Weon

I'm currently trying to design a brochure I can send out to potential clients and the images and layout are not too much of a problem but when it comes to copywriting I start to struggle. Then a very useful e-mail from a PR company dropped into my inbox. It contained 10 pointers for good copywriting. I thought it was so useful that I would share it as it might be useful to some of you at some point.

1. Use 'magic' words

Some words work twice as hard as others, often through their association with emotions, pleasure and basic human needs. Examples include: 'free', 'easy', 'natural', 'solution', 'secret', 'guaranteed', 'happy', 'win'. Use them wherever you can, and you'll keep people's attention. Guaranteed!

2. Be direct

Don't say, 'our clients benefit': say 'you'll benefit.' Create a dialogue with the reader; questions help.

3. Be conversational

Write as you'd speak: you're selling to another person. Avoid formality where possible - so opt for 'give' instead of 'donate', 'use' instead of 'utilise'.

4. Keep sentences short

A good average is 15-20 words for maximum clarity. But vary the length. For impact! Be ruthless - strip away any words which aren't punching their weight.

5. Benefits, benefits

What's in it for the customer? What information do they need? What makes your offering unique? Remember: people buy benefits, not features.

6. Avoid jargon

Take all of your audience with you, not just those already in the know.

7. Avoid clichés

You don't want to 'open a can of worms', even if you do have 'a captive audience' and a 'cutting edge' proposition that involves a 'one-stop shop' and 'thinking outside the box'. Be original - and chances are, you'll be remembered!

8. Avoid negatives

Nobody likes reading about 'work', 'hard', 'difficult', 'loss', 'fail'. Life's too short!

9. Use the language of your reader

Common sense? Maybe, but it's often overlooked.

10. Use endorsement

What do others think of the service/product? Third party endorsement from respected sources means instant credibility.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2005 at 1:57 pm and is filed under Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.