Making life easy for busy, distracted readers. It’s one of the key things to keep in mind when you’re writing copy. Because you want your words to hit the mark with the people you want to reach. To propel them to do something.
And the best way to do that is to make things super easy for them.
To help, here’s a little test you can run, to make sure your copy ticks all the easy boxes. Before hitting publish or pressing send, ask yourself these three questions:
- Is my copy EASY to understand?
(Does it clearly communicate the key message I want to get across?) - Is it EASY to relate to?
(Am I talking directly to the reader in words they’ll understand / about things they’re interested in?) - Is it EASY for people to take the next step?
(Have I made the call to action crystal clear?)
Doesn’t matter if it’s text for a blog post, some words for your website or an email to your team, if you want to connect with busy, distracted readers (ie pretty much anyone):
You want to make sure those three EASYs are ticked.
(And definitely in any copy that’s trying to persuade people to do something, like behave differently or buy from you.)
Making your copy easy isn’t the only consideration, of course. Ideally, you want your words to be interesting and engaging, too. And you can add to ‘easy copy’ with a clever idea or snazzy design. But just remember easy trumps clever, every time.
Because if it’s in any way difficult for people to:
- Take in your messages
- Understand what’s in it for them, and
- Work out what to do next
you’re basically giving them a reason NOT to read.
***
Easy copy keeps people reading.
Long enough to take in your message.
Or do the thing you want them to do.
So:
- Make sure your copy is easy to understand
- And easy to relate to
- With an easy call to action
and you’ll be giving your words the best chance of success.