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Profitable Lumber Advertising 





POINTS ABOUT WRITING COPY 



Editor's Note 



This is the third of a series of articles on "Profitable Lumber Advertising." the first being a general 

 article on the subject, and the second on "Writing Copy." The fourth, on the subject of "Borders, Headings, 

 Types and Layouts," will appear in the next issue. 



Having considered the first principles of copy-writing, we will 

 devote a few moments to some principles that must be taken into 

 consideration. 



Lumber is a peculiar commodity. There are so many different 

 freight rates that to quote a price in an advertisement in a paper 

 of national circulation and written to consumers, is poor policy; 

 in fact, it won't work at all. You haven't the room to quote a 

 lot of different ]i;ieis frr diffe.ont rates and even if you did, it 

 would make the advertisement all out of ' ' balance ' ' and unat- 

 tractive. You can 't quote a price f . o. b. mill because nine-tenths 

 of the consumers don't know how to figure freights and haven't the 

 time to look them up. It would probably work if the advertisement 

 were addressed to wholesalers only, because they know how to 

 figure freights. If the mill is anywhere near a big centre and 

 taking the same rates to all points as the big centre, it would then 

 be possible to quote. The writer knows for a fact, however, that 

 it is best not to quote a price even in the latter case; first, because 

 you will get the names of all the interested parties in answer to 

 your advertisement by their inquiring letters, and, second, because 

 a "check" can be kept on the mediums or papers that are used and 

 therefore you are able to tell which paper or papers are producing 

 inquiries at the lowest cost. It is not to be supposed that a one- 

 time insertion of your copy will always bring results. There is 

 everything in repetition — a man who sees your advertisement con- 

 stantly begins to get faith in you and your products — the seeing 

 of your advertisement there continually inspires his confidence in 

 your house and what you have to sell. 



The writer, in planning out his second advertising campaign, 

 found that in general a high price is a good selling point when it is 

 backed by exceptionally good lumber or good value — one sort of 

 reinforces the other and is generally convincing. Whenever you 

 advertise a car of lumber at a cheap price, tell why you are willing 

 to sell it at that price. There 's a reason for everything and in 

 this case there is some reason why you are willing to sell it close. 

 Naturally a man is suspicious of a cheap price and "wants to 

 know." If it does nothing else, it creates confidence to tell 

 "why." 



If you have a large space in the papers and only one item to 

 advertise, you can tell a story about that one item and make it 

 just as interesting reading as any news item. When you have 

 several cars or a block or so of stock to offer, it is well to break up 

 the reading matter of a large space under separate subheads or 

 paragraphs and write each panel separately. Then group ii all in !\n 

 attractive border with an interest-compelling heading. This, how- 

 ever, is really more on the order of department store work, but 

 it can be done successfully in advertising lumber. 



Short sentences are preferable to long ones — they are more con- 

 vincing because they are stronger. Compare, for instance, "We 

 would be glad to have you investigate our methods" with "Investi- 

 gate us!" They are more forceful. 



Don't use high-sounding words — simple, direct words only. Re- 

 member, you're dealing with men of ordinai*y education. Don't 

 make extravagant claims — they have no effect on the people of 

 today. You know the general claims that were made formerly — 

 "Best in the World," "Special Value," "Exceptional stock," etc. 

 In this age you must deal in specific facts and then back them up. 



Now as to the heading, — there are several varieties and each 

 serves its purpose. The first is the simple heading, such as "Plain 

 White Oak." This is merely a title heading and it is all right 

 for a dignified advertisement in a large space. Then, the declara- 

 tive heading, "Buy Plain White Oak Now." This kind of heading 

 —20— 



must be backed up by good forceful copy. The interrogative head- 

 ing, "Do You Need Plain Oak?" is good in its way — it is the same 

 as a man stepping up to you and asking a question; you naturally 

 think and answer. When such a heading appears in an advertise- 

 ment, you naturally read a little farther to find out what more the 

 writer of that advertisement has to say about it. The interroga- 

 tive heading is not used as much as it could be. Then the heading 

 of suggestion, "Plain White Oak for Furniture Manufacturers." 

 This draws a certain class of trade to the attention of what 

 the copy has to say. 



The heading is one of the most important features in the proper 

 writing of an advertisement. It is especially true in the case of 

 the man with but small space where the advertisement will be 

 surrounded with other larger advertisements. It will thus catch 

 the eye if the heading is strong, and will induce the reader to 

 peruse it throughout. It is a great trick to write a good heading, 

 and there have been but few men in the advertising game who have 

 ilone it properly. 



When you can take two men to look at a pile of lumber, tell them 

 all about it, and then ask them to write a description of it, you'll 

 be surprised at the result. One man will probably write a very 

 vivid description and the other will write a few plain lines abso- 

 lutely devoid of any realism. A realistic description of a car of 

 lumber can be made so interesting that a reader glancing at the 

 beginning feels compelled to read it throughout and then to write 

 the advertiser. It only takes a little imagination — just write it 

 as you would deliver a red-hot selling talk about this car to the 

 buyer who said he was not impressed with your stock. Just put 

 a little enthusiasm into the words of your advertisement. But 

 a word of caution here; don't let your enthusiasm run away with 

 you so that you have a temptation to "stretch" your selling points; 

 truthfulness should ever be your slogan. In appealing to men 

 the chief factors to be considered are the appeal to reason and 

 absolute h(iMest\. Tlierc you have thi' rule necessary to ndvrrtising 

 suc'.-ess. 



Timeliness is another great point to be considered. Did you see 

 the advertisement that appeared in most of the lunrber trade 

 papers, of the little crowd of lumbermen who are located on the 

 Ohio river? It appeared just after the recent flood had commenced 

 to go down and the heading of the advertisement was, "Never 

 Touched Us," and went on to tell about the flood having passed 

 them and that their stocks of oak, poplar, etc., were untouched, etc., 

 etc. Well, that's timeliness! 



Strive for originality. Today you can take up any lumber trade 

 paper, select two lumber advertisements and just change the signa- 

 tures around and no one would know the difference, except per- 

 haps the owners of the advertisements themselves. Most any of 

 the copy that is run in advertisements can be changed around in 

 any lumber paper and yet read all right. 



A great many narrow-minded people object to the use of slang 

 in cither advertisements or letters. The over-use of it is bad, but 

 in general, slang is very eUScient, because it adds the personal tone 

 to it, for which ue all strive. The personal tone can be likened 

 to the personal contact between the buyer and seller. When Thomas 

 Lawson writes an advertisement and wants to drive home a special 

 point, he says, "Peg this fact?" It's short, it's original, it's 

 "slangy," but it "gets there." In other words, you make a note 

 of that fact because it's driven home to you. It's just as if Thomas 

 Lawson were standing in front of you and saying it directly to 

 you. That's the personal touch. One good way to prove tho 

 strength of your copy is to write it and ]ilaee it away for a day — 



