Readers – like all of us – are busy people. They want to know if and why they should continue reading your text. So in your copywriting, you need to grab their interest quickly, and not make them read through several lines of secondary information before you get to the point.
Forget what you learnt at school or university about starting an essay with a nice nuanced introduction to set the scene. We’re not writing essays. We’re trying to create business writing that grabs and retains the attention of busy readers with a clear and concise message.
The way to do that is to hit them immediately with the key point of what you’re trying to say so that:
- · their interest is piqued and they continue reading or
- · at the very least, they take away your key message, even if they read no further.
Examples:
Not: John Solicitor studied law at Weeble College, Oxbridge. He qualified in 1987 and proceeded to specialise in property law. He spent the next ten years with a leading Magic Circle firm advising a range of clients. He was made partner in 1997. He joined ABC Solicitors in 1998 as a partner in the property finance team, of which he became head in 2003.
But: John Solicitor is head of our property finance team. He joined ABC Solicitors in 1998 and became head of the team in 2003. Prior to that, blah blah
Not: With 17 partners and 34 other fee earners spread across three offices, our employment team advises a range of clients from local owner managed businesses to national and international PLCs. It is the largest team in the North East and recognised as one of the leading teams outside the Magic Circle.
But: Our employment team is the largest in the North East and recognised as one of the leading teams outside London. We advise clients ranging from owner managed businesses to national and international PLCs, blah blah