Copywriting Blunders that Kill Your Credibility

(A.K.A. Why Regular People Should Not Write Marketing Materials)

Just the other day, my significant other called me over to share what he considered “godawful” copywriting. He was looking at the Web site of a *typical* marketing company, much like mine or yours, and having a little chuckle.

“Read this,” he said. “This person is trying to sound intelligent, but instead she’s coming off as a complete idiot.”

And by gum, my fellow was right. At first glance, the site seemed presentable enough. A pleasing design, bold colors, clean logo. Attractive, smiling faces of *real* marketing professionals. But the minute you started reading, it was all over.

As a layman, he couldn’t put his finger on exactly WHY these people gave the impression of being all shine and no substance… and yet it was enough that he saw through their facade.

Many people can recognize when the writing sounds “off,” but they can’t explain why. Allow me to shed some light on the matter. Here’s the official list of Copywriting Blunders that Kill Your Credibility from Wordfeeder.com:

Pseudo-intellectual blather.

A good writer knows how to get the point across in plain language. The fumbling marketer often does not - and this becomes painfully clear when one tries to muck through his or her arduous, would-be intellectual nonsense talk.

Sentence inflated with pompous drivel: Company X is dedicated to remaining fully committed to fulfilling your needs as pertaining to every project you summon our marketing assistance with.

Better: At Company X, we never stop working to meet your needs.

Faulty logic and “circular” statements.

A circular statement contains a premise and conclusion that are equally interchangeable, therefore providing no logical evidence to support the argument in question.

Circular statement: The proof of our expertise lies in our ability to deliver exceptional work for clients.

Better: Want proof of our expertise? Read what these satisfied clients had to say about the marketing work we’ve done on their behalf.

(And then you’d have to include solid proof - client testimonials that stated something like, “Since giving our marketing over to Company X, we’ve managed to raise our bottom line by 89%.”)

Underdeveloped arguments.

I use the term “argument” loosely here - in many instances, yes, there will be a strong argument at the basis of your copywriting. However, sometimes you’re merely telling a story. Persuade the reader or make the story good by using specific examples to support your main point.

Underdeveloped argument or story: Of all the projects we covered this year, I found the rebranding of Barnacle Barney’s Surf Shop to be the most rewarding. It really was a challenging undertaking that the entire team tackled with spirit and fresh creativity. The whole crew at Barney’s could not be more pleased with the results.

Better: For me, the rebranding of Barnacle Barney’s Surf Shop proved to be the most rewarding project this year. The challenge was that Barney’s has been around for several decades. They wanted a change - something fresh and upbeat, but nothing drastic to the point that their logo would be unrecognizable. The new logo really captures a more current feel while maintaining the continuity of their former design that’s so famously known around the local area.

Redundancy.

Redundancy has to do with stating the same idea multiple times. This is not so much an issue of repeated words, but repeated concepts that do not increase the value of what’s being said or the credibility of the person doing the communicating. Often, after removing the redundant sentence(s) from your copy, you’re left with extra space to fill. In this case, add a new idea - something that hasn’t already been said.

Redundant copy:

Expect only the finest quality ingredients in every dish prepared at Wily Willy’s Wharfside Restaurant. We use the freshest and best-tasting meats, fish and produce in all of our recipes.

Better:

Wily Willy’s Wharfside Restaurant lovingly prepares your dinner using only the freshest and highest-quality meats, fish and produce. Sample the evening’s specials… and while you’re here, don’t forget to try our famous, home-brewed beer.

Repeated words, phrases and/or ideas.

In redundancy, you’re saying the same thing in two different ways. In word repetition, you’re choosing to use the same term (word) two or more times in too-close proximity within a paragraph. The exception to the “do not repeat words” rule occurs in parallelism, or the repetition of a specific phrase to establish a beat or rhythm in your writing.

Repeated words:

Tired of struggling over the copywriting yourself? You’re in luck - Wordfeeder.com is offering some terrific copywriting deals for the month of July!

Better:

Tired of struggling over the marketing materials yourself? You’re in luck - Wordfeeder.com is offering some terrific copywriting deals for the month of July!

Example of parallellism:

We have sweet, farm-fresh ice cream. We have rich, slow-cooked pudding. We have moist, homemade cake. And if that’s not enough to get your tastebuds tingling, we even have a free topping bar to help you create the one-of-a-kind dessert of your dreams! (In this paragraph, “we have” establishes the rhythm.)

So now you’re probably wondering, does it really matter if your copy isn’t perfect? What happens to companies who forgo the professional copy editing in favor of doing it themselves, and making errors like those listed above? Some possibilities could include:

• Smart people read their copy and decide that if they can’t put together a decent message for their own company, they surely can’t do it for the client. And those prospects leave, in search of someone more deserving of their dollars.

• Not-so-smart people read their copy, don’t notice what’s wrong with it, hire them, and then all every marketing project becomes a comedy of errors - a constant barrage of pointless requests, forgotten payments, miscommunication, counterproductive work habits and general mayhem.

Work smarter, not harder! Hand over your written communication to a qualified copywriting expert, and begin to attract higher-intelligence clients who enhance instead of detract from your business-building and creative efforts.

Copyright 2007 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing. All rights reserved.

Dina Giolitto delivers copywriting direction, support and implementation to businesses throughout the United States. Sign up for the Copywriting and Marketing Ezine from http://Wordfeeder.com today.

[tags]copywriting tips, copywriting advice, copywriting mistakes, copywriting blunders[/tags]