What is good marketing writing?
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
William Strunk’s The Elements of Style.
What’s good marketing writing? How often do we write too many words yet say too little. The key to good writing is simple writing. Get to the point or be pointless. Eliminate verbal furniture. Give your readers the courtesy of clear, concise, simple, and effective marketing copy. And remember, we often scan rather than read digital, internet-based copy. The rush to find the information fast means clear writing is essential for good, digital copy. The word, “unnecessary,” Stunk uses is critical. You must ask yourself it the word of phrase really adds to your message? Does this verbal contribution really contribute to an effective use of the English language? Can I say this shorter of simpler? Am I waxing eloquent for the sake of sounding better or more intelligent? Wax not! Do your reader a favor and keep it simple and effective. That makes for good marketing writing.
Readers online scan rather than read. We thus need to our writing to be scan-friendly. Get to the point quickly so readers can quickly read. Brevity is best. Brevity beats length and forces us as writers to write for understanding rather than length.
Need I say more?
By Stuart Atkins
Leave a Reply