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    • Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons From John Caples
    • 8 Copywriting Lessons from John Powers
    • Scientific Advertising: 10 Copywriting Lessons from Claude Hopkins
    • A Review of Current AI Copywriting Tools
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience
    • Top Skills for a Copywriter
    • Launch A Career In Advertising With These Top Portfolio Schools
    • UX Copywriting and Short Copy ​
    • Discover How To Write Killer Copy That Converts
    • What is Copywriting? >
      • What Alternative
    • 10 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy
    • How to Use Statistics, Facts and Quotes to Craft Compelling Copy
    • Great Copywriters Use Verbal Imagery to Tell a Story
    • Master the Art of Headline Writing!
    • Here’s How to Get Portfolio-Building Copywriting Gigs
    • What Volkswagen’s ’Think Small’ Teaches Copywriters
    • 5 Brands with Amazing Copywriting Teams
    • Master Hard and Soft CTAs for Superior Sales Writing
    • The Ultimate Checklist for Blog Copywriters
    • 10 Mistakes Even Experienced Copywriters Make
    • Read These 4 Books to Become a Better Copywriter
    • Sales Writing: How to Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
    • How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy
    • Proven Copywriting Methods Emotional Advertising
    • How to Write Good Copy : Preparation Techniques
    • Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility
    • Copywriting Cheat Sheet: Write Powerful Copy Quickly and Easily
    • Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results
    • Write Effective Ad Copy: No Fail Secrets and Tips
    • What Never to Do When Writing Compelling Copy for Sales
    • How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
    • 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately
    • A Day in the Life of a Copywriter
    • Coffee, Copywriting, and Freedom
    • Copy is Everywhere
    • Direct Response Copy Sells
    • The Pros and Cons of Copywriting Part–Time
    • Three Tips to Write Copy that Converts
    • Two of the Biggest Mistakes Beginning Copywriters Make
    • Why Copywriting Makes a Great Second Career
    • Why I Love Being a Copywriter
    • Landing Pages that Work - Copy that Converts
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Copywriting Certificates: Online Copywriting Classes
    • The Advertising Museum Tokyo: Copywriting Fun
    • How to Tell a Great Brand Story
    • 20 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Top London Ad Agencies
    • The Top 10 Best Copywriting Books
    • Copywriting Courses & Resources
    • Copywriting Formulas to Write Faster: AIDA, Problem Solution and More
    • Sales Letters: Broken Down by Parts
    • Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • What is Creative Advertising
    • Ideation and How to Find the Next Big Idea
    • Creative Advertising Methods and Madness
    • Paths to Becoming a Copywriter
    • Great Print Ads - Creative Advertising That Rocks
    • Great Outdoor Ads - Creative Advertising That Works
    • Underground Ads - Creative Advertising in England
    • 10 Great Email Subject Lines
    • Email Marketing Types: Long, Short, Creative and More
    • Email Copywriting Tactics
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • Autoresponder Copywriting: How to Do It Write
    • Copywriting Examples: Social Media
    • 6 Free Copywriting Courses
    • Where You Can Get a Copywriting Certificate Online: Copywriting Training
    • Top American Ad Schools
    • 10 Ad Schools for College Graduates
    • These Direct Response Letters And Campaigns Delivered Great Results - Yours Can Too
    • How To Break Into Advertising
    • The Creative Advertising Bible: The Value Of Great Guerrilla Ad Campaigns (With Examples)
    • Content Writing Vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
    • SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
    • Show and Tell: 7 Ways to Write Strong Video Copy
    • Short, Sweet, and It Sells: How to Trim the Fat From Your Sales Copy
    • Digital VS Print Ad Copy: How to Write the Difference
    • How to Craft the Ultimate Product Description
    • B2B VS B2C Sales Copy: 6 Crucial Differences You Should Know About
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
    • Landing Pages and Lead Magnets: Everything You Need to Know
    • How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works
    • Where to Take Copywriting Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • Why San Francisco Business Owners Need to Know Copywriting
    • How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry
    • What Everybody Should Know About Online Advertising Portfolio
    • Copywriting for Beginners: 10 Quick Tips
    • Don’t Let Imposter Syndrome Keep You from Writing Great Copy
    • How to Design Great Digital Ads
    • Ad Campaigns: Nike Just Do It
    • Copywriting Examples: Google Ads
    • Best Copywriting Resources: Magazines, Organizations and More
    • How to Practice Copywriting
    • How to Build a Brand With Copywriting
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: 10 Common Grammar Mistakes
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: When to Use Commas
    • Our Top 10 Conversion Rate Optimization Copywriting Tips
    • Urgent, Useful, Unique, Ultra-Specific: How to Boost Your Copywriting with the Four U’s
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Apple 1984
    • Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "When EF Hutton Talks"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "We Make Money the Old Fashioned Way"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Daisy
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Absolut Vodka
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Top 6 1960s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1970s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 7 1980s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1990s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Why Does Creative Advertising Matter?
    • How Can AI Copywriting Tools Make Me a Better Copywriter?
    • Why Should You Enter Advertising Contests as a Copywriter?
    • 10 Tips for Writing Captivating Social Media Copy
    • Tips for Improved Direct Response Copywriting
    • Copywriting Pro-Tip: Highlighting Benefits Over Feature
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Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy

There aren’t too many famous advertisers in the world. And there are even fewer advertisers who are known to people outside of the industry.

But David Ogilvy is one of them. In fact, he’s probably the most famous advertiser there’s ever been. A born seller, he basically invented modern advertising. 


Born in England, Ogilvy worked a series of odd jobs, including selling stoves, working at a search institute, and aiding the war effort by making diplomacy and security recommendations. However, a common thread unified his diverse list of jobs: his interest in people and how their minds worked.

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It was in America that he brought together all this information and began putting it to good use.

After working in some ad agencies in the forties, Ogilvy founded his own ad agency with a few others in 1948. Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather (later: Ogilvy & Mather) became the go-to ad agency in the world.

​Many of the world’s leading corporations, including Shell, Sears, American Express, and General Foods, all went to Ogilvy and his team with their advertising requests.


He died in 1999, at the age of 88. Yet his legacy lives on. Many of the leading advertising techniques that ad agencies use today come directly from Ogilvy. And that’s because he was a master. 

In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of his most brilliant tips, specifically with copywriting in mind. Take these tips on board, and your writing will be as sharp and effective as a knife. ​

Work on Getting Better ​

Writing is something everyone thinks they can do, but not everyone has a natural talent for it. People who work in copywriting have some experience of working with words, be it via their creative passions or through their degree.

But even a background in writing won’t make you the perfect copywriter right out the gate. If there’s one thing Ogilvy knew, it’s that you have to continually learn and improve your writing.

​Take the time to tweak, refine, and all around make your writing better. There is no bad that will come from it -- and it’s possible that you’ll significantly improve your copywriting skills (see also: 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately)
​​

Go Big

There’s a lot of written words out there. But most of them are forgotten almost immediately after they’re read. If you want people to take notice of your text, then go big.

​Ogilvy’s advice was to take your writing and “aim out of the park.” There are plenty of occasions to be subtle. Your copy does not need to be one of those occasions.


The effectiveness of your copy depends on the strength of your message. And you can’t whisper a strong message. Say it as loud as you can. ​

Who Are You Writing For?

You’re not writing your copywriting for your own benefit. You’re not even writing it for your company. You’re writing it for the people who are going to read it.

As such, it’s important that you take the time to get to know who those people are. Who are they, how do they think, and what do they need? It’s only when you understand these essential pieces of information that you can craft something with which they’ll engage. 


It’s a process to acquire this information. Many copywriters are tempted to cut corners or fill in their knowledge gaps with their own thoughts and beliefs.

​That’s the easiest option, but it’s not the best one. To get people to pay attention to your text, it must be written with them in mind.
​

Treat Customers With Respect

You can fool some people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. The foundation of great copy is respect for the consumer.

There’s a great Ogilvy quote that reads, “a consumer is not a moron. She’s your wife. Don’t insult her intelligence, and don’t shock her.” If you begin writing your copy “for the masses” and try to fool them with bombastic claims or, worse, text that is borderline insulting, then it’ll be no surprise if it doesn’t land well.

​Always write your copy as if you’re writing to someone you know personally, rather than a distant person that you think you can hoodwink into a sale. You can’t. The tone of your copy is everything.

Creativity Shouldn’t Be The Driver

If there’s one thing that has shifted in the world of advertising, it’s an over-reliance on creativity. Ogilvy wasn’t skeptical of creativity, exactly, but he did know its limitations.

It shouldn’t be the driving force behind the ad. The message of the ad, and its ability to sell, is what works the most. The foundation of copywriting should be research and a powerful message.

​You can dress that up in creativity, but it’ll have to come from those two things. All too often, copywriters and advertisers try shock tactics, such as creating something for the sake of it.
​

The Formatting

It’s not just the words that matter, but how they’re presented. Your text should have several components. How many depends on the length and requirements of the piece; for example, longer pieces may have bullet points and a subheadline.

All pieces should have a headline, visuals, well-researched text, and a call to action.

​There’s some wiggle room here; that is, you can play around with different ways to dress it up. But if you’ve all you’ve got is more or less a wall of text, then something needs to change!
​

Make Your Word Accessible ​

You’re not writing for yourself. You won’t read the text again once it’s out in the world. You’re writing for your audience to read. As such, the text should mirror the language that they use.

Like many of Ogilvy’s words of advice, it’s a pretty basic idea, but one that people all too often forget. You don’t need to impress people with the superiority of your language. For one thing, they won’t be impressed by it.

​You also don’t need to talk “up” to people and overreach. You should just talk to them as they would speak themselves. Again, this is where your research will come in -- you’ll need to know who you’re talking to in order to mimic their words!


You can think of “talking down” to your customers almost as “being too smart.” You don’t need to be a dazzling array of wit and long words. Just talk. (see also: Learn How to Write Conversationally to Engage Your Audience)

Focus on the Headline

Not all words in your copy have equal value. Ogilvy said that 80% of the work was in the headline. If you don’t get that right, then it doesn’t matter how great the rest of your content may have been -- no one’s going to stick around long enough to read it.

His famous line is: “when you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” Of course, coming up with a ten out of ten headline takes work. It might take you as long to write a seven-word headline as it would to write 100 words in the main body of the copy.

​But it’s worth it.


A good idea is to split test a couple of headlines to see which one works best. Again, this will take time, but if it bumps up your engagement, then it’ll be worth the effort.

Be Persuasive

You could write a thousand words on your product and still get no sales at the end. Why? Because if it’s not persuasive, then there won’t be much incentive for people to go through the sometimes complicated process of buying your product.

There are a lot of details that you should address in your copy. These are the details that people will be having as they read the text. For example, why should they trust you, why do they need whatever it is that you’re offering, and why do they need it now rather than in the future?

​The challenge of a copywriter is to get these answers into the body of the text. (see also: How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy)
​

Get Moving

The final piece of Ogilvy advice we have to offer is also the most fun: go for a walk. If you’re struggling with ideas, and it feels like you’ve hit something of a brick wall, then get up and walk around the block.

His tip was to fill your mind with information and then stop thinking consciously. There are many ways you can do this, but there’s arguably no better way than to go for a walk. Your mind will be at work behind the scenes.

​And who knows what brilliant writing you may produce by the time you get back?
​

Final Thoughts

Ogilvy’s advice has stood the test of time in many ways because of how simple it was. None of his tips are overly complicated.

He had a deep understanding of people and their motivations, and while the world changes, the people that live there don’t really, not in any massively significant way.

​So take the Ogilvy tips that we’ve outlined above, and you might just find that your writing hits new levels of engagement and effectiveness.

(For more insights from pioneering advertisers, see also: 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier)
​

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  • Home
  • Courses
    • Copywriting 101
    • How to Create an Advertising Portfolio From Scratch
    • Direct Response Copywriting
    • 360 Copywriting Online
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Copywriting Lessons from David Ogilvy
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons from Robert Collier
    • 9 Copywriting Lessons From John Caples
    • 8 Copywriting Lessons from John Powers
    • Scientific Advertising: 10 Copywriting Lessons from Claude Hopkins
    • A Review of Current AI Copywriting Tools
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Learn How To Write Conversationally To Engage Your Audience
    • Top Skills for a Copywriter
    • Launch A Career In Advertising With These Top Portfolio Schools
    • UX Copywriting and Short Copy ​
    • Discover How To Write Killer Copy That Converts
    • What is Copywriting? >
      • What Alternative
    • 10 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Why Tone Can Make or Break Your Copy
    • How to Use Statistics, Facts and Quotes to Craft Compelling Copy
    • Great Copywriters Use Verbal Imagery to Tell a Story
    • Master the Art of Headline Writing!
    • Here’s How to Get Portfolio-Building Copywriting Gigs
    • What Volkswagen’s ’Think Small’ Teaches Copywriters
    • 5 Brands with Amazing Copywriting Teams
    • Master Hard and Soft CTAs for Superior Sales Writing
    • The Ultimate Checklist for Blog Copywriters
    • 10 Mistakes Even Experienced Copywriters Make
    • Read These 4 Books to Become a Better Copywriter
    • Sales Writing: How to Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
    • How to Create Persuasive Sales Copy
    • Proven Copywriting Methods Emotional Advertising
    • How to Write Good Copy : Preparation Techniques
    • Copywriting Secrets: 8 Powerful Ways to Add Proof and Credibility
    • Copywriting Cheat Sheet: Write Powerful Copy Quickly and Easily
    • Copywriting Insights: How to Test Ad Copy for Best Results
    • Write Effective Ad Copy: No Fail Secrets and Tips
    • What Never to Do When Writing Compelling Copy for Sales
    • How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
    • 7 Ways to Improve Your Copy Immediately
    • A Day in the Life of a Copywriter
    • Coffee, Copywriting, and Freedom
    • Copy is Everywhere
    • Direct Response Copy Sells
    • The Pros and Cons of Copywriting Part–Time
    • Three Tips to Write Copy that Converts
    • Two of the Biggest Mistakes Beginning Copywriters Make
    • Why Copywriting Makes a Great Second Career
    • Why I Love Being a Copywriter
    • Landing Pages that Work - Copy that Converts
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Copywriting Certificates: Online Copywriting Classes
    • The Advertising Museum Tokyo: Copywriting Fun
    • How to Tell a Great Brand Story
    • 20 Great Headlines from Classic Ads
    • Top London Ad Agencies
    • The Top 10 Best Copywriting Books
    • Copywriting Courses & Resources
    • Copywriting Formulas to Write Faster: AIDA, Problem Solution and More
    • Sales Letters: Broken Down by Parts
    • Copywriting Research Tips, Tricks and Secrets
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • What is Creative Advertising
    • Ideation and How to Find the Next Big Idea
    • Creative Advertising Methods and Madness
    • Paths to Becoming a Copywriter
    • Great Print Ads - Creative Advertising That Rocks
    • Great Outdoor Ads - Creative Advertising That Works
    • Underground Ads - Creative Advertising in England
    • 10 Great Email Subject Lines
    • Email Marketing Types: Long, Short, Creative and More
    • Email Copywriting Tactics
    • How to Grow Your Email List
    • Autoresponder Copywriting: How to Do It Write
    • Copywriting Examples: Social Media
    • 6 Free Copywriting Courses
    • Where You Can Get a Copywriting Certificate Online: Copywriting Training
    • Top American Ad Schools
    • 10 Ad Schools for College Graduates
    • These Direct Response Letters And Campaigns Delivered Great Results - Yours Can Too
    • How To Break Into Advertising
    • The Creative Advertising Bible: The Value Of Great Guerrilla Ad Campaigns (With Examples)
    • Content Writing Vs. Copywriting: What's the Difference?
    • SEO Copywriting: How Does Search Engine Optimization Factor Into Copywriting?
    • Show and Tell: 7 Ways to Write Strong Video Copy
    • Short, Sweet, and It Sells: How to Trim the Fat From Your Sales Copy
    • Digital VS Print Ad Copy: How to Write the Difference
    • How to Craft the Ultimate Product Description
    • B2B VS B2C Sales Copy: 6 Crucial Differences You Should Know About
    • The Next Big Idea: Creative Advertising Ideation
    • Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
    • Landing Pages and Lead Magnets: Everything You Need to Know
    • How to Do Better Creative Advertising: Why and How It Works
    • Where to Take Copywriting Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area
    • Why San Francisco Business Owners Need to Know Copywriting
    • How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry
    • What Everybody Should Know About Online Advertising Portfolio
    • Copywriting for Beginners: 10 Quick Tips
    • Don’t Let Imposter Syndrome Keep You from Writing Great Copy
    • How to Design Great Digital Ads
    • Ad Campaigns: Nike Just Do It
    • Copywriting Examples: Google Ads
    • Best Copywriting Resources: Magazines, Organizations and More
    • How to Practice Copywriting
    • How to Build a Brand With Copywriting
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: 10 Common Grammar Mistakes
    • Copywriting Grammar Review: When to Use Commas
    • Our Top 10 Conversion Rate Optimization Copywriting Tips
    • Urgent, Useful, Unique, Ultra-Specific: How to Boost Your Copywriting with the Four U’s
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Apple 1984
    • Great Ad Campaigns: “Mikey Likes It”
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "When EF Hutton Talks"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: "We Make Money the Old Fashioned Way"
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Daisy
    • Great Ad Campaigns: Absolut Vodka
    • Top San Francisco Ad Agencies
    • Top 6 1960s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1970s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 7 1980s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Top 10 1990s Ad Campaigns and What You Can Learn From Them
    • Why Does Creative Advertising Matter?
    • How Can AI Copywriting Tools Make Me a Better Copywriter?
    • Why Should You Enter Advertising Contests as a Copywriter?
    • 10 Tips for Writing Captivating Social Media Copy
    • Tips for Improved Direct Response Copywriting
    • Copywriting Pro-Tip: Highlighting Benefits Over Feature