Does Hype In Copy Work? by Bob Bly

“I know that as copywriters we are taught to hype the product, but I don’t want to go overboard. I feel there must be a middle ground somewhere, but I’m struggling to find it.”

This is an extremely difficult question to answer, and I hesitate to tackle it. But let me try…

First, there is no such thing as hype-free copy. Copy, unlike a magazine or newspaper article, is not objective. You are selling a product. Therefore, your copy is not even-handed; you are always hyping the advantages of your product, making it look better than competing products even if they are in fact pretty much the same.

A newspaper reporter, by comparison, has no vested interest in proving a point either way. His role is to be objective. As copywriters, we are not objective; we are advocates for our product, just as a lawyer is an advocate for his client. Both lawyers and copywriters want their clients to win!

Second, the degree of hype depends on the product category. Some products have to be sold and sold hard. Three that come to mind are nutritional supplements, stock market newsletters, and educational programs in small business and entrepreneurship, e.g., how to get rich on eBay. There is a ton of competition in all three fields. They do not sell themselves; they have to be sold.

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Fourth, the market. Business opportunity seekers, for instance, are used to hype and in fact expect, even relish it: they like positive promises that motivate them to succeed. Engineers (I am one) respond negatively to hype and want copy that is accurate, clear, and highly technical, though the product benefits must stand out.

Can you overdo hype? Yes, as in this site.

However, when in doubt, err on the side of a little too much hype rather than being too dull, laid back, and conservative, or as TP describes it, writing “in a boring, drab manner”. David Ogilvy famously said, “You cannot bore the consumer into buying your product.”

Bob Bly is the author of “World’s Best Copywriting Secrets” and has written copy for more than 100 companies including IBM, Boardroom, Medical Economics and AT&T. He is the author of more than 75 books and a columnist for Target Marketing, Early To Rise and The Writer. McGraw-Hill calls him “America’s top copywriter”.

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