Scrabbling for the right words

Faced with the challenge of writing a few words about our business and its products, we could all put something together. However, would it be compelling enough to get customers to read it and – having read it – make an enquiry that then leads to business? Copywriting is a specialist skill and those who do it all day, every day can often find the right words that achieve so much more.

It's not a question of using big, fancy words that prove how intelligent the writer is. Simple language is often far more effective. Good copywriters are able to take complex products and service propositions and make them easy to understand – and even easier for the reader to grasp the key benefits that the product or service can offer them.

Different types of communication call for different styles of copy. Technical instruction manuals should be written in a clear manner that's easy to understand, yet leaves out no detail. A pedantic obsession with detail can be a real asset in a technical copywriter. If you get your product's instruction manuals wrong, your help desk could be inundated with calls from confused customers that require assistance.

Minimising the word-count… or writing with rhythm?

With businesses and consumers all short of time, copy for marketing campaigns generally needs to engage the reader and get to the point quickly. However, communications that have to be short on words – such as advertisements, direct mail or email communications – can be difficult to write. There may be several key messages that you wish to communicate. However, with very tight constraints on the overall number of words, every single word has to contribute. For these types of communications, professional copywriters will devote effort to ‘tuning' the copy so that it conveys maximum meaning with the minimum words.

Brochures that need to include a reasonable amount of detail – such as corporate brochures – can often benefit from the use of yet another different writing style. Here, trying to get multiple messages across in a single sentence can be counterproductive. Some copywriters will try to ensure the copy has a rhythm or pace that gives the reader a few split-seconds to absorb a key message before another important point is covered. Punctuation, the addition of a few extra words and the use of devices such as bulletpoints can help to dictate a reading rhythm that emphasises specific points and gives the reader time to absorb specific messages.

Prove you're one of the ‘insiders'

For multi-page brochures, it can be beneficial to try to ensure that every page ‘sells' the idea of turning to the next page. Start with relatively few words on the early pages of the brochure and ensure that the copy really draws the reader in. Having engaged the reader's interest within the first few pages, the brochure can then use more words per page.

Some businesses also use professional copywriters to help them pitch or bid for valuable or prestigious contracts. Here it's important to use a copywriter that has sales skills and knows how to put your proposition across in a way that clearly sets out the benefits you can deliver and inspires confidence in your offering.

Whatever the purpose of a specific piece of copy, it's worth ensuring that it's written in a style that is appropriate to your target audience. Copy that sets out to show that your business is friendly and approachable may be perfect for one market, but may be regarded as over familiar by another audience. In addition, if we accept that the sales process is largely about getting close to your customers, good sales and marketing copy will show that your business understands its customers and its market. Industry-specific or market-specific jargon – that can be confusing to outsiders – may be useful in demonstrating that you're one of the ‘insiders'.