Since the dawn of the internet, readers have been bombarded with information.
There's an overload of data from every direction.
Twitter feeds. Facebook posts. Recipes. Articles. Lists. Emails. Ad after ad. Sidebars. Popups.
The amount of information Internet users consume on a daily basis is crazy.
These facts make effective copywriting more important than ever. Effective copy must cut through the noise and deliver a clear message.
Here are three of the biggest copywriting mistakes, and how to avoid them.
1. LENGTHY SENTENCES
According to Rudolph Flesch...
You want to aim for 14 to 16 words per sentence for business writing. Dropping below or going above this number won't ruin your copy.
But please, stop at 40.
In fact, if you can get the message across in under 14 words, do it.
I suffer from commas and run-on sentences every day. I love long sentences and use them often. But, with a constant stream of information, readers need short and digestible bites.
The shorter and clearer the sentence, the more effective your ad copy becomes.
I'll give you an example of a tagline I wrote for a client.
"Always Fresh. Always Wholesome. From Our Kitchen to Yours."
9 words. That's all it took to create a message for an entire brand. Attention span is in short supply these days. Make the most out of what's left.
2. JARGON
Remember that when you are selling to the general public, you are selling to the public at large. Technical jargon may be useful for scientific papers and machinery manuals. It's not helpful to the general public.
For instance, if you were writing an ad for an automated investment company.
Think Wealthfront, Betterment, and Acorns...
You want to get the message across in a simple manner. Identify why people would want to use an automated investment service.
Instead of writing:
"Acorns allows you to maximize growth potential and invest in small market cap non-domestic stocks."
Write this:
"Easily invest in growing markets with Acorns."
3. Artistic Pieces
Selling is the purpose of copywriting. It's not here to gather applause from the crowd. At the end of the day, you're a salesman.
Often copywriters will listen to art driven marketing departments and create spectacles. They do this in place of solid hardline sales copy.
Let's not forget the most compelling sales copy is the one that speaks to the desires of your audience.
"Immerse yourself in rich, floral textures. Let the subtleties of life float around you in juxtaposition. Cardis spa will rejuvenate and lift your spirits."
What? Is this an advertisement or a shortlist for the spelling bee? A real estate listing?
Let's try this.
"Feeling Stressed? Need to Unwind? Relax and Let Go at Cardis Spa."
We've identified the pain point for our audience. They're stressed. They need to unwind. At Cardis Spa, they can relax and let go.
Complicated vocabulary will mislead some people, annoy others, and downright confuse the rest.
BE CLEAR, BE COMPELLING
Remember, copywriting has one ultimate purpose. To sell something. Leave 2-page sentences and 14 letter words to the writers of fiction. Like a reporter, you're there to present the facts. The good ones. You're there to play on the emotions and dreams of your audience. At the end of the day, you're salesman behind a keyboard.
If you need help writing concisely, try Hemmingway Editor. It's a free tool that helps make your writing clear and easily readable.
There's an overload of data from every direction.
Twitter feeds. Facebook posts. Recipes. Articles. Lists. Emails. Ad after ad. Sidebars. Popups.
The amount of information Internet users consume on a daily basis is crazy.
These facts make effective copywriting more important than ever. Effective copy must cut through the noise and deliver a clear message.
Here are three of the biggest copywriting mistakes, and how to avoid them.
1. LENGTHY SENTENCES
According to Rudolph Flesch...
You want to aim for 14 to 16 words per sentence for business writing. Dropping below or going above this number won't ruin your copy.
But please, stop at 40.
In fact, if you can get the message across in under 14 words, do it.
I suffer from commas and run-on sentences every day. I love long sentences and use them often. But, with a constant stream of information, readers need short and digestible bites.
The shorter and clearer the sentence, the more effective your ad copy becomes.
I'll give you an example of a tagline I wrote for a client.
"Always Fresh. Always Wholesome. From Our Kitchen to Yours."
9 words. That's all it took to create a message for an entire brand. Attention span is in short supply these days. Make the most out of what's left.
2. JARGON
Remember that when you are selling to the general public, you are selling to the public at large. Technical jargon may be useful for scientific papers and machinery manuals. It's not helpful to the general public.
For instance, if you were writing an ad for an automated investment company.
Think Wealthfront, Betterment, and Acorns...
You want to get the message across in a simple manner. Identify why people would want to use an automated investment service.
Instead of writing:
"Acorns allows you to maximize growth potential and invest in small market cap non-domestic stocks."
Write this:
"Easily invest in growing markets with Acorns."
3. Artistic Pieces
Selling is the purpose of copywriting. It's not here to gather applause from the crowd. At the end of the day, you're a salesman.
Often copywriters will listen to art driven marketing departments and create spectacles. They do this in place of solid hardline sales copy.
Let's not forget the most compelling sales copy is the one that speaks to the desires of your audience.
"Immerse yourself in rich, floral textures. Let the subtleties of life float around you in juxtaposition. Cardis spa will rejuvenate and lift your spirits."
What? Is this an advertisement or a shortlist for the spelling bee? A real estate listing?
Let's try this.
"Feeling Stressed? Need to Unwind? Relax and Let Go at Cardis Spa."
We've identified the pain point for our audience. They're stressed. They need to unwind. At Cardis Spa, they can relax and let go.
Complicated vocabulary will mislead some people, annoy others, and downright confuse the rest.
BE CLEAR, BE COMPELLING
Remember, copywriting has one ultimate purpose. To sell something. Leave 2-page sentences and 14 letter words to the writers of fiction. Like a reporter, you're there to present the facts. The good ones. You're there to play on the emotions and dreams of your audience. At the end of the day, you're salesman behind a keyboard.
If you need help writing concisely, try Hemmingway Editor. It's a free tool that helps make your writing clear and easily readable.
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