Ten Rules
    for
    Advertising
    Folks
    (and normal businesspeople, too)
    by Jim Schoemer
     1. Don’t tell; show.
     2. Sweat the details.
     3. Provide value.
     4. Deliver the unexpected.
     5. Have fun.
     6. Make money.
     7. Think big.
     8. Be creative.
     9. Be a partner.
     10. Be real.
     

      …and My Personal Pontifications on the Ten Rules

    1. Don’t tell; show.
      If a man has to tell you he’s creative, he’s probably not.

      If a woman has to tell you she’s a people person, she’s probably not.

      If a company has to tell you it’s customer-focused, it’s probably not.

      My philosophy is not to talk about what I can do for you, but to actually show you what I can do for you — by doing it. The do, not tell, approach I take in interacting with my clients also tends to weave itself into the work I do for them. That is, I try to focus the key conceptual and written messages of the pieces I work on in such a way that the audience can experience the product/service in action. Talking about benefits is far less effective than actually demonstrating them in a way that is meaningful to the audience (related to #3).
       

    2. Sweat the details.
      Will it make more impact if the adverb is before or after the verb? Is there enough WIFM and call to action? Use an em dash or en dash? This is the kind of stuff that bounds around in my brain automatically, in the background, when I’m in writing mode. Talk about trying to balance right-brain insanity and left-brain anality.
       
    3. Provide value.
      I approach creating messages to an audience in a way that focuses on the receiver, and, to the greatest extent possible, provides that receiver with something of value — regardless of whether or not he or she chooses to purchase the product/service. By providing value — be it useful information, entertainment, a premium — the brand establishes and builds a positive relationship with the prospect, increasing the likelihood that he or she will buy. And if not now, then perhaps at some time in the future. While talking value is ineffective fluff (no matter how well written), actually delivering value is powerful stuff. (Rhyme was coincidental. Really.)
       
    4. Deliver the unexpected.
      The written product I deliver to clients often looks nothing like the way they envisioned it. This is a good thing. It’s the product of looking at something in a way it hasn’t been looked at before, from a fresh perspective (sometimes implemented through #7).
       
    5. Have fun.
      What can I say? I like to have fun. And if it’s appropriate to inject a dose of whimsy into the projects I work on, so much the better. Heck, even target audiences like fun, and entertaining them while delivering key messages is a great way to show them value (see #3).
       
    6. Make money.
      This isn’t as much of a duh as it sounds. I do want to make money; that’s ultimately what allows me to continue to practice the craft I love. But I also want my clients (and my clients’ clients) to make money, so I devote myself to that end by creating successful concepts and copy that will attain objectives within the available resources (links to #9).
       
    7. Think big.
      On one project, the client simply asked for an insert sheet for a product ring binder to introduce it to a particular industry. What they received was that insert sheet, plus a binder wrap and a carrier box that amplified the concept and collectively screamed, “OPEN ME!” The client, not expecting the unexpected, was both shocked and thrilled. This is an example — literal and figurative — of thinking out of the box. This is also what I mean by delivering the unexpected and, in this case, doing so by thinking big (refer back to #4).
     
    8. Be creative.
      Advertising people are known for their creativity. But there’s a tremendous creativity beyond ingenious concepts or catchy headlines. Like figuring how to do a $5,000 job for $4,000. Or how to fit eight pages of content onto four pages of brochure. Or how to make static, mundane products sound utterly fascinating or fun. In short, there is creativity required to not only make stuff work, but make it work effectively — on all counts (see #9).
     
    9. Be a partner.
      When I work on projects, I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it for you. Sure, I expect to get paid, but what truly drives me is the thrill of seeing you (and your clients) succeed with the work I’ve done for you. Or, more appropriately, with you. The greatest successes aren’t borne out of projects, but of partnerships. My success is defined by your success.
       
    10. Be real.
      Y’know what I think of people that are full of themselves? I think they’re full of it. While some choose to do business by schmoozing, stroking, and sucking up, I prefer to just be myself and let those I interact with be themselves, too. If I can’t survive on the strength of the work I do, I don’t deserve the business.
    If this sounds like the way you prefer to work, our working together can produce only the most positive of results.
    Call me for creative/copywriting/quality assurance services: 920-459-9615.
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