Breathe Marketing Blog

The do’s and don’ts of writing effective copy

A single word can paint a thousand pictures

Be sure of exactly what you want to say. Clarity of thought aids clarity of writing.
Think of who is going to read the copy. Picture a person holding the written item and reading it. Imagine where they will be sitting and how they will be holding the item.
Consider why the person will read this copy. Remember that they know nothing about you and may know little or nothing about your product or service. What advantage will they gain from reading what you have to say?
Think of your key message. What is the single most important idea you want to convey to this person?
Think of the key supporting messages. Present these in order of importance after you have presented the key message.
Consider your corporate style and identity. How does your message fit within this framework? How can you take advantage of your key corporate messages to support your own messages?
Be concise and direct in your writing. This will be helped by clarity of thought. Use shorter sentences and paragraphs of two or three sentences. Try to convey one message within one paragraph.
Use headlines and subheadings to convey your key messages quickly. Many people skim through commercial literature, reading only headlines and subheads. Call-out selected sentences/quotes that emphasise your key messages.
Use jargon only when appropriate. Unless you are writing for people who will actually understand and appreciate the use of jargon, avoid it altogether. This is where a clear picture of your audience is essential.
Write in the way you would speak to someone. When you have finished, read your copy aloud. If it does not read smoothly and conversationally, amend it until it does.