Copywriting - How to Write Informational Copy

When writing informational pieces, there are few things more important than being clear. When your copy is ambiguous and vague, after all, it defeats the whole purpose of reading an informative piece. Some English grammar software can help catch ill-constructed portions of your copy and point them out as candidates for rewriting so make sure you take advantage of it.

Apart from employing software help, here are a few things you can do to help make your writing clearer.

1. Accommodate the uninitiated

Always assume that your reader is getting their first experience with your topic through your piece. While some of them will probably have some inkling about it, it's still best to accommodate those who would not. As such, avoid assuming past knowledge. At the least, include possible references (such as hyperlinks for online work) when introducing a topic that you don't intend to clarify in your copy.

2. Avoid long phrases

If a phrase can be expressed with one or two words, use the alternative. A lead in like "In view of the aforementioned results," can usually be written more succinctly as just a "therefore" without losing any of the statement's essence.

3. Avoid tautology

Putting together words that just say the same thing is often employed in informal writing and may even be accepted by most proofreading programs. That, however, doesn't make them a good idea when you're writing for clarity. Saying an "exact copy" in the context of a work, for instance, is often no different than saying "copy." Omit the unnecessary words whenever you can.

4. Be accurate

Informational copy that fails to report on details correctly tend to fail on the edifying part, which is why most of us would read such kinds of materials anyway. To ensure accuracy, your writing should include all appropriate data, apart from being consistent with all its assertions. Make sure your conclusions are supported with sound reasoning and real-world results.

When writing regular content such as blog entries and article pieces for your website, it's usually tacky to blatantly sell to your readers who stumble upon it to try and get information. I've seen the over sales pitch over and over when I research stuff and I can just imagine the frustration regular folks end up with when faced with them.

It's perfectly understandable if you want to sell. After all, few folks will bother putting in the work to make a real website filled with real information if they're not going to be compensated for it, in one way or another. However, once all your articles begin sounding like sales pitches instead of pieces that actually look to help a potential customer, it usually ends up blowing up in your face.

Instead of hard selling your customer, why not work towards imparting real, useful information and adding in a soft sales pitch to help guide the conversion? Make sure your copy provides the value your potential buyers are looking for (that includes cleaning up your writing using proofreading software for example). All readers, after all, can be turned into customers, if you put in the work to arrange your copy that way.

There's no one more willing to buy what you're selling than someone you've helped out. As such, always look to provide more value. An appreciative reader will always be more willing to be persuaded or to understand the benefits. They're also less likely to experience buyer's remorse.