The only purpose of copywriting is to be understood
By Jim Logan • May 14th, 2007 • Category: Lead Generation ContentAnd. But. Because.
We were all taught you never begin a sentence with any of those words. It’s not proper language. But that’s how most people speak.
I make more grammatical errors than most people and am a life-long student on the proper use of words, tense, and punctuation. I am master of the fragmented sentence. Thanks to spell checking software, I’m able to mask further embarrassment.
Yet, I’ve been told I effectively communicate with my audience through writing. Do I write better than I think? Or is my audience as illiterate as I am :-)
Focus your customer communications on your customers - their tone, their language, their way of communicating. There is no right or wrong way to communicate as long as you’re speaking in language appropriate to your audience and speaking to them in terms they understand.
Once you’re understood, your customer is in a position to act. And heeding your call to action is always the ultimate objective.
What do you think? Is there any greater purpose of copy than to be understood? Are there limits to the use of proper grammar?
A well known copy writer in Australia once told me that copy simply needs to speak to the reader in the way they speak. Great marketing does just that. I also think the need to be verbose and long-winded is a waste of time. Getting to the point should be king. Cheers…Tim.
I definitely agree with speaking the language of your audience. I grew up with language snobs and grammar nazi parents; I would “talk wrong” on purpose just to annoy them (still do at times). Don’t get me wrong, I know the rules. But I’d rather talk with people and connect with them than demonstrate how superior my language command is over theirs. And plain-speakin’, colloquial language that doesn’t always follow the “rules” is what creates rapport.
One of my favorite quotes is “Think like a wise man, but communicate in the language of the people.” -Yeats