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In school, we all learned how to write, but in advertising, experienced writers use a few simple techniques to convey messages with greater impact and brevity. Without being too instructional, these nine suggestions will come in helpful when creating your next sales letter, brochure, or website.
Avoid the wimpy verbs—is and be.
These "do-little" verbs only occupy space and assert the existence of something. Therefore, do not write "A slight omission may convert a statement from dull to magnificent." Do write "A single omission may change a dull statement into a great one." Similarly, avoid the phrase "We will manage the new initiative from our headquarters in Dallas." Choose "We will manage the new program from our office in Dallas."
Place the longest item at the end of a series.
Start with the basic and progress to the sophisticated. It is less ambiguous and provides for a more memorable sentence conclusion. If you have a series such as "He was usually louder and more boring than Joan" Choose "He was boisterous, uninteresting, and consistently later than Joan."
Specifics are more convincing.
Unless required by law, avoid using terms like many, numerous, roughly, almost, and others of a similar kind. Specifics demonstrate to your audience that you understand the capabilities of your product based on testing, research, etc.
Modify thy neighbor.
neighboring clause, to be specific. Ensure that your modifiers directly apply to the clause in question. You will avoid blunders such as "I collided with a stationary truck traveling in the opposite direction." (The truck was not traveling in the opposite direction; it was stationary.) Better to tell the judge, "I was traveling in the opposite direction and hit a stationary truck." (You'll still have to pay the fine for hitting a truck, but at least you'll appear sober.)
Use single verbs to avoid doublespeak.
Often, a single verb can perform the function of two similar verbs. Instead of "The computer was operating and functioning normally," use "The computer was operating normally." Or, replace "He was empty and ran out of gas" with the more straightforward "He ran out of gas."
Vary sentence length.
A series of identically-length sentences can be tedious. Start with a short or medium-length sentence, then use any combination of long, short, and medium sentences. Imagine a person speaking in identically-length sentences. Robotic.
Are your sentences like the Energizer Bunny?
They are endless. Just because you are communicating legal or complex technical information does not mean you must use endlessly winding sentences. Instead of saying "Laser beams, which have many properties that distinguish them from ordinary light, result from the emission of energy from atoms in the form of electromagnetic waves," say "Laser beams result from the emission of energy from atoms in the form of electromagnetic waves." Rewrite as "Laser beams have numerous properties that distinguish them from ordinary light. They are generated when atoms emit energy as electromagnetic waves."
Be concise and direct.
Why use a four- to five-word phrase when a one- to two-word version conveys the same meaning? Statements such as "considering that" can be shortened to "since" or "because." Especially when you're paying for premium ad space in a major publication, word economy is crucial.
Don’t overstate the obvious.
Redundancy is beneficial for space travel but detrimental to clear writing. Phrases such as "anticipate in advance," "completely completed," and "vital essentials" will drive your readers insane and convey little information. The same goes for stringing two or more synonyms together like "thoughts and ideas" or "actions and behavior.” It makes readers wonder if you really meant to say two different things or just wanted to reinforce one word with a needless synonym.
So the next time you’re struggling with that sales letter, mailer or web page, follow these simple rules. They’ll help you communicate your message more clearly and with greater selling power. Remember, there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. Use them prudently.
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