Monthly Archives: August 2018

We’ve all been there. That day you went out for a slap-up lunch and couldn’t eat another thing. But oh my … how could you turn your back on that sweet trolley laden with delicious deserts. Finally … as you struggle with your cup of coffee, you swear you’re not going to eat anything else for a week. At least.

Now you’re driving home and you remember you promised to pop in to see Great Auntie Ethel. She will be expecting you and you can’t let her down. Going home to sleep off lunch is not an option.

Auntie Ethel is very pleased to see you and mentions putting the kettle on. Soon you hear her bustling about in the kitchen and panic sets in. What is she doing? Auntie Ethel has done you proud. In honour of your visit she’s made a mountain of sandwiches, scones, cakes and, of course, your favourite chocolate biscuits.

Your heart sinks. You look at the amazing spread in horror and know you can’t possibly eat another thing. You have no appetite. You’re daunted by the sight and the very thought of all that food.

Do your readers have an appetite for your copywriting?

Have you ever thought your copywriting could be having the same effect on your readers? All too often you see huge long paragraphs with not so much as a line break between them. However well that copy is written, the very sight of it is off-putting. Your readers don’t have the time or the appetite to wade through it. It’s hard work. It’s just like being faced with Great Auntie Ethel’s tea table when you feel like you never want to eat again.

Good copywriting is written in bite-size pieces. Short paragraphs are easy to read. Try keeping them to six to eight lines. As we mentioned in a previous copywriting advice blog, you want your audience to be able to scan-read your copy in seconds. Breaking up your copy into short paragraphs looks much more appealing and will help your readers.

Use headings and sub-headings to break up the text. They will stand out and allow people to nibble at the sections of interest to them.

So the next time you’re writing about your business, think of your readers’ appetites. Tempt them with your copy. Make it look appetising. Let them nibble the tasty morsels. Remember, if you try to force feed them, you’ll lose them.

Finally … take a look at the image below. Would you have been hungry enough to read this?