Five Keys To Leaner and Meaner Copywriting

Grab 'em and don't lose 'em. Every marketer knows that one. Human beings have very short attention spans, so you can't afford to waste your prospect's time - give them the good stuff and then let them go as soon as you can. Writing effective marketing material is all about writing crisply with just a handful of words.

Clean writing isn't an accident, but is instead the result of the careful application of certain principles and tools. Try these five techniques for crafting leaner, meaner, more effective business copy:

Avoid modifiers. Modifiers change the meaning of other words; the most common of these are adverbs and adjectives (words that describe verbs and nouns, respectively). They're used when the writer feels that the noun or verb needs a little something extra: "the shining sun", "run quickly", etc. Get rid of as many modifiers as you can and choose nouns and verbs that stand on their own.

No lazy words. Every word should be doing real work, conveying necessary information and supporting other parts of the piece. Think of your sentences as support beams and rafters in a building, and analyze the piece word-by-word: are there any nails sticking out of boards? Anything that's there purely for show? Anything that doesn't strengthen your writing weakens it. Strip your copy down to its most essential parts, and throw out the words that are sleeping on the job.

Reduce it to a single sentence. Do you really know what you want to say? You might be surprised - try phrasing your entire piece into one simple sentence. Can you do it, or are you insisting that your message is too in-depth? Taking your point down to a single statement can give your copy new focus and clarity.

One thought per sentence. Sentences and paragraphs are different things. Avoid long, complex sentences built up of multiple thoughts. Keep your sentences to one thought each, keep them short and simple, and use your paragraphs for the complex ideas.

When in doubt, cut it out. Every writer has written the perfect sentence that just doesn't play along well with others. Hemingway was right - kill your darlings. If you can't figure out how to ease that bit of poetry in with the rest of your marketing piece, cut it completely and don't look back. Be merciless. You'll be surprised how often that's the best solution.

About The Author

Robert Warren (www.rswarren.com) is a Florida-based freelance copywriter specializing in the unique marketing needs of independent professionals.

writer@rswarren.com

---

How to Start and Sustain a Career as a Freelance Writer

Have you wondered how you can make a career writing... Read More

Long Copy versus Short Copy

When I show some people my advertisements, I sometimes get... Read More

How to Develop a Killer News Hook

When you are going to write a press release probably... Read More

How to Write for a Paper or Magazine

l. Introduce yourself to the editor of your local newspaper.... Read More

Power Words And Phrases

I like to use power phrases when writing sales material.... Read More

Advice From Successful Freelancers: Starting & Maintaining A Freelancer Career

For the e-book, Advice from Successful Freelancers: How They Built... Read More

Steps to a Writing an Effective Press Releases

Want to get the most media attention and spotlight for... Read More

Copywriting FAQs

One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to... Read More

Be Contagious... Spread The Word!

"Melissa" invaded our computers in late 1999, then "I Love... Read More

How To Make A Career Out Of Copyediting And Proofreading

Do you possess the qualities of a good proof reader?... Read More

3 Tips For Writing Better Headlines

The single most important element of your website's copy is... Read More

Prevent Procrastination With Positive Pressure

My wife and I recently bought a house.It's currently being... Read More

11 Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Copywriter!

If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure,... Read More

Five Tips for Writing Eyeball-Grabbing Headlines

If you made it this far, the headline for this... Read More

Top 10 Ways For Copywriters To Overcome Writers Block

We all know that words have the power to persuade,... Read More

How To Write Headlines That Get Attention

No doubt, the headline is the most important part of... Read More

Fill Your Readers with Confidence

Site visitors generally stay with you for as long as... Read More

Can 97% of Netpreneurs be Wrong?

Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make MoneyDiscover the Master... Read More

Welcome Informed Criticism of Your Work

When you come to 'know' something, there is a temptation... Read More

How Not to Write a Press Release

Several years ago, when I was working for an agency,... Read More

How To Ethically Use A Swipe File For Your Ad Copy

Did you ever wish you could afford to hire one... Read More

Be That Copywriter Everyone Wants to Work With

So many copywriters think that it's enough to be a... Read More

Write Benefits in Your Headlines to Deliver the Dream!

When you create headlines, do you put benefits into your... Read More

How To Become A Freelance Copywriter In New York

As a freelance copywriter in New York, your work is... Read More

Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional

It's time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe... Read More

Why Copywriting Is The Secret To Your Online Success

Over the last decade, the number of companies selling their... Read More

3 Reasons why Content is Still King

Back in the late nineties, the phrase 'Content is King'... Read More

Freelance Business Writers - How To Get The Best From Your Writer

At times, it can be frustrating to find freelance business... Read More

Online Promotion Beats Traditional Ten-One

While traditional marketing can work for the book author or... Read More

Killer Ad Copy

Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a... Read More

Tech-writers: A Necessary Evil

New to tech-writing, or thinking about starting? The key to... Read More

Making a Living as a Copywriter; Freelancing Versus Agency

So You Want To be A Copywriter?Wannabe copywriters often check... Read More

Tomorrow?s Clichés Today

I went to Google and entered a couple of different... Read More