10 tips to brighten business writing

With the good old British weather, it can be hard to predict what's coming next. When we expect sun, it clouds over. When we think it will rain, it's gloriously sunny! Even a hot sunny weekend comes as quite a surprise to most British people. BBQs are lit, socks and sandals are donned and flagging spirits are curiously revived.

As words give your business a voice, have you stopped to think about whether yours have the desired effect? Is your copy trapped in fog, unable to penetrate through? Or perhaps your copy unintentionally predicts storms ahead?

The wrongly chosen phrase or inappropriate comment can result in readers scurrying away for cover. Well considered copy has the power to attract clients like sun worshippers flocking to a sunny beach.

How can you ensure your copy is cloud free? Instead of leaving it to chance, there are plenty of techniques you can use to ensure your marketing copy resembles a calm, cloudless sky.

For marketing success, try out these 10 tips to transform your business copy.

1. Use plain English, instead of longer, showy phrases.
2. Make sure you use positive language, instead of negative.
3. Avoid pointless adjectives - just use them to inform.
4. Test your copy using the Gunning fog index. http://tinyurl.com/55amra
5. Read your copy out loud so you can 'hear' how it comes across.
6. Shorten your sentences to give copy more impact.
7. To achieve a 'feel-good' factor, load copy with benefits to the client
8. Avoid clichés 'like the plague.'
9. Use white space after punctuation and aim for 3-4 sentence paragraphs.
10. Be concise and to the point. Waffle costs customers!

Copy that confuses the reader is ineffective marketing. So, join the '3C' club. And, ensure your copy is Clear - Concise - Captivating. As soon as you get your business message across clearly, you'll get better results!

Want to know more? Nikki Cooke is a freelance copywriter, offering a range of copywriting services to SMEs in Oxfordshire and the UK. Simply contact The Word Well on nikki@thewordwell.com