On Monday I wrote about copywriting at a relatively high level. From your comments and emails it is clear that I touched a nerve for many of you.

Some of you asked for more and some of you said I missed the mark entirely. Okay. My goal is to research what you're interested in, deliver value and share my unique view. My blogging is not a claim of vast expertise.

So today’s blog post will go through some of the nuts-n-bolts of copywriting. And, yes, I realize some of my marketing brethren will disagree with me (again) on some of these points. That’s fine.

Personal pronouns. Copywriters frequently use “I,” “we,” and “you” to connect with their audience on a more personal level. In direct communication such as direct mail, sales letters, telemarketing scripts and email this is an appropriate tone. For brochures and webpages, however, the tone should be more formal. Too many personal pronouns in any communication sound awkward and manipulative.

Cliches. There will always be a place for clichés in your copy. But just as you don’t like to listen to athletes go on and on a bout “just wanting to win the game” or “it’s all about the team,” people will tune out if you bombard them with clichés. Cliches are like spice so use them sparingly.

Repetition. Like it or not repetition works, it persuades. In copywriting the benefits, advantages, special offer, free gift, call to action and other key messages are repeated over and over. It’s part of the job to drill the message home just try not to be boring, use your creativity to say the same thing in new and interesting ways.

Sentence fragments. Good copywriters do not always write in short, staccato (disjointed) sentences. No sir. Untrue. It’s a lie. Trust me. However, to get the message out in bite-sized chunks that are easy to digest, sentence fragments are acceptable.

Grammar. The purpose of your copywriting is to win hearts and earn dollars. You are not trying to win an essay contest, however, the basic rules of good grammar still apply. Go ahead and relax the rules as much as you like in order to be friendly and conversational. Just don’t be too conversational. We don’t follow the strict rules of grammar when we talk to each other but, uh, there needs to be, you know, more clarity that we might expect from our, ahh, like, kids or somebody.

Bullets. Need I say more? People love bullets. Our brains are hardwired to accept information in list and bulleted lists seem to be even more effective at connecting our ears, heart, and head.

Proofreading. Proofread everything you do several times and not on the computer screen. It is very difficult to see your own mistakes, especially after you’ve been over your copy a dozen times but it happens. My advise is to make a hard copy (my apologies to the trees), proofread every paragraph for flow, every sentence for clarity and punctuation, every word for spelling, and pay close attention to numbers, which are particularly prone to errors and are often overlooked when proofing. If you have time here are two final tips: First, whenever possible have someone else proofread your work before posting it online, and second, walk away from your copy for at least twenty-four hours and then proof it one final time. If you're like me, you’ll be surprised at the number of errors you discover.

Steve

800-707-9150