Each message can only serve one purpose

We all know the saying, more isn't necessarily better.

When it comes to copywriting, this is absolutely true, but not necessarily in the way you might think.

Each message can only do one thing. Every message you write has one job, and sometimes that's simply to get people to read the message that follows.

It's not to say that we don't want to include all of the necessary information. It is to say we don't want to cram three ideas into one long-ass sentence that's so hard to read that people simply don't.

We also need to be aware of where that information comes into play.

That's where funnels come in, but I don't want to get into that too much just yet.

For now, remember that the purpose of modern advertising is largely brand awareness.

A great example can be seen in the recent Parker Pens campaign. The story about how the campaign got started is fantastic, but I want you to focus on the creative itself. These are billboards on Times Square in NYC.

The copy? Super simple.

The imagery? Super simple.

The statement? Huge.

What us small businesses can take away from this is that it's doing one job. It's creating awareness. It's not explaining how their particular pen writes or what makes it different. In fact, this could be any pen, really.

I've never heard of Parker Pens before. Have you?

We both do now!

Will this lead to more sales? That's up to what the company (or rather, the ad agency) does with the momentum. But this message has fulfilled its purpose.

Click here to read the full story, as I discovered it. This link opens an Instagram post because that's where I saw it first.