10 Copywriting Tips for the 4th of July

When someone mentions "4th of July," what's the first thing that comes up in your mind?

It could be fireworks. It could be the American flag. Barbecue. Hot dogs. A day at the beach.

Holidays are always a good time to come up with a creative campaign to grab a reader's attention. After all, throughout the year he's swarmed with all kids of content, from emails to banners to blogs, even actual print newspapers and magazines. While school year holiday promotions, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving and Easter may get lost sometimes, creatives can put their creativity to good use during the summer season, when events are few and far between, and they can make the promotions stand out.

This Forth of July is different than last year's, well...because there's a sense of things getting somewhat back to normal: People are going on holidays; flights and vacations are available. So, in addition to the usual summer-themed shenanigans, you have a new source from where to draw inspiration.

First, focus on your goals from your 4th of July campaign:

More awareness?

More purchases?

More buzz?

More likes/shares and the...like?

More email signups?

Secondly, where are you planning to promote your product/service:

Print? Online? Both? Is your website ready to be "decorated" with holiday banners?

You can of course have the "evergreen" promotional text, like "4th of July sale!" (how original), or "party like it's 1776."

Keep it concise

Unless you're writing a blog, you don't have the time, space and/or the attention space for embellished copy. Keep it straight and to the point.

Be original

It's not easy being original, especially with the overwhelming wealth of information. But, it's possible. All you need to do is find something small, a fresh take that doesn't have to be "big." You can also take something that's been done before and reshape/reorganize it. In content marketing they sometimes call this "repurposing content." An original combo of visual + copy = can make an effective an memorable ad.

Use holiday keywords!

No, not necessarily out of SEO necessity...but they capture the eye quickly. Examples:

Have a blast

Our [products] are going out like fireworks

Start your holiday with a bang. And another. And another.

See stars. See stripes. See yourself in a [a new car? Resort]

Be funny

Funny is always good. Finding unthought-of advantages, say, of social distancing (staying away from your mother-in-law! And these days, more than ever, people want to laugh.

Be reassuring

We live in unusual, volatile times. We all want to feel reassured, by family, by friends, by comfort food, or comfort distraction like a good movie, book or social game with friends (at a safe social distance).

Be sarcastic

Sarcasm can be a double-edged sword, but used correctly, it can be very effective.

Offer value. Real value.

It's not just a matter of grabbing attention, it's making the person stop and think, "wait a minute, this is actually a real good deal for me."

Appeal to everyone.

It's vacation time. Everybody could use something. Everybody drinks more, sweats more, travels more.

Be topical.

One of the few advantages of today's advertising is that you can alter, add and change at the last minute, to make your ad as topical as possible.

Be educational - in a fun way.

The 4th of July is a historical day. You can find clever ways to weave historical anecdotes into your content. How about a trivia? Fun facts, like was Independence Day celebrated once on July 5th? (Spoiler alert: it was).

Have a blog?

People are always looking for some 4th of July activities, especially these days. You also can't go wrong with fireworks safety tips, menu ideas or fashion inspirations. Or, if you're sticking around for your backyard barbecue, you can list a few 4th of July jokes to crack between beers, hotdogs and ice cream.

Have a great, safe and enjoyable 4th of July! Need a copywriter for this holiday or any other time of the year? Feel free to drop me a line!