Tips, news and views from Green Light Copywriting

Four copywriting cues for 2011 1 February 2011

As a copywriter, I’ve often been asked about the process of copywriting and how people can apply it to their own content. Having found myself repeating a number of core copywriting cues, I decided to share them. So that next time someone asks me, I can point them here.

Copywriting cue 1: Know your mission

This first point is what I would describe as my core copywriting cue. That’s because it sets the stage for everything that follows. It also provides a framework on which to base a copywriting project. You start by asking yourself questions about who the copy is intended for, which medium it’s for and what you want it to achieve. This will give you a central focus for the process of copywriting. It will also help keep your mind clear when it comes to writing about your chosen topic.

Finding that mission might involve digging out more information, but it’s worth doing the research at the start, instead of making unnecessary changes later on. So, the cue is: set your mission and keep referring back to it, at every stage of the copywriting process.

Copywriting cue 2: Know your style

Some people might argue that copywriting is essentially a matter of style. But in my view, it’s a combination of the messages you choose to share and how you choose to share them. So, finding your style is not simply a matter of selecting the right words (as important as this is). It is a matter of choosing a tone of voice for your copywriting project that reflects your organisation and your approach. This is the time to ask questions like:

• Do you need to match the style of your copy with other communications like your website or your brochure?
• What kind of effect are you hoping to achieve?
• What’s the best way to talk to your customers?

Another important thing to address with your copy, is how to reach out whilst staying distinctive and without falling into some familiar copywriting traps.

Copywriting cue 3: Dodge the data trap

This is a biggie when it comes to copywriting. Facts, data, information…I see so many websites, brochures etc spouting these in impressive detail. But they don’t interest me or engage me.

My mind just isn’t designed that way (here’s another post I recently wrote on how our brains work and how that links to copywriting). Most of us prefer not to peruse an encyclopaedia when we’re looking for a service or product (unless we’re in the market for a new encyclopaedia). So copywriting needs to be crafted carefully in order to make a positive – rather than overwhelming – impression.

How to do this? Write about what makes your subject relevant to the reader and share what’s potentially important or memorable for them. And keep your copywriting closely connected to your mission, from Cue 1, above. Tie it in with the questions you asked yourself at the start. But never see data and facts as the enemy. Used sparingly and carefully, the right facts can make a powerful impact in your copywriting project.

Copywriting cue 4: KISS it

This cue is about applying the law of Keep It Simple Stupid to your copywriting project. Now I know this is a saying beloved of time management gurus and others. But it’s beloved for a very good reason. It can help you stay focused in moments of great complexity and throughout copywriting projects. It’s all too tempting to want to fit everything into one web page or one paragraph. But maintaining a simple approach will help you to keep paring back the message to its stronger and more interesting core.

Copywriting is based around the tenet of simplicity. You could even define it as the art of turning the complex into the clear. Which can sometimes end up being a complicated process in itself. But however hard the copywriting process can be, the aim is to convey something clearly and powerfully. And weighty, jargon-loaded language doesn’t tend to achieve that.

That’s your cue

So there they are, the copywriting cues I often end up sharing with others. You could sum them by saying that they’re all about keeping things simple and staying focused on your own particular mission. If you’d like to chat about these copywriting tips in more detail, let me know. It’s your cue.