Marketing09.17.10

Critical Copywriting Elements: Just Like In School

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Effective copy begs a response of one kind or another from its readers. Online, your most likely trying to get the reader to buy or share your product or information.

The basic elements are just like they were in grade school:

a. Headline (in school it was your title)
b. Body
c. Conclusion

Easy as A-B-C, right? Well, not really.

While your headline is attracting attention enough to pull the reader to the next sentence, each successive sentence should do the same for the following sentence or bullet point. Your actual window of opportunity is small so make sure your headline (or title) follows these guidelines (as should most of your text):

a. Be clever (but not overly clever to the point of annoyance)
b. Be creative, but not lofty
c. KISS it Short (Keep It Simple Stupid and {keep it} Short)
d. Add a relevant voice in relation to your brand and how you want it portrayed
e. Make it MEMORABLE

Okay, so still not easy, but the elements are simple — right?