Writing Advertorial Marketing Copy

A client recently asked me to write marketing copy for a condominium development advertorial. The ad will be printed in a local magazine with a real estate focus.

I’d never written an advertorial before, so it was an interesting (and fun!) thing to do. I do have some experience writing articles for newspapers and magazines, so it wasn’t a huge leap in expertise.

For those of you who don’t know, an advertorial is an advertisement written in the form of an article. Just like a regular newsletter or magazine article, it has a catchy headline and (if done well) tells a story.

Because it doesn’t look like an advertisement per se, people are more likely to read it. However, many publications do insist on some features to distinguish it from actual articles or editorial content.

One of the advantages of advertorial advertising is that it permits longer copy and, therefore, more detailed information about your product or service.

If you’re considering using an advertorial to promote your product or service, here are a few tips:

1. Follow the publication’s advertorial requirements. These requirements differ from publication to publication. Some want the advertorial clearly labeled as advertising. Some require a different font style. Others have specific copy requirements.
2. Match the tone of the advertorial to the publication. You’ll want your advertorial to fit nicely with other articles and editorial content in the publication. Review past issues of the newspaper or magazine to get a feel for its content.
3. Write the advertorial as a “story.” The strongest advertorials tell a compelling story and go beyond a listing of features and benefits. If you can find a person who has a story to tell about your product or service (such as a satisfied customer), build the story around them and their experience.
4. Support your advertorial with quotes. If you have a happy customer you can build your story around, interview them and quote them in the advertorial. If you don’t have a customer you can use, then the next best thing is to write quotes for people within your company. Just make sure that whenever you “quote” someone without an interview, you have the person sign off on the piece before publication. The quote should be an accurate representation of what the person would say.
5. Write a compelling headline and introductory paragraph. As with all news articles, the most important parts are the headline and first paragraph. Make sure these are “newsy” and draw people into the story.
6. Include a call to action and contact information. Ultimately, this is an advertisement. Be sure to include a call to action and relevant contact information.

Need help writing an advertorial for a consumer or trade newspaper or magazine? Give me a call at 604-657-0867 or send me an email.