I’m constantly asking my clients who they’re trying to reach. When it comes to effectively communicating, you must know who you’re talking to. You wouldn’t talk to a first-grader the same way you would talk with a college professor, right?

Here’s a tip for getting inside the mind of your audience:

Go to where your customers are and silently observe. Watch what they do and how they do it. Read the emails they send customer service. Eavesdrop on their conversations with each other.

Refrain from making assumptions. Resist the urge to lead. Don’t ask questions (just this once). Simply watch and listen.

I promise you’ll come away with a new perspective about what their proverbial “pain points” are, but you’ll also have fresh insight into what motivates and excites them.

Possibly related posts

• What Carmelo Soprano knows about your audience that you should know (0)
• Take the read aloud test (0)
• Short and sweet (0)

While doing some research for an upcoming content project, I did a little poking around the About Us sections of some Fortune 100 companies.

Would you be surprised to learn that some of the biggest companies in the world use nondescript and innocuous language to describe themselves? I wouldn’t. It’s a comfortable place for many companies (and their copywriters) to be.

Phrases like “serving you in over 100 countries around the world,” “making great products for generations,” “dedicated to supporting,” and “our commitment to providing” say nothing of worth to your target audience. Worse, that kind of language does zip, zilch, nada to differentiate you from your competitors. Besides, who even talks like that in the real world?

Seth Godin says in marketing, if something makes you nervous, it’s probably a good idea. I say in copywriting, if you could write your Company Overview or About Us page in your sleep, rest assured that your audience will snooze, too, when they read it. If they read it.

Possibly related posts

• You know you need a professional writer when … (0)
• Writing as a process (0)
• What Carmelo Soprano knows about your audience that you should know (0)

While I’m a proponent of proper punctuation and a serious stickler about spelling, I also know that conversational copy is a much more compelling read.

If you’ve been stuck in the world of long, complex sentences, it’s time for a change. And, conversely, if you’ve been writing like you’re texting your BFF instead of talking with your customers, throw in an actual sentence now and then.

The combination of varying sentence lengths and types will mimic real-life dialogue, making your copy not only more fun to read but also worth the time it takes to read it.

Possibly related posts

• Writing as a process (0)
• Writing advice from Dr.Seuss (0)
• Why good writing is a lot like being in love (0)

Get Great Copy Shortcut #6

Sitting. Staring. Cursor flashing.

Almost nothing is more intimidating than a blank page and an equally blank mind.

Which is why I employ one of my favorite shortcuts … the nano-brainstorm. This shortcut is especially good for short, pithy bits of copy, headlines and taglines.

Here’s how it works:

1. Open a blank document and save it. (I’m a frequent saver.)

2. Open a browser window to Google.

3. Set a timer for 5 minutes. No more. No less.

4. Google the keyword(s) of your topic “+ quotes poems songs” and press enter.

5. Quickly click in and go through some of the results. When you see something that inspires you, toggle to your document and copy the text over or type the words in. Continue until you hear:

* DING * Time’s up.

1. Reset the timer for 5 minutes. No more. No less.

2. Now start typing variations of your own. Keep going until you hear:

* DING * Time’s up.

Start a fresh document and continue with your writing project. Make sure to keep your filled up nano-brainstorm document just in case there are some reusable ideas.

Possibly related posts

• Common writing mistakes (almost) everyone makes (1)
• Get Great Copy Shortcut #5 (0)
• Cliche anyone? (0)