How to Write ‘Easy Reading’ Ads Your Prospects Will Remember

Look inside just about any advertising book, and you’re almost certain to find a section stressing the importance of easy-to-read copy.

After all, using words your prospects understand is a basic rule when crafting an effective message.

I admit, though, writing "easy reading" copy is a battle I fight every day.

One reason why is because, until recently, I couldn’t find an explanation of how readability is measured.

Sure, I understood the importance of using short sentences and simple words.

I also realized you could spell check your document in Microsoft Word and learn its Flesch-Kincaide Grade Level -- a number that corresponds with the years of education generally required to understand the text.

But I still wasn’t clear about the exact factors that determine readability. I wanted specific guidelines I could follow to virtually guarantee anything I wrote was easy to read and understand.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally found what I was looking for ...

In July, I began studying Clyde Bedell’s advertising course, "How to Convert White Space into Advertising That Sells."

An advertising copywriter and consultant, Clyde wrote for notable companies such as Butler Brothers, Ford and Mercedes-Benz from the 1930s to 1960s. He was also the first person inducted into the National Retail Advertising Hall of Fame.

In his course, written in 1963, Clyde uses the following four factors to explain the analysis behind an "index of readability":

1. Sentence length (i.e., number of words)

2. Word simplicity (i.e., absence of affixes or the number of syllables per 100 words)

3. Personal words (i.e., pronouns and words with masculine or feminine gender, such as man, uncle, actress, fisherman)

4. Personal sentences (i.e., direct quotes or sentences that carry direct commands, suggestions or questions for the reader)

By itself, this is valuable information. However, what he mentioned next is the key that could unlock your treasure chest of advertising gold.

"Your sentences to the public in advertising should average not over 14 words. Fewer would be better. Syllables should be kept to 140 per 100 words -- or less. 'Personal words' should make up about 10% of your ad writing."

Of course, these recommendations assume you run ads with more than just a few words and a price splashed across a product picture.

If you use copy-starved ads because you think people won’t read a lot of text, I encourage you to re-think this belief.

True, most people will not read ads filled with text ... but your prospects will! Why pursue the general public when you can target prospects who crave information about your product?

If you need proof of how well long copy works, search online for early Campbell’s Soup magazine ads. The company became one of the nation’s most successful advertisers by running ads averaging well over 200 words -- and they were selling 10-cent cans of soup!

According to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, last year Campbell’s Soup spent $525 million advertising its family of brands.

They must be doing something right.