Concise vs. Curt

How to Keep Them Reading Your Copy
Without Turning It Into Empty-Calorie Sound Bytes

You've seen ads that have maybe a sentence and a logo, at best; and if you're an Internet shopper and/or marketer, you've surely seen those sales-letter Web sites that scroll on and on forever.

Why such a wide variation in advertising theory and application, between minimum words and no end in sight?

And, what rules of thumb should you keep in mind the next time you put together some copy?

Or, more specifically:

● Is shorter, better?

● Is long and laborious necessary?

● What's a copywriter to do?

It all boils down to...

... keeping the reader reading... and keeping your prospect interested.

This rant was titled "Concise vs. Curt" because once you understand the difference, you are well on your way to writing copy that works -- whatever the length.

"Concise," by the way, refers to saying what you have to say in the most compact and effective way possible.

Not the fewest number of words, necessarily... but, the fewest number of words to get your message across and get the result you're looking for.

"Curt" is not the name of a friend who happens to like long, rambling copy.

No. "Curt" is a word that refers to using too few words, and in an unpleasant way. The Merriam-Webster definition that applies here is, "marked by rude or peremptory shortness : BRUSQUE."

So it stands to reason that your copy needs to be friendly, or at the very least, warm and personal (you can get heated in outrage, and while that may not be friendly, it can be effective in copy when you're railing against an injustice that your prospect feels he or she is at the short end of).

The key word here is relevancy. You can go on for quite a while as you build your case for your product, but what you say needs to be both emotionally and mentally relevant to what the prospect is feeling and thinking, respectively.

Including:

● Testimonials that your prospect can identify with

● Descriptions of problems and frustrations that your prospect will recognize as authentic and believable

● Credentials and accomplishments of the person or people that put the product, service or info product together -- credentials and accomplishments, that is, that show they know what they're doing and are highly likely to deliver on your main promise or claim

The answer to the questions I started out with at the top, I think, is a combination of short-copy snappiness and conciseness, along with button-pushing, resonating detail so characteristic of successful long copy.

Me, I always write until there's no more to say... and then, edit mercilessly until there's no shorter way to say it.

But I've written sales letters that go on for as much as 15 typed (paper) pages... and they've made lots of moolah.

So don't shortchange your reader. Say what's got to be said to get the action you're looking for. But brainstorm, experiment and edit until you've found the most lively, intriguing, readable -- and streamlined -- way of telling your story.

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter
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Comments

[Jim VanWyck]

Dave,

This post was tight.

Jim

[Ray Edwards]

Dave,

Great commentary and principles on the ever going debate of long vs. short copy. It's the amount of information that will sell the maximum amount of product, and I agree completley with your take on this.

Regards,

Ray Edwards

[David Garfinkel]

Hi Ray,

I appreciate the comment.

I guess the one "x factor" in all of this is the ability to keep people interested... whether it's for 1 sentence or 1,000 pages.

There are some techniques and developable personality traits that help... but... knowing your customer and being able to see and say things from their point of view is what makes 80-99% of the difference.

David