Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I have written a number of posts about copywriting. In my posts I use terms such as word-shaping, mind-catching, simplicity, clarity, sparkle, and hook, to describe the qualities of good copywriting. Copywriting is the foundation of marketing communications. 

Everyone struggles with copywriting; even people who are good copywriters. I have not seen much information about copywriting on startupnation.com. Great copywriting can open the door to success. Here are some links that everyone small business owner should read. [I am not associated with any of the web sites listed below.]

http://free-copywriting-tips.blogspot.com/2006/10/ad-copy-in spection-cover-these-12.html

http://www.canadaone.com/ezine/feb02/advertising_copy.html

http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/ded-ind.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copywriting

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&s afe=off&q=copywriting

http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

The fundamental difficulty with copywriting is that it needs to be very simple and that seems counterintuitive to many entrepreneurs. Good copy is written in plain English and must highlight what the business offers, not what the business does.

Ask yourself these questions: what does a grocery store offer? What does a grocery store do? A grocery store "offers" food, convenience, good prices. A grocery store "does" strategy, payroll, distribution, real estate, pays bills. Do you really want to read an advertisement that talks about their distribution strategy or their approach to vendor management? Great copy describes what the store offers. Poor copy describes the business itself.

Another problem is word count. I frequently critique sites that have hundreds of words on the front page. That is book report territory and it will not work. Follow the four second rule. Can the visitor understand your product or service in four seconds or less? Try to limit the front page to a ten word heading and a few sentences. Use relevant pictures and imagery if possible. You can always fill subsequent pages with hundreds and hundreds of words.

A great way to write relevant copy is to start with the hundreds of words that you want to put on the front page. Distill that complexity into ten words and two short sentences. This is often very difficult, and forces hard choices, but at the end of the day short copy has the potential to become mindcatching. Long copy belongs in a whitepaper.

Don`t:

[] Focus on what your business does.

[] Use jargon!

[] Use too many words.

[] Try to be all encompassing.

[] Distract the reader with imagery, sound, unless appropriate.

[] Communicate abstract benefits unless you are a *real* expert at doing so.

[] Forget to test!

Do:

[] Use clean, clear English. Regular words.

[] Paint a picture instantly, with clarity and depth.

[] Highlight the offering.

[] Use large text.

[] Consider how the words look when placed together, consider their shape.

[] Test on everyday citizens.

I would add something I learned, doing PowerPoint presentations for lots of corporate folks.


I`m continually surprised at people who put presentations together as if they were writing a normal page in a book, that people would read on an airplane from plain paper. They can`t seem to reduce their idea down to it`s essential core, which is what a presentation is supposed to also do.

I so much agree with you Graig. I am an researcher (academia) and it is a (painful) part of my job to sit through 100`s of PowerPoint presentations during the annual/monthly conference/meetings: it is really "the bland leading the bland", but even worse when as you say the writing is small, graphics horrible, nauseating PPT effects, esoteric/scientific jargon I find it insulting to the audience...Hey Graig we should write a short book on this, in the Seth Godin style...something to think about....

Cookie Monster . . .

WOW and thank you!!  I will take the time necessary to look into this.  i love to write, but apparently am not too good at it.  this is a very valid point you have made and hopefully we can all learn from it.

i will get back to you when i see an improvement (or what i think is an improvement) in my copywriting, and see if you agree.  thanks for the insight, and for the external information.

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But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrew 11:6

CookieMonster... You are awesome. You take such great care,  posting quality information.


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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Thanks for the kind words!