Making Ads Pay: Timeless Tips for Successful Copywriting

A veteran copywriter offers advice on how to spark ideas and then capture them in copy, how to write headlines that attract attention, how to make ads believable and motivate readers to act, and how to learn from failure as well as success. Readers will discover principles, procedures, and practical suggestions for every medium and style of advertising.

An incredible book that's still relevant Susanna Hutcheson John Caples explains how he came to write his famous ad, "When I sat down at the piano ." and many other great little tidbits. He shares how to write effective headlines (make sure they build curiosity and offer a reward.) While I'm a seasoned copywriter and writer, I never tire of reading the masters. And Caples is certainly a member of that honored group.This book is truly a gem. He discusses ads that worked and those that didn't. He discusses his own mistakes. Not many people would dare to do that. You almost feel you get to know the real Jo. Andrew Everett said Classic Copywriting Guide. John Caples was a pioneer of direct-response copywriting. In Chapter 8 he presents as series of paired ads which were tested, followed by analysis of why the winning ads outperformed. The winner often outperformed the other by a wide margin -- up to five times as many responses.Caples emphasizes the importance of headlines throughout the book. "If the headline doesn't induce reading, it doesn't matter what the copy says. Because copy that isn't read, can't sell." He suggests starting the body copy by continuing the thought from the headline. "Yo. Mark P said Ok but disappointed.. Yes, it was a great book when first published and some information is timeless, but, this book was written well over 50 years ago. some of the information is still relevant, but it was written for the mentality of the consumers of the 50's. We’re in the midst of a huge sea change when it comes to consumer behavior. New technologies have completely transformed consumer expectations and buying behavior. To me, this is great collectors book but it lacks the substance I was looking for. Other reviews, appear to me as marketing ads themselves d