A marketing seminar company sent me an email invitation to a
\nworkshop on “brand journalism.”<\/p>\n
The headline read: “Your old strategies aren’t cutting it
\nanymore. It’s time to trade in boring copy for sharp storytelling
\nand amazing visuals.”<\/p>\n
This message can be taken two ways.<\/p>\n
The surface message makes sense: (a) copy should not be boring,
\n(b) storytelling is an effective marketing technique and (c) so
\nare great visuals.<\/p>\n
I don’t think anyone would argue with that.<\/p>\n
But the way I read it, I see a subtle dig at traditional
\nmarketing and a plug for bright shiny objects.<\/p>\n
Specifically the message to me reads: (a) copywriting is old hat,
\nineffective, and rapidly becoming obsolete; (b) telling stories
\nworks, and old-fashioned copy that sells doesn’t; and (c) people
\nlook at pictures but don’t read copy any more.<\/p>\n
And if that’s indeed what they meant, then you can do yourself no
\ngreater disservice by listening to them.<\/p>\n
Why not? Let’s examine each claim:<\/p>\n
A–“Copywriting is old hat, ineffective, and obsolete.”<\/p>\n
My clients and others who are making millions of dollars from
\nlong-copy sales letter, video sales letter, and multi-page direct
\nmail laugh at this — all the way to the bank.<\/p>\n
Content, social media, infographics, and blogging all have their
\nplace. But at the end of the day, nothing happens until the sale
\nis made. And it’s copy that makes the sale.<\/p>\n
B–“Storytelling trumps copy.”<\/p>\n
Storytelling is a great copywriting technique. Some of the most
\nfamous advertising sold a ton based on a good story.<\/p>\n
But if you think storytelling is the only way to write copy, you
\nare sadly mistaken.<\/p>\n
C–“People don’t read and graphics are king.”<\/p>\n
The old saw supporting in this is “One picture is worth a
\nthousand words.”<\/p>\n
But a promotion combining those 1,000 words with great pictures
\nwill likely outsell pictures alone by a country mile.<\/p>\n
You may argue, “Well, video is pictures, and that works.”<\/p>\n
But before you shoot your video, you write a script — which is
\nwords and copy.<\/p>\n
So the idea that video makes words irrelevant is patently
\nridiculous.<\/p>\n
The bottom line?<\/p>\n
Getting sucked in and overly smitten with bright shiny objects —
\nand abandoning the persuasion methods that have been proven for
\ndecades — risks driving the sales curve way down.<\/p>\n