Getting ready to craft your next marketing campaign? Here are some tips to write copy for your signage that customers will actually read.
Begin with clear knowledge of what it is you want your customers to do. Before you brainstorm, before you bounce an idea off the intern, understand what the precise point of your signage is first. Narrow it down sign-by-sign. Do you want your customers to go here, or over there, to become educated about a product, to know there’s a sale, or how long a promotion will last? Be blunt, you can get fancy later.
Understand the limitations of your physical sign. How big can it be to fit the space? Will it hang, stand, or flap in the wind? Is there anything that you know of that could impede a customer from viewing the whole thing at once? How many other signs could this one be competing with? Are there likely to be other distractions?
And, understand the points of view of the customers you intend to view the sign. Are they more likely to be sitting or standing when they see the sign? In a car, the sidewalk, a tradeshow, or your place of business? Will people walk this way naturally and see the sign right away, or is it possible they could walk right past it?
Now comes the copywriting fun. Brainstorm! Write down (or type down) your ideas for what you want, or might want, or could want, or sort of want, or a little want, your sign to say. Be fun, funny, clever, poignant, dramatic, tug heartstrings, be bold, honest, serious, stoic…. There are no rules in the brainstorm, there is no room for negativity, just get it all out of your head and onto the page. You may spend a few minutes doing this, or you may come back and revisit it for several days; you’ll know when you’re done.
Keeping the call to action at the forefront of your mind (better yet write it down in big bold letters at the top of your page), examine the results of your brainstorm. Remove the No’s – it’s as important to know what you don’t want as it is to know what you do. Move the Maybe’s to another page. Reword and refine your Maybe’s until you have that Ah-Ha moment.
Add your words to the layout, or create a stand-in sign, and see what it looks like. Repeat the reword and refine stage as often as you need to until you’re completely satisfied.
Get a second, third, and fourth opinion. Pass your sign copy around the team for feedback; this is how mistakes are caught before you go to the printer!
Pass your brainstorm, or refined brainstorm around, too, to get even more ideas. You never know when inspiration will strike.
Don’t throw out your brainstorm! Keep it handy, and any rejected or “almost” copy for future marketing potential.
When you’re ready to go to print, hire a professional designer to create your sign! Grand River Sign Design can help you every step of the way, and provide expert feedback on the copy you’ve crafted. Come visit our showroom at 25 Struck Court Unit 5 in Cambridge, Ontario, or call us to book a consultation at (519) 740-7272.
