I’ve been writing advocacy copy by the bucketful, and while it’s recognizably copywriting, it demands a very different arc than product-oriented, “buy the soap” copy.

When you’re writing advocacy copy, you’re advancing a cause or nonprofit, and you’re often facing an opposition who isn’t competing for the sale, but actively trying to undermine your message.

To do that, some will create “facts” about as quickly as Carters manufactures little pills, and the one trap an advocacy copywriter can’t fall into is investing all your precious time and media space refuting your opposition’s fantasy.

That puts you on the defensive, and keeps you off your message.

Your Helpful Hint

Painters know that daubing a single spot of color on a painting suggests the existence of the same color across the entire canvas.

By the same token, refuting a single factual inaccuracy allows you to paint all your opponent’s arguments in a similar color.

Without slogging through them one by one.

On a recent project, the other side built a key argument atop a supposed unbiased, third-party quote… that they shortened to reverse its meaning.

After 15 minutes of research, I found it (for the record, I resisted the urge to send my opposite number a “Thank You” note).

Suddenly, I could dismiss a half-dozen of their arguments with one damming sentence.

Putting us back on track with our own message, not wasting time repeating theirs.

This isn’t foolproof stuff; those populating more extreme movements tend to ignore any and all evidence that stands apart from their own belief system, but then, they’re not your real audience.

Advocacy is about advancing your own persuasive message, not wasting all your time mucking about with your opposition’s.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

Posted in Copywriting and tagged , .