Copywriting today is much different than it was in the past. Even 5 years ago.
Let’s use an extreme example.
Where Has the Attention Gone?
Think about how it was before the Internet. And TV. Sixty, seventy years ago, all they had was radio, newspapers, and books. That’s it. So there weren’t a lot of things competing for attention. And no Blackberrys or cell phones constantly buzzing at us. No millions of possibilities to look at or listen to. People would sit down and read a book from start to finish. Because there were fewer distractions, people had more attention to give. So you could say more in your copywriting back then—and people would actually read it.
Not so now.
It’s not that our attention span has gotten smaller. It’s just that we all have only so much. And there are just too many things trying to get it.
Tips on Writing for an Attention Depleted World
Here are tips on good copywriting in today’s world.
- Get to the Point—Fast
What’s the new style? Short. To the point. No nonsense. But also, the message has to come through in your copywriting. No one should be wondering what you meant. It should be crystal clear. And it needs to be strong. Strong enough for people to take action after reading it. Like Twitter, we only have so much room or patience to read your copywriting. So make it worth those 2 minutes we can spare for it.
- Forget Rules
Forget everything you learned in English class. If you want to reach people today with your copywriting, you need to break the rules.
What does that mean?
Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Incomplete Sentences. And break it up into sections. What matters in copywriting now is getting your point across as quickly as possible—not to see what big words you know. Or to beat it too death with too many of them. If I look at your copywriting and see paragraphs with more than 4 sentences, long blocks of copy with nothing breaking it up, forget it.
It’s too much work to read it!
- Give Me a Map
Breaking your copywriting into smaller sections keeps our attention. It’s like a map through your article, so I know where you are going. Bullets are good, too. I can quickly scan your copywriting and get the main points.
That’s right!
Big shocker: People will probably not read every word of your copywriting! They will scan it. So having sections makes sense. The good news? I’d rather have them skip a section to get to the one that’s really going to motivate them to buy. So use sections in your copywriting to help prospects sell themselves.
- Make Me Want More
Don’t stuff your full sales pitch into every piece of copywriting. Leave your audience wanting more. They can always go to your website or call to get what they need. Too much turns people off. If you are overselling by putting way too much in any given copywriting piece, you’re losing prospects – fast. Some people get lost in the details in their copywriting.
Don’t be one of them.
Good copywriting is so important to your business. It can sell or it can repel. Take your time to get it right. Or hire someone to do it if you can’t. Believe me, it’s worth it!
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