I was thinking the other day about what makes great ad copy and, more importantly, how great marketing copy is integral to successful marketing and sales. One theory on this subject lists several core components of good marketing copy. Allow me to explain…

First of all, the marketing copy should be true. It is vital to always keep this in mind. In my business, I constantly ask myself whether the product or service I am helping to market could/should sell on its own without any marketing. Try it. Ask your co-workers as well as your business and personal stakeholders. Is this product or service potentially interesting to them - is it authentic? Does the proposition of the product/service ring true? The answers to these questions will be invaluable to your marketing strategy and focus.

Alright, so we’ve established that truth is necessary to great copy. Well then, let’s define TRUTH. Dictionary.com (Truth. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: dictionary.reference.com/browse/Truth)

1. The true or actual state of a matter.
2. Conformity with fact or reality.
3. A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.
4. The state or character of being true.
5. Actuality or actual existence.
6. An obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
7. Honesty; integrity; truthfulness.
8. Ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience.
9. Agreement with a standard or original.
10. Accuracy, as of position

Each of these definitions can be perceived differently and be used as a basis for anyone’s justification of the ingredients in their ad copy. As an example, “conformity with fact or reality” could mean actual and absolute alignment with fact or reality, or it could mean “conforming” within accepted norms - i.e. I may conform to a conservative or liberal position, though I don’t accept that all parts of that position are true. I guess the message is that all advertising needs to have a basis in truth, and that truth must be defined by the agency or service provider promoting said product or service. Using the truth as a meter of your advertising message will always serve you and your clients well.