NEWS FLASH: Long copy ads make a comeback.
Or did they actually go anywhere?
One of the longest standing debates online is whether long copy or short copy works better.
Short copy advocates say “no one will read all that text”.
Long copy advocates say “without the text they have nothing to base a decision on”.
As you probably know by now, I am a BIG believer in long copy ads.
So when I saw this article by Marketing Forecast, it wasn’t a big surprise to me.
The summary – short copy ads are increasing prevalent on the net, and increasing difficult to stand out from the crowd with.
Reaaaaally?
Who’d have thunk it?
Imagine that…
…someone interested in weight loss goes online and sees one page with some pretty pictures of people who lost weight – and an order button.
The next page they go to shows the pictures, and actually tells the story about how Joe was 84 pounds overweight, had poor health, his children were worried about him, his boss gave him an ultimatum about dressing properly to be in front of clients, and his wife stopped having sex with him a year ago.
Eureka!
He finds a simple solution… and follows it to the T.
It shows his journal entries… and his weight loss records. Then it explains what his life is like now being 75 pounds lighter, happy kids he can play with, his wife is constantly dragging him back to the bedroom, and his boss gave him a raise thanks to his increased confidence and sales numbers.
What do you think…
…pretty pictures
…or an actual story explaining the pictures
Which will make more money?
Not too hard to figure out.
If the long copy ad is targeted at people who are overweight and experiecing problems liuke Joe was, the long copy ad will SMOKE the short copy ad.
It. Just. Makes. Sense.
But it is news on the internet.
For some reason.
The point is… long copy is (almost) always easier to tell a story with.
Picture ads look nice, but are MUCH more costly to try and get the sales numbers.
And the small business owners and entrepreneurs I work with are wayyyyyy more concerned about their bank account and ability to feed their family, than the beautiful branding campaign that cost them a second mortgage and brought them nothing in bankable revenues.
I LOVE working with entrepreneurs.
Their passion is contagious.
Their drive is irreplacable.
Their ability to see and do things mere mortals can’t is admirable.
And their entrepreneurial spirit is what drives economies back from the brink.
I never left long copy – and if you did – now is the time to get back!
Let me know your thoughts on the long copy vs short debate.
Troy
I’m a copywriter and I appreciate and understand the long copy argument (I’ve written/edited my fair share of the stuff.) And you’re right, pretty pics just aren’t enough. Words are still our most powerful tool for engaging our “right people.”
I’ve been researching this topic, and I think people are dying for some innovation on the long copy sales page… Both the biz owners trying to sell something and the readers who want what we have but DREAD the wall of text.
And do we really know how much of that long copy gets read? People skim, skim, skim when reading online … hunting for the meat of the offer and a price. For e.g., might 3 potent (offer-relevant) testimonials suffice instead of 10?
My desire is for marketers and copywriters like you and I to take a long (sorry) hard look at the EXPERIENCE we’re creating with the traditional long copy format. And then perhaps be willing to make some adjustments that line up a little better with the current zeitgeist.
It might be time for change … whether it’s baby steps or big leaps.
Thanks for the thought provoking post, Troy.