Talk is cheap. It is the written word that carries weight.

When you want to achieve results, copywriting matters because the information carried by the written word especially in business communications is given more credence. It carries more authority.

Take a simple example. An acquaintance tells you about a party on the weekend and says: “Come along.”

Do you go? Do you bother to say in advance if you won’t be going?

Compare your likely actions if you are handed an invitation.

Most people are less likely to dismiss it and if they have to decline, are likely to do so with courtesy rather than simply failing to show up.

The written word is given more weight because it can’t be taken back lightly. It also shows a greater degree of commitment than the spoken word and also a greater degree of planning and forethought.

Acute need

And as we all become increasingly time poor, the importance of good copywriting becomes more acute.

That’s because we need honest, accurate information as fast as possible and with as little effort as possible. The writing has to engage us quickly and flag what’s in it for us.

Good writing understands the readers’ values and gets to the important parts quickly. If readers start asking ‘what’s in it for me?’ it won’t be long before you’re lost them.

They start scanning and then it is critical to provide sign posts to catch their interest again.

Sign posts help readers know where they are and where they are going at all times. That way they are clear about the value of what they are reading and how it is benefiting them.

Good writing gives life to great ideas. It is clear, succinct and active – and reflects emotions and nuances as well as conveying information. And it engages readers and carries them along on the journey.

Put simply, good writing or good copywriting, is more than the sum of its parts.

It imparts a complete picture because it captures what the writer wants to impart and understands how the message is received.