10 Authorities on Copywriting

by Adam Oakley | Jan 23, 2015 | Copywriting

Inexperienced copywriters tend to think that creativity is the gift from above that automatically determines the quality and effectiveness of their content pieces. In reality, efficient, target-oriented copy that actually works is a complex 1,000 piece-puzzle requiring multiple skills, time, talent, passion and lessons learned over the course of a few days, months of years. Novices may also tend to think that what’s been done before (with excellent results) should always be stolen, borrowed, reinterpreted or recycled to come up with new meanings.

The Valuable Lessons Provided by the 10 Most Inspiring Pioneers of Copywriting

In reality, the basic principles of advertising highlighted by the biggest names in this industry haven’t changed much.

Here are 10 authorities on copywriting offering valuable lessons that can inspire and enable you to squeeze more out of your web content.

1. Victor Schwab. Victor Schwab ((1898 – 1980) started in this business as the secretary of Maxwell Sackheim, who was employed by Rathrauff & Ryan. After improving Sackheim’s copy in a radical manner, he got promoted to copywriter. In this position, he became known as the very best direct mail-order copywriter in history. His excellent results were influenced by in-depth research and ample testing. He tested virtually every single aspect related to his copy, including layouts and calls to action. Schwab was also the genius who advanced the idea that first-hand copy should illustrate the promoted product in action, to allow the prospect to understand its benefits and crave for it.
2. Eugene Schwartz. Eugene Schwartz (1927-1995) follows a similar approach, explaining that copywriters could achieve their daily goals by exploring and exploiting the overwhelming desires manifested by consumers. Headlines such as“Give Me 15 Minutes and I’ll Give You a Super-Power Memory” reflect the honest, transparent trade established between buyers and sellers, based on the principle “you give me what I want and I’ll give you what you need,” which is still applicable today.
3. Rosser Reeves. Do you really think that brand uniqueness is an innovative concept guiding the strategies of modern online marketers? Sorry to disappoint, but it isn’t. Rosser Reeves (1910-1984) coined and perfect it before it was cool. As an inquisitive man with multiple interests, Reeves reached the conclusion that advertising should depend strictly on hard-sell strategies. Known as the “Prince of Hard Sell” according to Copyblogger, Reeves has promoted quite a few brands that we still know and love today, such as Viceroy or Colgate. He firmly believed that copywriters could make any product recognizable and increasingly popular by highlighting its unique selling proposition.
4. Robert Collier. Some people speak just to hear the sound of their voice, while others write for the sake of writing. Both tactics are equally dangerous and inefficient. According to Robert Collier (1885-1950), one must come up with a string of ideas based on the effect that they want to trigger in their readers. In his masterpiece entitled The Robert Collier Letter Book, this copywriting authority unveils the key to writing direct-mail letters that actually reach their target. According to this source, before putting pen to paper, you should identify the ideal emotion (pride, anxiety, flattery or envy are excellent choices!) that you wish to awaken in your readers and act accordingly.
5. Leo Burnett. Why waste time and money researching and buying products that are plain boring? Wouldn’t you rather focus on finding the real gems that make your life just a bit more interesting and enjoyable? This is one of the ideas highlighted by Leo Burnett (1891-1871), who advises fellow copywriters to accentuate the drama associated with the product or service that they’re representing in order to make it more desirable. This gifted and highly successful American advertising executive and founder of the prestigious Leo Burnett Company, Inc. has provided a simple piece of advice that may just represent the Bible of modern copywriting: “Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” According to Business 2 Community, Burnett also highlighted the importance of authenticity and believability in this industry, indicating that the truly successful copywriters are the ones that are able to think like a potential client. According to another important lesson offered by Burnett, creativity is the end result of curiosity about life in all its forms. Unlike the Prince of Hard Sell, Burnett affirmed that there is no such thing as “soft sell” and “hard sell”, specifying that there are only two approaches that one should ever factor in: “stupid sell” and “smart sell.”
6. Mel Martin. You may be tempted to think that some of the best-selling products represent the success of marketing tactics associated solely with positive emotions. In this case, what do you think about anxiety? Anxiety is not necessarily a negative feeling. As long as it can fuel your boldest aspirations and stimulate you to perfect yourself, this emotion actually has strong positive connotations that Mel Martin knew how to explore. What happens if you’re not the best golfer? Or the best chef? Or the best teacher on the Planet? You work harder and buy the products that support your rapid ascension. In short, you basically use the clever technique of exploring an old anxiety to advertise your product, patented by Mel Martin. Martin wrote headlines such as “For golfers who are almost (but not quite) satisfied with their game — and can’t figure out what they’re doing wrong,” unleashing the power of audience referencing and making its readers believe that his copy was actually crafted to solve their unique problems.
7. David Ogilvy. Known as the Father of Advertising, David Ogilvy was the well-respected wizard of words. Promoting the idea that the best concepts come from a well-informed subconscious, Ogilvy took this thought a step further. He underlined the importance of the testing phase, suggesting that there is no such thing as a safe bet in advertising. He also provided useful guidelines on how to write magnetic headlines, indicating that irrelevant and/or tricky constructions will automatically be ignored by people who are often landing on random pages just to find quick answers to their most pressing questions.
8. Claude C. Hopkins. Recognized as one of the most potent pioneers of advertising, Claude C. Hopkins (1866-1932) was an expert in human psychology and knew every single trick in the book meant to consolidate his relationship with his targeted audience. Hopkins is the author of the bestselling book entitled Scientific Advertising, published in 1923, who was bold enough to state that “please buy me” type of sales pitches do not work. Ever. In his opinion, one could achieve copywriting success by simply abandoning this counterproductive strategy and putting the customer first. What does your client actually want? Discover the most concise answer to this question and let your product or service do all the talking, while keeping in mind that coupons and other perks can only make your prospects become more receptive to what you may have to say about your brand. According to Todaymade.com, Hopkins also affirms that selling uphill is an incorrect tactic. Instead of wasting time and money trying to convert new prospects, one should try to rely on the experiences of existing customers to build credibility and trust. These are only a few of the most significant lessons offered by the promoter of Scientific Advertising, who was also a firm supporter of continuous testing, an essential phase that shaped the face of digital marketing as we know it.
9. Raymond Rubicam. Rubicam (1892-1978) was one of co-founders of the Young & Rubicam advertising firm and a respectable pioneer with a new vision, the highest dosage of creativity and proven leadership skills. He always insisted on the idea that one should “resist the usual” in an attempt to highlight his very own uniqueness and fresh, individualized copywriting approach. At the same time, according to Investors.com, Rubicam was the visionary who made the first decisive steps towards bringing solid market research in the ad business, revealing that ads should be written by writers with a broad knowledge database and even broader “human sympathies,” which would enable them to stay in sync with their audiences.
10. Tom McElligott. Arguably one of the greatest and most inspiring copywriters of all times, Tom McElligott gave a valuable piece of advice that is still valid in any context: do not underestimate the intelligence of your readers. Aside from its unique perspective on copywriting, McElligott also gave us the key to handling one of the hardest challenges in today’s markets- a tiny budget-after facing it himself. In the 80s, Tom McElligott had to promote a brand of whiskey.  Not the toughest assignment that you could think of, right? The problem was that this project counted on an almost negligible financial support. According to Vice, even in this particular situation, this legendary copywriter proved that you don’t necessarily need a lot of zeros to create memorable masterpieces. By relying on stock photos (the ones that every modern advertising book will tell you to avoid), and a clever message (“Fortunately, every day comes with an evening,” Tom McElligott managed to illustrate the concepts of tediousness and awkward daily events to perfection, while also presenting the perfect “remedy” for this problem:  a little bit of whiskey served in a cool-looking “rocks” glass.

Do the Lessons of Established Copywriters Have an Expiration Date?

You may wonder: can we still rely on the words of wisdom spoken or written by an established copywriter who made in history in the 20s, 50s or early 90s? Times have changed, but the basic rules of the game are still the same.

There are two notable differences worth mentioning. First of all, modern consumers are constantly bombarded with a wider range of messages developed to promote a more generous selection of goods and services. Secondly, both online marketers and prospects count on online and offline channels and a plethora of gadgets and tools to promote and respectively, research and purchase goods. But even in this context, people still read articles that address their anxieties, just like Mel Martin underlined; they talk about content pieces that explore their most ardent passions and desires just like Eugene Schwartz said they would, and yes, they still tend to favor brands that do a great job at underlining their unique selling proposition just like they did when Rosser Reeves was still in business. At the end of the day, you don’t necessarily have to sink into a pool of frustration while trying (and failing) to reinvent the wheel in copywriting. Just learn the best lessons served by your predecessors on a silver platter, do your homework, explore different media (and social media) channels and work hard to maintain a solid connection with your clients and audiences to stay on top of your game.

Featured photo: David Ogilvy via Sellorelse.ogilvy.com