This was written by copywriter Alex Cuff, who compiled a little list of some of the main elements that combine to make great copy in his opinion
As a copywriter, you might say that my opinion on the subject is biased… and you’d be right! Arrogance dictates that copywriting is the most important aspect of any business. If it didn’t then I’d be pretty poor at my job.
Of course, there are other elements involved but, in my opinion, there’s no greater turn-off than seeing a typo on a company website, or even worse in print. How many people must have read that and not noticed the error before you paid to print it?! Fire them all and then yourself.
And it’s not just typos. Poorly structured sentences and paragraphs are just as guilty of losing potential customers. They may be grammatically correct but pleasant to read they are not.
I’ve compiled a little list below of some of the main elements that combine to make great copy (in my opinion) so take note.
Don’t be boring
Seems obvious doesn’t it? I don’t like boring things. Do you like boring things? Of course you don’t.
So why do so many companies think it’s ok to write boring copy – particularly when the purpose of the copy is to entice and usually to sell?
Write to your customer as you would talk to them. Don’t be afraid of using big words, just use them appropriately. No one’s impressed by ‘acquire’ when ‘get’ will do.
Sometime, especially when accompanying a strong image, very simple language is best, as often seen in the advertising industry.
