Copywriting: using plain English

The use of plain English is one of the most important elements of good copywriting.

Clarity first. Clever Second
It’s easy to allow your creative juices to drown out your rational thoughts. But remember one thing: as a copywriter your primary aim is to get a message across. So don’t let your poetic tendencies kill the meaning of what you need to communicate unless entertainment is your sole purpose. Good communication is about being understood. And if it takes your reader longer than a few seconds to get the point, you will lose them.

Keep sentences relatively short
There’s a lot of talk online about restricting your copywriting to 16-18 words a sentence. While I don’t believe in this sort of copywriting dogma, it does offer a good starting point. But of course, it very much depends on what you are writing. If you’re writing web copy then sure - be frugal with your words. For one, it gets you in the habit of thinking about editing back wordy sentences; if a sentence doesn’t make its point in less than 20 words, you should rethink it.

Stick to one point per sentence
If you’ve ever read Pynchon’s Crying of Lot 49 then you probably had to reread the book’s first sentence. (It’s seven wordy lines long). But it serves a purpose of setting the tone for the novel. It tells you upfront what you are getting into. While this is great in fiction, such an elaborate style is the antithesis of good copywriting. Your reader should never have to read something twice. Make your sentences digestible. Say too much in one sentence and you’ll lose them.

Avoid jargon
Irrespective of your industry, if you use language that you wouldn’t use in daily conversation then chances are your copywriting sounds a little pretentious. Sometimes referred to as inkhorning, this will turn people off and dent your credibility. Using long words and sentences instead of simple, clear language has the cumulative effect of sounding exclusive. But this does not mean dumbing something down – where a technical word does the job best, use it. Just be sure your reader will know what it means.

Consider layout
It’s easy to forget how your words look on the page/screen. But this is a crucial element in engaging an audience. If you are writing a blog post, a wall of text will turn the reader off. Equally, one-line paragraphs can make your copy appear like it lacks depth (much like the clickbait of many of today’s 24/7 news outlets). Strike a balance.

Keith Lewis is a freelance copywriter based in Brighton.