5 Issues With Your Copy You Can Fix Today
Words are hard. Maybe you’re great with visual elements, but when it comes to the words that go with them, you get stuck. Or maybe you’re a great writer, but you feel like you’re saying the same things over and over again.
People read so much information everyday, so it’s important that yours stands out. Whether you’re advertising something, endorsing someone, trying to gain followers, or just reach people, the way you say what you say matters.
There is a lot of poorly written copy out there, with too many issues to count. Here are 5 of those issues that you may have with your own copy, and how to fix them today:
- Your Copy is Confusing
You are trying to make a point with your copy. You should have a set goal in mind when writing anything. If people do not understand what you want them to do once they have read your words, then you have failed.
It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone is an expert. It can be easy to use terms that you and everyone in your space are familiar with, but the general public may not be. You don’t need to dumb it down to caveman language, but be sure not to overdo it with the terminology.
- Your Copy is Exhausting
Your biggest problem could be that you simply have too much copy. Too many words intimidate people; they decide they don’t have time to read it all, so they don’t read anything. People have gotten used to the 280-characters-or-less-mentality. Don’t waste your time droning on and on, but use your words carefully, so that your message can come through clearly in a way that doesn’t tire your audience.
- Your Copy is Vague
Your copy may have come to them, or they may have come to your copy. Either way, whoever is reading it is trying to learn something from it. They want to know what it can teach them, do for them, and how they should respond to it. There is nothing worse than going to a website looking for answers, only to get there and become more confused than you were. If your copy does not explicitly communicate your message, people will bounce off your site.
- Your Copy is Trying Too Hard
If you really want people to understand what you’re saying, don’t try to be fancy. It’s okay to speak intelligently and with authority, but if the only way you know how to do that is by using words that no one knows, find a new way to communicate. It is very unlikely that people will care enough about what you’re saying to do a dictionary search on three words in your paragraph. Keep it simple, as they say, and you’re golden.
- Your Copy is Just Plain Wrong
Sometimes the biggest mistakes are the easiest to fix. Stop. Publishing. Typos. This is a surefire way to lose credibility and to lose your reader’s trust. If you aren’t good at spelling and grammar is tough, have someone look over your work, reread it yourself, scan it through a spellchecker, the options are endless, just do something.
About the Author
Abby McCully is a student at the University of Mobile, studying Digital Media & Advertising, and Graphic Design. She is the Creative Director for Good Work Agency and loves all things design and business.