5 top tips from our copywriter’s back pocket
Writing is one thing, and persuading your reader is another.
When done well, you can do both and still get your inbox down to zero.
But we know that writing is no mean feat, especially if you don’t have a way with words or a creative background.
The odds might feel stacked up against you, so use these everyday writing tips to give your language (even if it’s an email) a little lift.
Tip 1: Say it simply
Before you draft that email or start that slide, sit with the thoughts swirling around in your head.
You’ll notice some of them are excited, some of them are focused on the results, and the others are worried about not sounding right.
We all go through brain hurricanes, but you need to sit them out. Once all those thoughts have had their say, ask yourself what the core message is.
Resist the temptation to over-complicate what you’re saying. Keep your writing inclusive, which means leaving out jargon and big words when simple ones will do.
Tip 2: Keep it casual
Take this tip with a pinch of salt.
You don’t want to be speaking to senior managers like high school friends.
In most cases, casual writing gets the message across.
That’s because it’s easier for our brain to digest, and the friendly tone puts it at ease.
Casual writing plays a big role at Amazon too, with writers encouraged to keep messages clear and simple.
Start by using contractions. This is when two words are shortened into one: you are vs. you’re, we are vs. we’re, how’re you vs. how are you. You get the gist.
Tip 3: Tap into emotions
In the age of information overload, emotive language cuts through the noise.
How do words like honest, trustworthy, and reliable make you feel?
And how do words like nasty, controlling, and obnoxious make you feel?
On the surface, they’re just a jumble of letters. But each of these words kicks off a chemical reaction in your body, bringing up a positive or negative reaction.
Tip 4: Write for your reader
Obvious enough, but it’s easy to forget when you’re in the zone.
Writing takes emotional investment, so it’s easy to lose track and end up with a draft that speaks to the person you are (rather than the person your reader is).
This is why it’s important to know your reader. When there’s a lot of them – like on social media – that’s your audience.
So dig deep into what kind of content they enjoy, what benefit they’re looking for, and what problem they’re trying to solve.
Tip 5: Blend natural and artificial
These are special times. Never before have humans been able to achieve so much, with artificial intelligence by their side. And it goes without saying that AI has likely had better language training than all of us. It’s trained on 570GB of data sets after all. That’s the same as a chunky 380-million-page Word document!
So try reverse-drafting with AI. Give it your brief, read its output, then ask it to break everything down for you.
This won’t just give you a taste of AI’s writing skills, but also lets you learn and adapt in a way that’s completely tailored to you.
Beware of “AI tone” though. You don’t want to lose your audience (and online ranking) by sounding like other brands who use AI for all their writing.
Have a copywriting project that’s burning a hole in your to-do list?
Let our Head of Copy handle it for you. Get in touch at [email protected] today.