So, I shared some basic ideas on how you can enhance your copy work and write a good piece in my previous blog post. This one is an extension of part 1 and giving my further thoughts on ways you can write effective copy;
1) Add a pop of colour…
Breaking up your piece with some cleverly positioned subheadings is a good place to start and then by adding a pop of colour to that too can help to break up the piece into the appearance of smaller more easily digestible chunks for the reader.
Ensure the colour supports your branding, website and logo. There’s no point choosing red if every inch of selected wording on your website is blue for instance. Consistency is key. Equally choose colours that will not offend the eyes and detract from the rest of your copy.
2) Select the tone and style of voice to suit your intended audience…
You know who your audience is so write for them and to them. Are you going to write in a relaxed yet informal way, could it be that witty and informal would work better? If it is industry specific does it need to be professional and informative?
It’s worth considering before you start writing how the piece will be as you don’t want it to be all over the place and cause confusion and therefore turn away the reader. You want to capture their interest and maintain it throughout.
3) Be human
People need to be able to relate to what it is that you have written. When you capture this you’re more likely to retain readership and build a following. Remember you’re writing for another person to read. Having that human touch is what connects us all.
Creating emotion and feeling will enhance your work, mumbo jumbo is hard to decipher. Try to write as if the piece is just between you and your reader it makes it feel personalised. It builds rapport and a leaning loyalty towards you.
4) Jargon
Unless of course it is for a specific educational body or is required try not to fill your piece with jargon. It needs to have flow and overuse of bigger words where not strategically placed will make your piece seem clunky.
Knowledge is important to impart and weave in but it should be easy for the reader to make sense of. They need to be able to straight away understand what it is that you’re trying to say.
5) Size of text and font
We all love to play around with the many different choices of font but that being said it doesn’t look very professional if you choose a fancy style that no one can read. Keep it simple. Simple is effective and sells well. It is easy to read and again helps to keep the flow of your piece.
Make sure the size of the font is big enough so you don’t need to reach for the magnifying class or you don’t want the other end of the spectrum where you can only fit a paragraph on a page because it’s too big.
Finally my last and parting nugget of advice is always check your work. Remember you’re human and add that personal touch.
Hopefully blog part 1 and part 2 of the series 5 tips on how to write good copy have given you some ideas on how to create your own pieces of written work or how you can bring out the best in what you already write.
If you feel that you could do with some help with any copywriting needs in your workplace then get in touch. You can email me on ambersmith@simplyamberlou.com or visit me on Twitter @simplyamberLou and LinkedIn Amber L Smith.
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