Want prospects to read what you wrote? Edit that copy!

When you write it, you want them to read it - and you want them get the point of your message.  Use these editing tips to help accomplish that goal:   First, write. Then edit.  Don't edit as you go along, or you'll interrupt yourself and hinder your flow of ideas. So on the first draft, write everything you want to convey.   Do a first read-through to eliminate typos and words that were either misspelled or misused. If you say your offer was "excepted" rather than "accepted," your reader will form a negative opinion, so be careful. This is especially important if you're using voice recognition software. You don't want to say "eye" when you mean "I" and you don't want to say "their" when you mean "there."   Eliminate anything that doesn't fit the theme of your mailing. If it's a good idea, cut and paste it into a document to use later.    Avoid rambling - get to the point quickly to grab your reader's interest. Open your letter or your marketing piece with something of interest to the reader. Since people are most interested in themselves, it's a good idea to begin with the word "You," if it fits. You may need to turn your sentence or your paragraph upside-down to make it focus on the reader. Do it. You may also need to completely delete your first paragraph or two. Unless those "warm up" sentences add to the message, they should go away.   Keep in mind that while you may be sending your letter to hundreds, only one at a time will read it. Mentally write to one person and avoid saying "All of you," "people like you," or "you guys."   If necessary, turn the copy upside down. Sometimes you'll find your most persuasive words near the end of the page. Move them.   Eliminate passive voice. Instead of saying "60 homes were listed and sold by our team," say "Our team listed and sold 60 homes." "A good time was had by all" is dull. "We had fun" is alive.   Use simple words. Seek to communicate, not to impress. When you have a choice between a simple word and a complex word, choose simple. In other words, say "use," not "utilize."   Be specific Replace words like small, large, many, quickly, with specific numbers and image-inducing nouns. Instead of "My listings sell quickly" say "My listings sell in an average of 15 days."  Instead of saying "This huge home," say "This 6,000 square foot mansion."  A second advantage: Specificity not only makes your writing more interesting, it makes it more believable.   Where possible, get rid of adjectives and adverbs. Hunt for nouns and verbs that tell the story themselves. For instance, "sped" is better than "drove quickly," and "bungalow" is better than "small house."   Remove the filler. Use the "find" function to locate small words like "just" "of," "the," "a/an," and "that." Unless they add meaning or comprehension, remove them.

Now go back to proofread one more time… 

When you edit and move parts of sentences around it's easy to leave in an extra word or remove a word you need. And – it's easy to miss errors when you already "know" what it says.

So leave your copy alone for at least a few hours, then come back and read with fresh eyes.

When it's really important – as in a printed brochure or a mailing going out to a large number of prospects – ask someone else to read it as well.

 

 

marte@copybymarte.com
www.copybymarte.com

Priest River, Idaho
208-448-1479

 

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Custom Web Copy....Agent Bios....E-mail Campaigns
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