Short copy rocks.

When I sing the praises of short-form copy, I often get pushback.

Particularly from some of my fellow copywriters.

I’m told that short copy isn’t up to the job.

For the tough jobs… the heavy lifting… only long copy
works.

I’m not so sure.

I think short copy can also get the job done.

In fact, I think some of the most powerful copy is
really, really, short.

Some lessons from politicians…

Back in 2016, when Britain was about to vote on Brexit,
Boris Johnson used three words to make his case…

Take Back Control

Meanwhile, Donald Trump was running a little long with 4
words…

Make America Great Again

Although he did tap into the power of the three-word line
with…

Lock Her Up!

Fast forward to last year, and Boris Johnson won the
election in Britain with…

Get Brexit Done!

Funny thing is… these lines were used to win votes on
issues that were amazingly complicated.

Deciding to leave the European Union is a much more
complex issue than choosing your next coffee maker.

Same with choosing your next President.

But that’s in the realm of politics, not business…

OK. Let me introduce you to a few more really, really, short
lines.

Where’s the Beef?

Got Milk?

Just Do It.

Because You’re Worth It

Think Different

Turns out that short, simple lines have extraordinary
power.

And not just to make an impression, but to drive sales
and change minds.

How many hundreds of millions of dollars do you think were made on the back of “Just Do It”?

And how about being able to change the course of an
entire nation with “Take Back Control”?

Long copy is sometimes lazy copy, or just filler…

There are certainly times when long copy is what you
need.

But I’ll often read long or medium-length copy and think,
“There’s a lot of filler here. A lot of description and explanation that really
isn’t needed. In fact, it’s getting in the way.”

So why do copywriters write long, when short would do
better?

Sometimes we’re just filling the space… like on a
webpage.

Other times we think long copy looks more substantial,
serious or authoritative.

And occasionally, as copywriters, we want to show our
bosses or clients they’re getting their money’s worth.

“Just 3 words? And how much do you want me to pay you for
THAT?”

It takes hard work and courage to write short copy…

It’s not easy to write short, effective copy.

Much easier to write the long, rambling stuff.

But writing short can deliver the most powerful copy of
all.

And in a digital world where we’re writing copy for apps
and promotional text messages, short-form copywriting is becoming an increasingly
valuable skill.

NOTE: You can find out about the various copywriting courses I teach here…

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