Short but sweet! Why succinct and concise copywriting is better
Tuesday: Write with the Pen of the Masters
Long blocks of texts are hard to read.
In my years in the industry, I’ve read different types of content and can assure you, concise and simple sentences that effectively deliver their messages are better and easier to understand.
As an independent professional, one of the important skills you should master is writing concise, appealing, and engaging content for your brand. this will give you an edge in the industry you belong to.
I’m aware that this isn’t an easy feat, which is why I’m sharing with you this tip to help make your writing process better.
Keep reading to know how keeping your sentences short and simple can make a good and effective copy.
I hope you find this week’s writing tip insightful as you draft interesting content for your brand.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Write with the Pen of the Masters
“She’s too young, it’s too late, we come apart, my arms are held, and the edges go dark and nothing is left but a little window, a very little window, like the wrong end of a telescope, like the window on a Christmas card, an old one, night and ice outside, and within a candle, a shining tree, a family, I can hear the bells even, sleigh bells, from the radio, old music, but through this window I can see, small but very clear, I can see her, going away from me, through the trees which are already turning, red and yellow, holding out her arms to me, being carried away.”
– Margaret Atwood, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
That SINGLE sentence was surely a mouthful, don’t you think?
While literary works tend to break some grammar rules, this is a no-no if you’re looking to create engaging copywriting.
The most effective and efficient way to express ideas?
Keep sentences short.
This is one of the rules from the book, “The Technique of Clear Writing” by Robert Gunning.
The rule is simple: Short sentences are direct.
Instead of beating around the bush, express your ideas in the quickest way possible!
Here’s how:
Remove conjunctions – Conjunctions connect sentences or clauses together, but using it too often or in the wrong way can make your sentences harder to understand. If you can write it in separate sentences, do that instead!
Instead of: “We went to the cafe and we ate brunch and we got dessert and after a few hours we drank coffee.”
Use: “We went to the cafe. Then, we ate brunch and got dessert. After a few hours, we drank coffee.”
Avoid unnecessary adverbs – Adverbs can make your sentence longer, resulting in word clutter. Avoid using them. Your sentences are fine without them!
Instead of: “I’m really hungry.”
Use: “I’m famished.”
Be careful with the commas – An indicator of a long sentence is the number of commas present. Depending on the structure, if there are three or more, that’s the best time to split the clauses!
Instead of: “I went to school, we formed a study group, and ate some lunch after.”
Use: “I went to school. We formed a study group. We ate some lunch after.”
Remove redundant words – Long sentences tend to have redundant words thrown in. Be more efficient by removing unnecessary words!
Instead of: “Based on my past experience, this is the end result.”
Use: “Based on my experience, this is the result.
Keep one thought for each paragraph – It’s better to have one paragraph explain a single idea clearly. Including two or more thoughts and jumping from one idea to another can confuse the reader.
Instead of: “Playing the game of basketball is difficult. Having to train for hours each day takes a toll on the body. This is the same when playing a sport like football. The rules are different, but the physical toll is similar. Basketball is four quarters of hard work that requires a high amount of teamwork and skill.”
Use: “Playing the game of basketball is difficult. Having to train for hours each day takes a toll on the body. Basketball is four quarters of hard work that requires a high amount of teamwork and skill.
This is the same when playing a sport like football. The rules are different, but the physical toll is similar.”
And that’s it!
Copywriting is about delivering a message in the most direct and efficient way possible.
Whether it be an article or a marketing slogan, the way you craft your message matters. Blogs and journals give you a wealth of information, but taking too long to reach a point makes it a hard read!
The same goes for taglines and slogans. A long sentence will be harder to remember. Keep it short and sweet, and you have copy that sells!
By following these tips, you can write clear and engaging content that effectively grabs your readers’ attention and sticks to their minds!
Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
