Practice makes perfect, as the old adage goes, but there are most certainly formulae that works when writing convincing copy.
Arriving at your desk and writing is simply not enough. There is far more to copywriting than meets the eye.
Pointers that will grab the attention of your readers:
- You need not have a degree in English to be able to get your point across to your readers. All that it takes is something short and sweet, using everyday language that is not too flowery. Simple, clear, easy reading is what your readership is looking for. Not long, waffling articles that make you doze off.
- You should be able to grab the attention of your readers upfront with your opening sentence or heading. Aim to keep your articles concise and short. And by short, I am referring to the length of the sentences, to help your readers to absorb what they have just read (we have short concentration spans). Many paragraph breaks helps the reader to absorb information, too.
- When writing, it is imperative to keep the tone pleasant. A reader is able to pick up the “tone” from your writing and what mood you might be in; strange but true.
- And best of all, if you write about the big three, you will always have the attention of your audience. They are sex, danger and food; yep. If you discuss any of these topics, people will sit up and listen, really carefully. Such is human nature.
Easy reading is what we aim for, especially when writing for the web. To sum up: aiming for short and sweet paragraphs and sentences that hold the attention of the reader, don’t use flowery words, just simple language, getting to the point, and sticking to the topic.