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Don'ts of Copywriting

By: Vlad Ehrsam

Copywriting, an essential part of your marketing and advertising strategy, is a great tool when it comes to presenting your Web-site. Especially when your Web writing is good, helpful and appropriate, all of which form the essence of good copywriting.

However, there are many pitfalls to copywriting that serve only to weaken your content. In order to keep your copy from falling into the trap of being irrelevant, fluffy, and boring, here are a few things to avoid at all costs.

Tangents

Avoid the urge to give unnecessary and irrelevant information. Good copywriting should consist of one main point broken down into several, shorter related points. Concentrate on each point at a time. The pace of your writing should be brisk and fast flowing. Going off at a tangent is a sure way of losing your reader.

The Say it Again and Again Hazard

Say what? This is a definite copywriting no-no. Make sure you're not saying the same things over and over, to get your message across, as some writers tend to do. It makes your copy redundant. It makes it boring and irks your reader with its harping on the same issue. So remember to say it once, and say it well.

The Impress with Long Words Hazard

These are words that are long and often come across as pretentious. Instead of searching for ways to sound smart, write simply with powerful words that convey your message. Nobody will get what you are saying if you use awkward sentences and long words. Instead it will just confuse readers and give them a reason to stop reading your content.

The Use Clever Language Hazard

This is a device that is often used to showcase cleverness or a deft use of the language. The phrases or words sound nice, and they may even be creative, but they do nothing to advance the point or contribute to the pace and flow of the piece. Avoid ornamentation and your writing will be much more to the point and, therefore, effective.

Excessive Modifiers

Adjectives (such as beautiful, red, excellent) and adverbs (such as very, and words ending in "ly" like rapidly) are called modifiers and are added to a noun or a verb. Using modifiers can sometimes be very effective but when used excessively, they can befuddle the reader. "I work efficiently" is better than saying "I work very efficiently". The word "very" slackens the pace of the article. "Your work is exceptionally beautiful" is one adjective too many. Either say "your work is exceptional" or "your work is beautiful".

Avoid forms of the verb "To Be"

Employ active language as far as possible, to get your message across. Use of forms of the verb "to be" such as was, is, are, etc tends to slow down the flow of the prose. Solid verbs generate a certain vibrancy in language and this holds the interest of the reader. To say "Our business is a leader in innovation" seems to lack the forward motion there is in saying "Our business leads the field of innovation". Of course sometimes you can't get away from using "be" verbs but endeavor where possible, to use as many active words as possible.

Article Source: http://www.article-voip.com

About the author: Vlad Ehrsam is the chief writer at Full Info on Business, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus while you're there sign up for the free newsletter.

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