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WKITI.NG ClirV 



Editor's Note 



'Jliis is the second of a scries of six artifles on "Profltalile Lumljer Advertising." wliicb are written Ijy a lum- 

 liermjin wbo has fully demonstrated his ability to secure substantial profits from lumber trade newspaper advertising, 

 backed bv an unusual ability in the preparation of forceful and convincing "copv." The next article will be on the 

 subject of "Points About Writing Copy." 



Have you ever read .in advertisement that made you stop, think, 

 foKow the line of its reasoning — that seemed to create in you a de- 

 sire for the article advertised and to impel you to sit down and 

 write that advertiser, or that made you go to a store and ask for 

 the article? Perhaps yoii didn't analyze it in quite that way at the 

 time. Perhaps you didn 't realize that months before you saw that 

 particular advertisement, some advertising man when "sizing up" 

 yon, the prospective buyer, imagined that about five thousand other 

 "you's" were standing in front of him and that he was sizing you 

 all up to talk to you about his goods. After he had studied you 

 from every possible standpoint, after he had thought out the ob- 

 jections you would possibly make, after he had thought out the 

 easiest way for you to get the goods, he wrote that advertisement. 

 Then he figured out the waj's to reach you — decided what maga- 

 zines or papers you read, the ones that you had confidence in, whose 

 policy it was to admit nothing in their advertising sections that 

 was not perfectly legitimate. Then the advertising man's "layout 

 man" sized up the space in which the advertisement was to appear, 

 carefully noted the surrounding advertisements and tlicn drew up 

 a sample border or specified a type-border, specified a type for the 

 body-matter, drew in the headings and subheadings rouglily, speci- 

 fied the type for these, so that when his work was completed, he 

 had a fairly accurate picture of what the general advertisement 

 would look like when set up and run. The copy and the layout 

 were fastened together ami sent to the magazine which after setting 

 up, sent back proofs to be carefully checked and corrected. Finally 

 it appeared in the paper or magazine as you saw it and probably 

 had the efCect on you that was at first outlined. All of the fore- 

 going is part of the writing, planning, and workings of the busi- 

 ness of advertising. 



The first point to consider in writing advertisements is the assem- 

 bling of proper selling points in their logical order for the writing 

 of the copy or body-matter of the advertisement. A selling point is 

 any point of advantage. Just as in selling lumber, in the general 

 run, a man who has stock G'/c 14' and 16' has, these days, on account 

 of so much short lumber, a splendid selling point. Stock that is 

 twelve months dry offeis another splendid argument and one that will 

 bring an extra good price in these times. Thirty per cent 10" and up 

 wide in plain oak is another good point, as is stock that is cut 1%" so 

 that when dry it is full thickness. Get the ideas? Hero is another — 

 genuine forked-leaf white oak that for use in furniture takes a 

 quick and perfectly even "fume." These are just a few specific 

 selling points as illustrations. An advertisement is merely a group 

 of selling points in logical order and written in language to suit 

 the readers of some particular class of a certain paper or papers. 



DESCRII'TIO.N' OF ARTICLE 



In writing your copy, don't merely describe the stock and say 

 "carefully seasoned," for that is simply a general statement and 

 doesn 't mean anything to the man that reads it. General state- 

 ments don 't count for anything these days — you must be specific 

 in everything. 8ay, for instance, "This lumber is piled with 1%" 

 stickers, every two feet apart and has been so piled for 12 months, 

 insuring proper drying. It is now bone-dry. Cut a board open 

 at any point and see for yourself." There you Imve put facts into 

 convincing language. Don 't merely say, ' ' Carefully graded, ' ' but 

 tell how good it is — say, "fully 5% better than the rules call for," 

 or "we grade this gum without sap on the edges although the rules 

 allow it." This may be just the stock some buyer has been looking 

 for and by being specific in the description of it you will interest 

 liim right away. Don't say "will cut better for your work," but 



—18— 



■say "is especially suitable for long-rippings and if used for this 

 purpose will cut to from 5 to 10% better advantage than ordinary 

 stock at a cheap price — this is, therefore, cheaper to buy than other 

 stock. ' ' When you make definite statements like the above you give 

 the buyer something tangible to judge from. 



FUXCTIOXS OF AN ADVTIRTISEMEXT 



The following are the proper functions of a selling advertisement : 

 To attract favorable attention; to create desire; to inspire confi- 

 dence; to carry conviction; to impel the reader to take some action 

 toward getting the article or more information regarding it. When 

 you carefully think about it, you can see the fallacy of most present- 

 day lumber advertising — the ' ' standing-card ' ' style. 



To write th'B copy or body-matter along the above lines for a 

 lumber advertisement is not as diflacult as might be imagined. We'll 

 go into it and follow- out the successive steps. Suppose you have 

 100,000' of 1", Is and 2s plain white oak. Go out and look it over 

 for the selling points. Suppose it runs 60% 14' and 16' and 20% 10" 

 and up wide; that it is of even color and texture, close-grained, yet 

 soft and therefore easy to work. This latter is a great point, for 

 nearly every consumer thinks of his machines. If stock is softer, 

 they prefer it as it means lesis wear and tear on the machinery, less 

 grinding of the knives, etc. On account of its even color, it should 

 "fume" easily and <juickly. Supposing that the above comprises 

 our list of selling points, let us consider the logical questions to 

 answer before we attempt to write the copy for the advertisement. 



Ques, 1— Who are the logical buyers — planing mills? yards? furniture 

 men? molding men? ct^. 



Quos. 2 — Are the advertisements to create a demand for the retailers 

 of lumber? Are they to call the architect's attention to the wood? Or 

 for substitution for another wood? Are the advertisements to be directed 

 to the public to tell that l)ody the merits of a wood with which they are 

 not familiar? Is there a demand for the wood already? 



Ques. 3 — What mediums are to be used — newspapers? trade-papers? 

 magazines? mail-stuffers? letters? 



Ques. 4 — lias the meiiium the circulation you want : does it reach the 

 particular class or classes of trade that the advertisement wants to 

 "talk" to and interest ? 



Ques. '• — What is to be the size of the advertisement? 



Ques. G — Shall all the silling points be presented? Remember that In 

 certain localities people are prejudiced one way or another. The best 

 plan is to put yourself in the place of the buyer and his business, and 

 then think what would most appeal to you. 



Q'les. 7 — Siiall we illustrate the ad? 



Ques. H — .md Last — (this to be answered after the copy is written). 

 We should now judge the copy impartially or hand It to some one else 

 to read, to see that it is perfectly dear, that it <'arrics conviction, that it 

 creates desire, that it is truthful, and that it will impel the reader on 

 perusal to take some action in regard to it. * 



Now we '11 take the selling points that we found in connection with 

 that block of your oak, and proceed to apply it and answer the ques- 

 tions to the above, before we write the copy. 



Ans. 1 — It is evident that high-class planing mills, yards, high-class 

 furniture makers, molding and the like trades, are the logical buyers of 

 this oak. 



Ans. 2 — Demand for oak is already established. It should be addressed 

 to the buyers directly. Advertisement should show the superiority of this 

 oak over other blocks of similar stock. 



Ans. :^ — Trape-Fapers. mail-stuffers. 



Ans. 4 — The media you should select are those who.se advertising would 

 indicate that they go to the trade buying what you want to adverti.se. 

 For instance, a paper carrying mainly veneer and hardwood lumber ads 

 must of necessity go to the people who use those articles. 



Ans. 5 -Should be displayi-d in at least a i|uarter -page space. This 

 will give room for interest compelling display. Combined with this, 

 attractive display and heading will insure the advertisement being seen 

 and read. 



Ans. G — The prospective buyers should be grouped as a class for each 

 paper and separate advertisements written. All the selling points should 



