The Long and Short of it - Which Copy Works Best?

I'm often asked by clients which copy makes the better copy. Is it a long copy that has you scrolling for what seems an eternity, or short and direct to the point copy?

I ask each client that asks me the exact same question... What is it that you are selling?

This is because some of your readers will want to wade through pages of long copy to research very single benefit your product has. Whereas some readers may already know how your products or services benefit them, so they don't need to trawl through the long copy.

Before you even start to think about writing your copy, you need to know your product and service inside out. You need to know every feature and every benefit your product and service has. Not only this, you also have to know who you are targeting this to. Do you want the buyers who already know about what you offer, or the people who don't? This can impact massively on your copy length.

If you are selling a service that requires an explanation such as new software, you will need a long copy. If you are selling something new, people tend to be wary until they have read exactly what it can do for them. People research before they buy because they want to make sure they are buying what they need. They don't want to buy something that ends up being useless for them.

Long copy works better when it is 'split' into sections. Subheadings work very well in long copy, especially for the people who skim while they read. This enables the reader to see the most important parts of the copy without actually reading it in its entirety.

You may have come across and looked at other long copies on the internet, (there are a lot of them), and you will notice that the best ones have payment buttons scattered throughout the copy. This is for the people who want to read the copy, but they have been convinced to buy before they get to the bottom.

Short copy is more of a tease. A short copy grabs the reader's attention immediately and prompts them to act. Short copy works well when you are selling something that everyone is already familiar with. If you are selling something such as milk, whoever is reading your copy already knows what milk is and how it is good for their health, so they don't need to hear it from you again. All the reader needs to know is why to buy it from you.

A great and easy way to remember whether to opt for the long or the short copy is this: Use long copy for large purchases, unknown purchases and involved purchases and use short copy for everything else!

The best copywriters are the ones who know exactly who they intend to target and how to do it. It takes a little practice, but before too long you will be able to tell which copy you need. Of course, writing the copy is a completely different matter, which is why I will be detailing in later articles how to write your copy successfully.

If you need any help with your long or short copy, don't hesitate to get in touch. I will answer any and all questions you may have.