Forget The Fluff

“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
–Elements of Style, Strunk and White

In This Issue:

Forget The Fluff
by Monica Day

I don’t know about you, but having a holiday in the middle of the week is wreaking havoc on my family systems and throwing my deadlines into the fire…so I’m going to keep today’s issue short and sweet.

I want to talk to you about the difference between good copy…and fluff.

When you’re just starting out, the temptation to let the fluff creep into your copy is almost too much to resist. In an effort to make your copy sound conversational, you might pepper it with phrases like:

“In fact”
“On the other hand”
“Let me explain”

While there’s a place for these phrases in your copy, overuse sounds contrived. It’s a lot like the used car salesman who insists on using your first name with every sentence…

“Well Bob…”
“You know Bob…”
“That’s a good question Bob…”

It just sounds and feels fake, doesn’t it? And that’s exactly how it sounds to your prospect , too.

Then, there’s the lure into repetition. Yes, you need to repeat your message clearly throughout the letter, but you need to find fresh ways of doing it. Bring in additional proof, highlight a new benefit. Don’t just repeat empty phrases – prove them beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Good copy informs, inspires and motivates the reader to purchase a product or service. And it takes more than fluff to part smart people from their money.

It takes substance.

Sometimes I think my background in writing poetry has helped me the most in my copywriting career. The discipline of distilling an image, idea or thought down to its most essential element is good preparation for writing concise copy as well. In a well-written poem, every word is important to the piece, or it gets cut. Believe it or not, that’s how you should treat your copy too.

Every single sentence – every word even – should be there for a reason. It should advance your story, give your reader important information, tell or show something about your product that could make a difference in their life if they were to buy it.

One of my mentors always encouraged me to use what he called the “thumb test” to screen out superfluous writing. When you complete your full draft, you read it all the way through on paper, covering sentences with your thumb as you go along. When you discover a phrase, sentence or paragraph that you can do without – cut it.

Don’t be afraid – be merciless. You’ll write better, sell more, and succeed faster. Trust me.

Resource Referral: Why Not Start With What You Know

Most of us came to copywriting as a second or even third career – which means we’ve come with plenty of experience in other industries. But a lot of us ditch everything and try to start from scratch. We set our sights on the big mailers in the industry – like Agora, Nightingale-Conant, Rodale, Boardroom – and forget about everything and everyone we knew before we started copywriting.

I think this is a big mistake – which I made myself by the way. So did Krista. That’s how we know!

You worked hard at something before you found copywriting. You’re probably an expert even. So why not build on your expertise and your contacts in your former career to make your start as a copywriter?

Just about every industry uses direct mail in some way. It’s called “Business-to-Business” selling rather than the “Business-to-Consumer” copy that is the golden fleece of the industry. Odds are, you’ve already got the knowledge and even a few contacts from your current career, to launch into this market more quickly. You’ll an earn income faster and easier by starting in an industry you already know. You can always move over to the B-2-C market once you get your feet wet – and lubricate your bank account – in the B-2-B market.

Check out AWAI’s “Secrets of Writing for Business-to-Business Market” today – and think about how you might make a very easy, obvious transition into copywriting right from your own career backyard today.

Quick Marketing Tip: The Merits of Intrapreneuring

The coolest thing happened to one of my Copy Protégé Mentoring Program participants this past week – and it reminded me how important it is to think of yourself as an “intrapreneur” when you work for a company that you like.

In K’s case, she is already copywriting for a company she really likes – and she’s doing a good job. She’s been bringing what she’s learned through the AWAI copywriting course – which she paid for herself – and is making her company look really good to their clients.

So what’s the problem? She was being seriously underpaid – and undervalued – for her contribution.

When she came to the program, she was looking to increase her income with outside copy projects. But the more we talked, it became clear that she was leaving a huge opportunity on the table. All she needed to do to grab it was look at herself as an “intrapreneur” – and to apply the same type of skills and motivation to her existing company as she would for her own independent business.

This week, K approached the powers that be at her company and made her case. She knew they didn’t have the cash flow or revenues to increase her salary – but she had some good ideas on how they could grow the business enough to become much more profitable. And guess what? They were more than happy to consider her proposal to become a partner in the business, and give her an ownership position, in exchange for her stepping up with her copywriting and marketing expertise.

If you like your job – but just need to be making more money – think about how you can add value to the business and make your case.