A Little More Conversation, A Little Less "Puffspeak"

Marketers take note: Wordiness has been confirmed as a leading cause of grogginess and excess verbiage has been linked to loss of audience, sales leads and customer conversions.  All of which is a high price to pay for falling into that insidious trap that causes  otherwise well-spoken, down-to-earth people to write copy that sounds like the cryptic disclaimer at the bottom of a car ad.

Good marketing and PR writers avoid the pitfalls of "puffspeak"by writing in the same natural style they use when having a conversation.

So instead of saying "at this point in time" they say "now."

Instead of saying "with reference to" they say "about."

Instead of saying "in the event that" they say "if."

Write Like You Talk

In capturing the nuances of real conversation, short sentences are best, including the occasional one-word sentence (Guaranteed.). Don't pile on too many adjectives (amazing, colossal, spectacular) and follow the rules of grammer except when a slang word ("tunage" for "songs") or technical jargon ("loan modification" for "refinancing") would ring truer with your target audience.

Breaking your copy into as many short paragraphs as possible will also improve you success rate as copywriter/conversationlist. The pauses send a reassuring signal to your reader that you're not going to lecture at them and that they can trust you to be direct, honest and interesting before returning them to their regularly scheduled day already in progress.

A reliable trick of the trade that keeps copy flowing in a smooth, easy rhythm is to act like you're writing a letter or personal email. By visualizing the person you're writing to, you create a more intimate, human connection ("Dear Tina") that keeps you from drifting into the artificial commercial voice ("Attention all women, 18 to 34") of someone pitching a product or service to the masses.

For more ideas to drive sales check out archives or visit Ambit Advertising and Public Relations.

Comments

[Peter Bowler]

Using short and common words is best practice when you need to present. When your audience tries to grasp what you've just said, you've lost them. Short and simple words every time.
Peter