matter who you voted for).

• If you are one that likes slogans or tag lines, pick one, then stick with it. Realize that if you change it, will take a while for it to sink in. Going from one to another to another will confuse people. 

• People aren't stupid, but they're not studying your slogan. Make it simple for them. Make it something they can remember easily. People didn't turn out for Clinton because a great many of them couldn't quickly tell you what she stood for. Fighting? I'm with her? Stronger together? Uh ... whatever. When people can't say what your novels are about quickly and understand how it will benefit them, nothing will stir inside, and they'll be much less likely to take action. 

• Make your slogan about THEM! Do you want America to be GREAT again? I'm guessing 99 percent of you would say, "Why yes, Jim, I do." Who is that slogan about? Us. You. Me. Our country. America being great again would directly benefit you, me, my wife, my kids ... that stirs an emotion inside."I'm With Her."? Not so much. That's all about Hillary. Makes me think of those campy t-shirts you see some couples wear. Not exactly stirring the passion inside me. How 'bout you?

• Hillary didn't give a specific, tangible benefit. "Fighting For Us!" Uh, yeah, great ... but fighting for what? "Stronger Together!" Stronger for what? 

What are you giving readers? Hope, like Obama gave voters? Making something great again like Trump told voters would happen? Are you giving them freedom? Laughter? Joy? Strength to face the storms of life?

I can't wait to hear your slogan. It's going to rock!

TWEETABLE

What The Election Can Teach Us About Copywriting by James L. Rubart (Click to Tweet)

What if there was a place where everything wrong in your life could be fixed?

Corporate trainer Jake Palmer coaches people to see deeper into themselves—yet he barely knows himself anymore. Recently divorced and weary of the business life, Jake reluctantly agrees to a lake-house vacation with friends, hoping to escape for ten days.

When he arrives, Jake hears the legend of Willow Lake—about a lost corridor that leads to a place where one’s deepest longings will be fulfilled.

Jake scoffs at the idea, but can’t shake a sliver of hope that the corridor is real. And when he meets a man who mutters cryptic speculations about the corridor, Jake is determined to find the path, find himself, and fix his crumbling life.

But the journey will become more treacherous with each step Jake takes.

James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man's body. He thinks he's still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons, and loves to send readers on journeys they'll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He's the best-selling, Christy BOOK of the YEAR, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of eight novels as well as a professional speaker. During the day he runs his branding and marketing company which helps businesses, authors, and publishers make much more coin of the realm. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington. More at www.jameslrubart.com

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In Writing, Little Can Be Much

by Linore Rose Burkard

This past week I took part in "National Life-Chain Sunday," during which I stood on a sidewalk with a few dozen other souls, holding a sign for passing drivers to read.

My sign had only three words: 

ABORTION HURTS WOMEN

Short. Succinct.

Sufficient.

Because little can be much.

I could have chosen a different sign, such as one bearing five words:

LIFE: THE FIRST INALIENABLE RIGHT    

This one, too, packed a big punch in few words. 

There were other signs available. But all had only a few words because they needed to be read quickly by drivers going by. As I held the sign and watched the traffic passing, I saw that we had three to five seconds, on average, in which a driver could read the message. 

In case you haven't noticed, getting attention online is not all that different.

Instead of driving past, readers surf by your carefully crafted blog headline, or email newsletter subject line, or expensive ad. Blogs, landing pages, newsletters and ads all share the need to grab attention and hook a reader--or they're gone (in three seconds or less, according to some pundits).

Copywriters know this, and make an art of crafting the perfect headlines to catch the attention of their audiences. But what if novelists practiced this? Not just creating the attention-grabbing line, but doing it with as few words as possible.  I wonder if we would become stronger writers. 

Because in many instances in writing, less is more. Little can be much.

Take description. A newer writer shared a chapter of her book with me recently in which she described a main character who had not yet entered the story in person. The description was complete, head to toe, and not badly written. The problem is that it read like a catalogue, perfectly normal, not remarkable--in a word, utterly forgettable. How much more effective had she merely singled out one characteristic of that character? He might have had a noticeable scar, or tattoo. He might have limped when he walked, or spoken with an accent; The distinct feature isn't important in itself--but ONE distinct feature would have made this character memorable, whereas a dozen did just the opposite.

Less would have been more. 

A great way to see "less is more" in action is to read effective tweets on Twitter, bumper stickers, or, my favorite, T-shirt slogans. The element of surprise, of juxtaposing an idea with an unexpected parallel, seems to work quite well here. Perhaps the principle of a startling analogy is something we can keep in mind when writing our own headlines or other copy--or even a character description. 

See how the following t-shirt slogans are short and sweet--and effective:       

• A SISTER will give you the shirt off her back....it's probably yours anyway. 
• IRONY. The opposite of wrinkly.
• Relish Today.  Ketchup Tomorrow.
• At my age I've seen it all, I've heard it all, I've done it all. I just can't remember it all.
• This IS my Sexy Lingerie.
• I'M ALWAYS LATE. My ancestors arrived on the Juneflower.

The comedic aspect of the surprising parallel needn't always be present as in the above examples. Even a serious writer can use a startling juxtaposition to make a point. 

• PAIN AND SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE.  But misery is optional. 
• There is no worse robber than a bad book. (Italian proverb)
• Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. (S.Kierkegaard)
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...(Dickens)

Whether you feel juxtaposition (a la the startling parallel) translates to writing fiction or not, it is probably a worthwhile endeavor to learn to use the principle, at least in marketing copy.

I'd like to be purposeful about trying it, as I tend to be wordy if left unchecked. And in writing, as we've seen, less can be more.

Little can be much! 

TWEETABLES

"Because in many instances in writing, less is more. Little can be much." ~ Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

ONE distinct feature made this character memorable, whereas a dozen did the opposite.~Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Linore Rose Burkard wrote a trilogy of regency romances for the Christian market before there were any regencies for the Christian market. Her books opened up the genre in the CBA. She also writes YA Suspense/Apocalyptic fiction as L.R. Burkard. Married with five children, she still home-schools her youngest daughter, preferably with coffee in one hand and an iPad in the other. Her latest book, RESILIENCE, is "spine-tingling suspense, where teens carry rifles instead of school books and where survival might mean becoming your own worst enemy."   

"INTENSE!"

It's a great time to be a fan of YA novels! L.R.Burkard is back with the next tale in her dystopian series, and the bar of excellence is raised to new heights with this top quality literary offering!

                                --Deena Peterson, Blogger, Reviewer

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