It’s not what you say, but the way that you say it.

Some simple copy tips.

Copywriting is much more than having sentences that extol the benefits of your product or service.

It’s about creating a distinctive style that reflects your brand personality and values. Ensuring a unified and consistent tone of voice is essential in building a trusted and recognisable brand. As experienced freelance copywriter Caroline Gibson says in her blog about the importance of tone of voice in copy: ‘… the more consistent you are in the tone of voice and language you use, the more likely it is that customers will understand why you’re unique and why they should choose you rather than your competitors.

It’s about delivering compelling wording that gets noticed and holds the reader’s attention.

And it’s about knowing how to cleverly get a message across in ten words instead of forty. 

In the noisy message-bombarded world in which we live, your copy must get results. Here’s how …

Simple copy tips to create more punch

Think about your audience

Before you write, ask yourself, “What does the reader want to know?” not, “What do I want to say?”. Picture your audience and write as if you’re speaking directly to them as someone who can help and inform. Imagine you’re talking to a colleague face to face.

Keep it simple

Keep terminology simple – complex wording or terms may be misunderstood. Always avoid formal language and jargon and write as you would speak. Contractions, like you’re, we’re and we’ll, immediately make your writing sound more conversational and easier to read. 

Use natural language

When we’re trying to sound professional, it’s easy to slip into a stuffy way of speaking. But there’s no need to sound formal. You can still show you’re serious about a subject without using that kind of language.

Use everyday language instead: imagining that you’re chatting at home (rather than at work) will help you steer clear of using odd words. For instance, you’d never say ‘If you have opted to have your documents posted…’, but you would say something like, ‘If you asked us to post your documents then…’

Say ‘we’ and ‘us’

Talking about your company in the third person can sound cold, like you’re a faceless organisation, not a group of people. Instead, use we and us.

Avoid too many adjectives

Be careful when using adjectives, as too many in a piece of copy can make it flowery and sound over-the-top. The saying ‘Less is more’ really is true!

Keep it short and sharp

On average, you have a matter of seconds to get your message across. If it’s too long, it won’t be read and certainly won’t be memorable. if one sentence could be two, make it two.

Aim to use short paragraphs that are single-minded.

Sell, don’t tell

Write customer benefits not product features so that the reader can visualise what’s “in it” for them.

Choose active verbs not passive verbs

The passive voice sounds weaker, is less direct, more formal and impersonal. To check, try adding “…by monkeys” to the end of a sentence. If it still makes sense, then it’s probably passive. For example – “The walls will be painted (by monkeys)” is passive; the active form is “We’ll paint the walls”. This is direct, more dynamic and sounds better.

Use subheads

These help to clearly signpost copy and break it up copy into digestible chunks – especially when the copy is viewed on a mobile. They’re also a great way to add in keywords on web pages to improve SEO.

Use contractions

It’s a good idea to use contractions (it’s, we’re, they’re, you’ve, you’ll etc) as they help with copy flow and make it more natural and therefore readable.

Make your headline count

Without a good headline on an ad, brochure or email, the rest of your copy probably won’t get read. As advertising guru David Ogilvy once said, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” Your headline should create impact but never over-claim.

Make copy visually appealing 

Whether writing a brochure or a PPT presentation, good copy isn’t just about words in black: it should be delivered in the most attractive and impactful way possible. An experienced design agency can add the extra wow factor and eye-appeal for your online and offline communications by advising on impactful elements such as the right fonts to use, colour combinations and even visual aids like infographics.

Save yourself time and headaches

Still struggling to get your message across? Need your marketing materials to work harder? 

At Surgery Creations, our highly experienced copywriters know all the simple copy tips – and stacks more besides – for copywriting that stands out and gets results. If you’d like a non-obligation consultation to review your existing marketing materials or discuss how we could create new ones to help your business grow, please get in touch.