KEEP IT SIMPLE: WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER WRITE COMPLICATED COPY
Are you using big words in your marketing to sound more professional?
Finding it hard to explain your product or service without the industry jargon?
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you need to stop.
Right now.
Long words and jargon complicate your message and make it harder to read.
When you’re writing something for your customers, you need to assume they know nothing. But at the same time, you can’t treat them like they’re stupid.
It’s a fine line.
Whether it’s content for your website, a social media post or brochure, it’s important to write for your audience.
Always keep your customer in mind. What does your customer want to know about your business? How can you explain it to them clearly and simply? Cut the jargon from your copywriting.
If your marketing is B2B (business to business), then you can get away with more complex, industry specific copywriting. But if you sell direct to the public, then you need to put your customer first when you write content.
I’m not saying don’t use three-syllable words, I’m talking about clarity and simplicity.
GREAT COPYWRITING IS EASY TO READ
The first thing I learned as a cadet journalist (many years ago!) was “don’t use a long word when a short one will do.”
The second was how to decipher Cop Speak.
I was only a few weeks into the job and my editor assigned me the weekly police reports.
It seemed simple enough. Go to the police station and the duty officer would give me the details of the weeks’ break-ins, drink driving charges and copper wire theft (yep, that was a big thing)!
I wrote the briefs as the duty officer had told me:
A 42-year-old male gained access through an unsecured window at the rear of the premises.
Police issued a road side breath test and the 22-year-old female driver was charged with high-range PCA.
Later that day my editor called me into his office again and explained we didn’t publish Cop Speak.
My briefs changed to:
A 42-year-old man broke into the house through an unlocked back window.
The 22-year-old woman was breath tested and charged with high-range drink driving.
Same message, so much easier to read.
Think about the language on your business website or marketing material.
Can you find words like leveraging, onboarding, mechanism or cohesive? How about facilitation, methodology or impactful?
YUCK!
Ask yourself, who is your marketing written for?
Are you trying to impress your peers, or are you trying to connect and build trust with your customers?
Stick with clear and simple copywriting and your message won't get lost.
Dayarne Smith
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