8 COPYWRITING RULES TO LIVE BY
Would you spend the next two weeks planning your outfit for a conference and then leave the speechwriting until 11pm the night before?
NO.
You’d be surprised that many companies leave the task of copywriting until the last minute. Whether you’re an old or a new small business, writing concise and effective copy is one of the most important tasks in your small business marketing strategy. Here are 8 essentials to writing effective copy:
1. Be specific
Don’t beat around the bush. Make sure to tell your audience exactly what you’re out to accomplish.
2. Clarity is Paramount
Whether you’re writing an email, promotion, website, brochure or tagline, if you confuse your audience, you’ve failed. If you’d like to learn more about writing the clearest copy, check out this free webinar.
3. K.I.S.S. (Keep it Short and Simple)
Lengthy, irrelevant or unrelated copy can suck your audience’s attention span dry. Remember the KISS rule, and also, if in doubt, leave it out.
4. Magnetize
The goal of all copywriting is to draw in your reader with magnetic words. There are countless techniques for doing this such as using words that zing instead of monotone office jargon.
5. Prioritize
If you’re dealing with a large amount of information, make sure to put the most crucial points at the beginning. Answer the five W’s in the first paragraph or two using a journalistic technique called ‘the inverted pyramid’. This way if a reader gets distracted, they’ll still understand the root of the story.
6. Break it up
A long, unformatted chunk of text can scare away your reader. Use bullet points. Also, if you’ve got a lot to say, you can break up sections with subtitles or numbered lists.
7. Titles matter
Whether it’s for an email, blog, or editorial piece, your title is essential for grabbing the reader’s attention. Titles that commonly work well are phrased as a question, present a solution or state what the article is about in a catchy way.
8. Short on time? Hire a pro.
Your time = Money. Rather than struggle with learning the ropes of effective copywriting, hire a professional. A professional copywriter can take care of almost any word-related task such as proofreading, speech writing, blogging, writing for marketing materials, websites and public relations.
Leanne Havelock is the founder of Four Letter Word Media, a copywriting agency based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She's passionate about writing for the web, and collaborating with like-minds. Follow her on twitter @4letterw0rd.
