Imagine this...
There's a middle-aged man, living in your basement, who changes his voice to sound like a beaver puppet.
Sounds a bit creepy, right?
It would, unless that middle-aged man is Uncle Joey, and you're living on the set of Full House.
I didn't grow up with a creepy Uncle living in my basement.
But, what I did grow up with was a TV and love of the show Full House. Mainly because one of the characters was named after me (Stephanie Tanner) and also because of John Stamos…" Have Mercy!"
If you're a Full House fan like me, you'll know who Uncle Joey is. And, his most famous line in the show.
Cut. It. Out.
*If you have no idea what Full House is, do yourself and favor and watch it now*
As silly and child-like as the guy was, he makes a good point. You should be cutting it out every day.
No, I don't mean your sense of humor. I mean all those extra words, insanely formal phrases, and silly jargon that no one understands.
You need to cut those out of your copy, your website, your landing pages, your emails. Just Cut. It. Out.
Have you ever heard a potential client say, "ooo, I can't wait to read this 5,000-word sales page"? Yea, me either.
If you can make someone buy, click, or sign-up in fewer words…why use more?
You don't want potential clients falling asleep at the computer screen. Do you?
Of course not!
So, the next time you're writing a sales page, email, webpage, or "whatever" for your business, use these tips to help you cut it down to what's important:
Cut out the long sentences.
If one sentence takes on the form of a paragraph, you've got too many words going on. Read through it and find places that are repetitive or don't make sense. Delete them and re-work your "paragraph" into shorter sentences.
Stop being repetitive.
Speaking of repetitive, if you use the same phrase multiple times in your copy, all but one need to go. Saying the same thing 5 times in a row isn't going to make you sell that "thing" any faster. In fact, if your only selling point is repeating yourself, there's a good chance your buyer won't buy anyway.
Use conjunctions.
The only time I haven't used conjunctions in my writing was when my English professor asked me to write a 10,000-word essay on Greek Mythology. I wrote every word available for that. But, when you're writing copy for sales pages, email, or websites, conjunctions are your friend. Not only does it cut down on unnecessary words, but it also makes your writing sound more conversational. More trustworthy. And, people buy from people they trust.
Read it out loud.
You'll hear all the mistakes and awkward phrases in your copy when you read it aloud to yourself. And, if you really want to find out where your message isn't clear and sounds a bit wonky, read it aloud to someone else. Preferably, someone that will be honest and tell you that your words need some work.
Think of your audience.
Stay focused on who will be reading your words. Is the information you're writing something they absolutely, 100 percent need to hear? Or, is it fluff that won't influence their decisions. If it's fluff, cut it out. If it's necessary, make sure you write it as clear and concise as possible.
Stay consistent.
If you start your writing off very formal and then slowly transition to a conversational tone, your reader will sense that something is off. They might think you're a business they can't trust and move on to someone else. Make sure your writing is consistent all the way through to keep readers engaged.