| 3. Tell your reader what to do People have very short attention spans and may not have time to read your entire page of copy. Make it clear quickly what you want the reader to do and how long they have to do it. Tell your readers that they must act quickly and visit your restaurant immediately to receive your offer. 4. Be honest Be honest with your offer. Don’t embellish or lie about what you plan to give your customers when they walk through the door. Don’t hide disclaimers in small print. Keep your offer simple, and tell people exactly what they are going to get, and then deliver on your offer. You never want a customer to leave your operation feeling disappointed. 5. Use symbols and numbers Most people scan copy first to see if it is worth their while to take the time to read and absorb the information. The eyes will look for symbols and numbers first to quickly get an idea of your deal or offer, especially “$$”. Numbers usually mean discounts and incentives. 6. Let your reader know what’s in it for them Marketing copy should always focus on the “What’s in it for me?” Readers are not interested in you or what you have to offer. They are interested in what they will get. For example, it’s much more effective to write “You will get a free dinner”, rather than “We are offering a free dinner.” 7. Use short words and short sentences Marketing copy is not the place to write long and poetic prose. Make sure your copy uses short words in short sentences with a captivating tone. It should be easily consumed and digested. Bold or highlight key words that will initiate your reader to act immediately. Keep paragraphs short, preferably three lines or less. 8. Write like how people talk Writing marketing copy is not like writing news copy. It is far more effective to write like how people talk than writing with proper, grammatically-correct structured sentences. Your message should be written as what it would sound like if you were speaking with your customers face-to-face. (Just make sure there are no spelling mistakes!) 9. Don’t use ALL CAPS or too many exclamation points!! Try to limit your use of ALL CAPS to only a few key words that you really want to highlight. Capital letters are harder to read on the eyes, so the use of all caps is not necessarily an effective way to attract attention. It is preferable to bold a word or highlight in yellow. Also limit your use of exclamation points as too many will make your copy feel like you are yelling at your reader. It also makes your copy look unprofessional. 10. Put a face to your business
Put a photo of yourself and/or your chef on your marketing copy. It helps to put a face to the messenger, and when the reader walks through your door and sees your face, they will get a sense of familiarity as if they had already met you before. Showing your face on your copy also makes you more real and more likeable. (Just make sure it’s a flattering photo!)
About the author:  Diane Chiasson, FSCI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., is recognized as the world’s best restaurant, foodservice, merchandising, hospitality and retail consultant based in Toronto. She has been helping restaurant, foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years.Her company provides innovative and revenue-increasing consulting services including restaurant and retail merchandising, interior design, marketing, brand identity, menu design and training.
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