You can pack just as much flavor, punch, and compelling calls to action into brief copy as you can into long copy.
In fact, brief copy can be more compelling.
Coco Chanel once said, “Before you go out, take one thing off.” This holds true for words, too.
Even if you can’t say it in 200 words, the challenge is using as few words as possible. Your writing should be clean, concise, elegant. Like a superhero costume. Good coverage, sleek design, aerodynamic, lightning quick.
What’s the problem with long copy?
The first prospect who bites into it won’t be able to finish. Most won’t even make it that far.
One look at that gigantic burger and they’ll think, “Maybe some day when I’m REALLY, SUPER hungry, I will eat that burger. But that time is not now.”
And so they put it off. Or at least, they think they are putting it off. In reality, they get distracted, life calls, and before you know it, they’ve forgotten all about you.
How do you prevent this from happening?
Easy! Brevity Burgers!
Prep Time
15-30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Written, unedited copy
- Creativity (see Creativity for Cretins [and the rest of us])
Instructions
- The trick to making brevity burgers is to act like you’re not making brevity burgers.
- Pen is preferred. That way you can’t edit while you’re writing. Compose at the keyboard if you must, but do not under any circumstances hit the delete key—even if you misspell a word. What’s at stake? Only the integrity of your copy.
- You can’t make a good brevity burger without first making a very large burger. So go ahead. Make that big, fat, awe-inspiring burger.
- Write until your hand falls off. Don’t try to self-edit. Brevity burgers happen after you’ve written that first draft (using, of course, the research, problems, and benefits you’ve already compiled). Then—and only then—can you go through and edit it down.
- Add headlines.
- Break up the copy as much as humanly possible. Add paragraph breaks. They’re the writing equivalent of taking a breath while speaking.
- Delete unnecessary words.
- Avoid lingering on a single word or sentence. If you’re struggling for more than 30 seconds, move on and come back to it later. Take it easy. Remember to breathe.
Tips
- Imagine yourself flipping burgers on one of those outdoor BBQs, your large belly hanging over the grill. Your goal is to maintain burger integrity and to keep flipping, moving from one burger to the next.
- You can’t cook them all evenly. You’ll have to keep moving along.
- Trust in the process. All the burgers will be cooked, eventually. If you stay with one sentence for too long, you’ll wear yourself out.
- Take breaks and let the copy sit for several hours at a minimum. Ideally for 24 hours.
Best Served With
- Headlines
- Websites
- Any kind of marketing communication
Resources
I hesitate to call anyone a “queen,” but Daphne Gray-Grant truly is the queen of brevity. Her weekly newsletters are impossible not to read immediately. Right there in the first paragraph, she tells you exactly how long it will take: 2 minutes. 500 words. What possible excuse could I have to put it off?
We should all aspire to be so irresistibly succinct.
On self-editing:
- Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing , by Claire Kerhwald Cook
- How to Be Your Own Best Editor – The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes , by Barry Tarshis
Dig up more good stuff: