A Common Question: What Makes Good Copy Writing?

If the thought of writing something intimidates you, remember: you are not alone and it's not what you think.

May 20, 2007
Found in: Articles : Editorial : Web Site Marketing & Strategy :

A question often asked: What makes good writing?

If the thought of writing something intimidates you, remember: you are not alone and it's not what you think.

If you’re interested in writing content for your web site, it’s probably to boost your search engine rankings or to generating leads and sales. You don’t have to write like Shakespeare or Hemingway. (do you even know anyone who would stop to read Shakespeare in the middle of shopping or searching for something online?)

You can accomplish these goals by paying attention to a few basic principles. Even more, if you’re thoughtful and even just slightly creative, these guidelines will give your web site a unique and personal flair that will stand out and keep your visitors coming back for more.

If you know what you want, you can get what you want

The fatal flaw in most web copy is simply a lack of interruption and originality. People want something new and they want it to relate to what they want. That brings us to a prerequisite for all the copy you’ll ever write:

Good copy will grab and hold your reader’s attention. If it doesn’t do this (and the copy on many web sites does not), then you’re going to be overlooked by the search engines, your clients, and your competitors.

There are some useful tools to making sure your copy grabs and holds your reader’s attention:

Headlines

First, write for both readers and for scanners. Some people will go through everything you put down on paper, word for word. Others will only skim the parts they want to see. One of the best ways to do this is by breaking up the passage with headings and subheadings. Like you’ve seen happening here.

This is a common trick in printed long copy, and makes even more sense on the Internet, where you have to deal with shorter attention spans. Also, if you have targeted key words and phrases in your headlines and subheadings, this will improve your search engine marketing results as well.

Scrambled Eggs

In his book, "Advertising Secrets of the Written Word", Joe Sugarman tells a story of when he added nonsense headings such as “scrambled eggs” into a version of his letter. Then he tested it against another letter, by mailing each one to half the people on his mailing list. (This is commonly called an A-B comparison.) Aside from these subheadings, the two letters were identical. But he got 20% more sales from recipients of the scrambled eggs letter.

There are two ways you can create headings. The simplest trick is the most obvious -- just divide your copy into sub-topics and have a heading to describe each one.

If you want to really draw your readers in, there’s something else you can do. Write them using the unique method listed above -- with discretion of course. There’s a big advantage to doing it this way, even though it may take more time. People who simply scan your web copy are more likely to be drawn in when they see something with this extra creativity and interruption.

THE critical element of engaging copy

Once you’ve nailed your headlines and subheadings, you should make sure your copy is guided by the same principles.

This means your writing should be concise, hard-hitting, and overflowing with support for the reader’s self interest.

This is actually an easier, more natural way of writing. If you’re stuck, imagine you’re at a party telling a friend about your topic. Write down exactly what you would say to the person, and your writing will take on a flowing, conversational style. In a second draft you can edit it for grammar and spelling and anything you may have missed.

Another key is to write in the second person, referring to your reader as “you.” Instead of “We are committed to the client’s satisfaction,” write “We are committed to your satisfaction.” Even better, "Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back."

A quick tip on your choice of words

Over-using adjectives is a common mistake. Generic words like “amazing,” “excellent,” and “great” don’t really say anything about you or your business. In general, it’s a good idea to use as few adjectives as possible, and to make them specific.

Instead of saying “We have amazing customer service,” tell us a little bit about what makes your customer service amazing. If you are offering “an excellent opportunity,” why not call it a "lucrative," "unique," or "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity and tell us why?

Your nouns and verbs deserve special treatment. These oft-neglected words are, in anatomy terms, the muscle and bones of good copy.

Since you’re virtually always writing about a noun (a person, place, or thing), you need to be thoughtful about what you call it. A consultant or a coach? Web hosting or Internet success management? Like everything else we’ve discussed so far, this depends heavily on what your readers are likely to think and want.

Rule #1: Don’t be boring. Ever. Life is short. Web surfers’ attention spans are shorter.

Serve a purpose:

1. To close a sale,
2. Generate an opt-in,
3. Generate SEO rankings,
4. Build credibility.

For all of these, a prerequisite is that it grabs and holds your reader’s attention. Do this with:

• Headlines and subheadings
• Simple, direct language
• Second person, present tense
• Focus on reader’s wants and needs
• Heavy on the nouns and verbs, easy on the adjectives (nouns are skeleton, verbs are muscle, adjectives are clothing)

Additionally, when trying to make a sale -- ask for the sale, give the buyer specific and compelling reasons, and add a time limit if necessary.

For example, "Enthusiast provides Web Solutions to companies just like yours, including copy writing services within a system you can manage. Your solution is unique, your team is assembled, and your results are clear. Apply a free interview today."

Enthusiast Partner and verbal anatomy genius Jacob Bear contributed to this article.