7 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.
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
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.
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.
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 break up the copy into digestible chunks. They’re a great way to add in keywords on web pages to improve SEO.
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.