Not What You Write, But How

By Carly

For writers, content can drive us crazy. What are we going to say about this new product? We’ve been told that powerful content is what intrigues the consumer and makes them sit up and take notice. It’s true that content is important – if you’re selling, say, a vegetable product that can be served as a soup or a drink and you start writing about how your favorite color is purple, obviously there is a disconnect.

However, something is just as, if not more so, important than content, and that would be how you say something. Even in print, tone is important. Are you trying to come across as friendly and open? Professional and corporate? Snotty and arrogant? (Don’t laugh … after all, A Diamond is Forever is a bit arrogant but has been a very successful catchphrase.)

When considering your tone, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Who is my audience? Let’s say you are writing a brochure about drug use. Your copy will be very different for a teenage audience than if the brochure is going to be distributed among police.
What is my product? Is your product fresh and different? For example, the aforementioned Souper Drink uses very fun, tongue-in-cheek copy such as “Good for everybody and every body!” However, your product may be a piece of software to help others write living wills. You will probably want to strike a more somber tone for such a product.
What is the collateral? Are you writing for a magazine, a Web site or a blog? Magazines typically provide more information, while a Web site should be as to-the-point as possible. Blogs are usually conversational, while a brochure would be more professional.
Is this copy negative or positive? Always strive for positive copy. For example, don’t say “If you don’t respond by this date, you won’t be able to register for our conference!” Instead, try writing “Respond by [date] to take advantage of our special offers!”

The next time you have to write some copy, concentrate more on the message you want to send by how you write, not by what you write. You’ll be surprised at how much your style of writing may change!

Have you ever read an advertisement where the copy completely missed the mark?