|
Moonsail Limited
Making Words Work For You |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Say More by Writing Less
As a small business owner, writing impartially about your business without going into too much detail can present a real challenge, with many people falling into the ‘too many words’ trap when writing their marketing materials. You want to tell your prospective clients absolutely everything about your business - and leave out no detail - but you also want to keep them interested.
This is especially important when writing content for your website, where readers want to see bite-sized chunks of information at a glance – not acres of small-print text crammed onto the page. The worst examples of this tendency to over-write can usually be found on websites that deal with technical subject matter such as telecommunications or software – an area which requires skilful writing in a style that people can understand. Otherwise they switch off – or click away in the case of your website.
If the writing is too wordy and long-winded you run the risk of alienating your readers or worse still, turning them away in search of one of your competitors. Clarity is crucial – there’s more chance your marketing message will hit the target if you keep it simple; remember, if your prospective customer can’t understand how you can help them, they won’t bother trying to find out.
So how can you make sure your copy is doing its job effectively? A good place to start is by removing as many unnecessary words as possible, keeping the following in mind:
Attract the Reader’s Attention
Does your copy appeal directly to the client’s needs? When they read something that describes their situation, it creates a sense of familiarity and demands their attention. This is especially true if you’re writing advertising material – aim it at the right audience.
Focus on the Result, not the Process
People aren’t generally interested in how long you’ve been in business, or how your production processes are more efficient than your competitors. What they really want to know is this: Can you give them what they need at the right price? Clients want to hear about the results, not the processes you use to achieve them. Your copy should tell them exactly how they benefit from giving you their business.
Call to Action
Does your copy explain clearly what the customer has to do next? How do they contact you? Where do they sign up? What’s the next step they should take? It’s simply amazing how much marketing material fails to deliver on this most basic requirement.
Editing your copy using these few simple rules should make it easier to read AND do a more effective job of promoting your message. If you need advice or assistance with any copywriting issues, please feel free to contact Moonsail Ltd. We specialise in writing website content, brochure copy, newsletters, press releases, and advertising.
|
|
