Modern life is fast and frenetic. People get bombarded by hundreds of messages every day so how will your business get noticed?

A good advertising copywriter will turn a passing glance into a second glance and then utilise every millisecond earned.

Copy in press ads, posters and banner ads needs to be concentrated and effective – delivering a key message in a compelling and unambiguous way. The headline is therefore key.

The ‘body copy’ or ‘paragraph copy’ underneath also has a role to play. It must keep the reader engaged whilst substantiating the headline above. There also needs to be a strong call to action.

Short copy and long copy ads can both be effective. What’s required is a sound structure – also known as a hierarchy of messages – and a tone that resonates with the target audience.

Critics sometimes argue that traditional above-the-line advertising (press ads for example) is out of date. This is because digital marketers like to crunch data, identify a specific niche, and then reach them in the most cost-effective manner.

Whilst this is understandable – I’ve worked for a direct marketing agency in the past – it can be counterproductive. Why? Because it limits a campaign’s horizons. An advertising copywriter can sell people products they had no idea they wanted … until they saw the advert of course.

The moral is that good advertising works. Customers can’t always be pinpointed by a computer so creativity counts.