Is Your Advertising Amoral?

You already know that a strong headline gets people to start reading your (advertising or marketing) copy. You also know that the purpose of every paragraph is to get people to continue to read the rest of the copy. But what happens when people get to the end of your copy?

Each of Aesop's Fables end with a brief moral (”One bad turn deserves another” or “Appearances are deceptive”) that summarizes the point of the story. Does your copy end with a moral-like statement? I think of this phrase as a “toeline” (the opposite of a headline). While a headline focuses on the benefit to the reader, the toeline focuses on your offering with a reminder about the benefit.

For example, if you’re selling raw, organic cat food (called Purely Cat Food), your headline might read: “Keep Your Cat Healthier Naturally“. Your copy would describe why most commercially available cat food is bad for cats, and by feeding your cats this food they’ll live longer and be sick less. Most people end the copy with “Now available at your local store”.

Instead, create a toeline that echoes the headline. For example, “Purely Cat Food Ensures Your Pet’s Health”. Notice it starts with the offering, then mentions the benefit.