Blaise Pascal once wrote, “I apologise for writing such a long letter, but I didn’t have time to write a short one.”
Short is good. Shorter is better, putting succinct, effective writing at the heart of incisive communications. Yes, it’s tough to cover every benefit in a few words – but your customers don’t have time to read. Help them, by keeping it brief.
As blogger Robert Brault puts it, “If you can’t explain something in a few words, try fewer.”
Get to the point. Make an impact. Be memorable.
You’re just another distant shout from the back of the crowd unless your communications cut through to the front. Start by keeping it brief.
Here’s a few tips from us to help; CMDi’s five tips to make your marketing communications more incisive:
- Be different from everybody else – if you can’t, at least sound different.
- Prioritise messages by their importance to your audience – not their importance to you.
- Don’t over explain – make your message clear, leaving audiences wanting to know more.
- Avoid exaggeration, only claiming verifiable benefits – a reputation for honesty is priceless.
- Edit ruthlessly – write, then shorten as much as possible without losing the meaning.
Tim Braithwaite
Head of Copy