Writing is a fantastic form of expressive art but it is also a personal one. When we produce any type of written copy we are crafting a piece of work that reflects our own values, opinions and ideas.

This, for the most part, is a good thing. It allows our message, be it commercial or private, to influence peoples ways of thinking – sometimes even motivating them to make changes in their life.

The only problem with such a subjective form of art is… well exactly that. It’s subjective. Copywriting can become stale, self-centred and hastily produced if we let our own ego take control.

Below are three copywriting tips that can help to stop you from losing your point, as well as your reader.

#1 Be clear and concise

There is nothing worse than landing on a website or blog that has content packed with so many words, yet so little point. I think the phrase “Quality and not Quantity” is what I’m getting at here.

Copywriting is the same as both Politics and Comedy in this sense – your goal is to say as much as you can with as little words as possible. The key here then is to identify your waffle and then abolish it.

When you proofread your work as well as looking for grammatical and syntactical errors, also keep your eye open for any words, sentences or paragraphs that could be eliminated. Every piece of writing has the potential to be shortened; so, unless your surname is Shakespeare or Wordsworth I want to see you using that delete button!

#2 Reconsider your audience and purpose

Successful copywriting can only come from a writer who has considered two things. Firstly, who he/she is writing for, and secondly, why he/she is writing what he/she is.

There needs to be a clear point to your copy – a point that must then be crafted and conveyed in a way that will be engaging to your particular readership. The more experienced copywriter will have already considered these things a long time ago but may have forgotten them as time has gone by.

Just because a piece of copy sounds good to you, it might not read as well for the demographic you are actually aiming for.

Take the time to reconsider who specifically you are writing for. Don’t just come up with a general group such as “older males” or “wealthy families” – instead you should attempt to delve deeper into the real desires of your readership.

An example would be to consider how open-minded your readership is. Will they find alternative ideas interesting or useful? Or are they purely motivated by traditional ways and methods?

#3 Vary your sentence structures

Most copywriters have a natural flare for what they do. Having said this, it is possible for even the very best of writers to forget the basics of their art.

In this instance I am referring to those copywriters who neglect the importance of utilising a diverse type of sentence structures.

Some of you out there have an incredibly engaging talent for description. You boast the ability to construct long and in-depth sentences that convey a lot of information in their own right.

However, a bombardment of these long, complex sentences will often lose your reader, if not bore them completely.

On the other hand, there are many professional writers out there who have a knack for shorter, punchier lines and find that they are very effective at producing copy aimed at conversion. However, a piece of copy that relies solely on these single and double clause sentences will fail to spark any interest and excitement among its readers.

I don’t think I need to spell it out for you. The two types should be used together.

Now you can enjoy the benefits of a disciplined written style

This post is not meant to stunt your creative writing or to knock your confidence in copywriting, but instead to remind you that a tight grasp on the basics and a firmer control over your ego is all that is needed to produce killer copy time and time again.

This article was written by Robert Jones. Robert is a Copywriter with a Cape Town based Copywriting firm called – Copyandco .  With an advance degree in English, he takes an interest in range of topics including online and content marketing. If you need content with a bit of a twist then please visit Copyandco for more information.

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