11 Rules of a Copywriter

The art of the copywriting is one of the most intricate arts in the world. As in every profession there are some indispensable rules that every copywriter should stick to in order to impress his reader and produce appealing content What are these well-known yet so often forgotten rules that every copywriter should follow?! One should be as much precise and straightforward as possible in the writing of your text. Your text should have coherent and logical style. There should be some definite order in which all your message is written. Moreover, you should always visualise your audience in front of you and stress the most important points of your message.

In writing of the advertisement try to answer several important questions before you start devise and design the structure of your web site.

Make it easy to read. You message must have just one important point. It is not advisable to include several points in your message. Despite the fact that this is an advertisement and some exaggerations are possible and some specialists even encourage them, your message must not contain outward lies. If the reader suspects that you are lying he will not be inclined to take your words and might even doubt the credibility of the whole company you are working for. The message must be written in simple, easy to read and understandable style. Do not patronise and try to have honest and equal dialogue with your customer. Do not be very technical in the writing of your message. However, it might be advisable to include some technical terms in your advertisement, otherwise write it in more general terms, as your message might be read by the person who is not familiar with technical details.

Check your text on grammar and spelling mistakes before you are placing your message on the website or submit it to the advertisement. Do not use too many words; try to be as succinct as possible. Your message should be memorable. Talk directly to the reader of your advertisement. Try to use such words as “you”, “your” as much as possible, as the advertisement that communicates directly with your customer is more appealing.

Summary

This article sets out eleven rules every copywriter should follow. It advises writing precisely and logically, always picturing your audience, keeping each message focused on one main point, avoiding outright lies even where some exaggeration is accepted, using simple and honest language, checking grammar and spelling before publishing, staying concise, and addressing the reader directly with words like ‘you’ to make the message more appealing.

Questions this article raises

  • How many of these eleven rules still apply to digital ad copy today?
  • Where’s the line between acceptable exaggeration and an outright lie in advertising?
  • How do you keep copy honest while still making it persuasive?
About Daniel Foster 96 Articles
Daniel Foster is a digital marketing consultant who has been building, testing and occasionally breaking websites since his teenage years. His interests span SEO, content, paid advertising, analytics and AI, with a particular fascination for how quickly the digital landscape changes.