Copy Wilderness Survival Guide

1. Know the terrain

Before you hit the trail, map out where you want to go and who you’ll reach when you get there.

Create an outline, even if it’s a simple list of main ideas. Starting here helps you find the best route and lets you navigate awkward turns along the way.

Get inside your audience’s head. Sure, tech specs may fire you up, but do they make other minds wander?

Check your direction. Writers can get too close to their subject, so ask someone outside the project for feedback.

Consider a new approach. Would a case study or testimonial work better than a fact sheet, for instance?

2. Bring the essentials

Pack only what you need. Focus your messages so every word counts.

Good work! You finished a first draft. Now, can you cut it by a third?

Keep bullets short and sweet; more than a couple lines can be too much to bite off.

Avoid overwriting. Don’t utilize the appropriate verbiage; use the right word.

Illustrate points with clear benefits. Twice as fast and half the cost are stronger than vague promises like cutting edge and state of the art.

3. Start a fire

Spark a reaction with copy as sharp as your thinking.

Captivate your audience and inspire response with active, vibrant language. Vary sentence length—longer sentences link key ideas, short sentences add pop.

Scrutinize forms of to be. Where possible, use verbs to crystallize your points. “We are at the forefront of the industry” becomes “We lead the industry.”

Don’t change verbs into nouns. Embrace action: “We provide support throughout your career” works better as “We support you throughout your career.”

Retire jargon. Take these words offline: actionable, leverage, functionality, incent, impactful and synergy.

4. Make yourself visible

Search parties won’t find you unless you stand out.

Lead with the most important information.

Insert subheads to create inviting text and make it easy to spot key messages. Start a new paragraph as often as logically possible.

Break lists into bullet points.

Don’t bury contact information. Your audience shouldn’t have to dig to uncover it.

5. Hire a guide

You don’t have to traverse the copywriting wilderness alone. If your copy has lost its way, call us—we’ll get you back on track.

Contact AHA! Call 360.750.1680 and ask for Betsy.

Email us at info@aha-writers.com