SUBJECT: Lesson #3 - Keep it Simple and Direct

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Your copy will obviously be different if geared towards surgeons
rather than schoolchildren, but whoever you are trying to reach,
your message should be simple and direct. Cater to the short
attention span and say what you need to say clearly and without
going round the houses. 

Even in a long piece of copy, the overall message should be
contained in the opening gambit. You can go into detail later
on, but many people will not have the time or patience to wait
for the punchline.

Bear in mind also that – unless you are catering to an audience
of rocket scientists – there will be a diverse group of people
potentially in receipt of your message. You don’t need to talk
down to people, as though you’re talking to five year-olds, but
you should say what you mean very clearly. Language that is
difficult to understand may be a deal-breaker for some.

Imagine a school teacher addressing a class after a heavy fall
of snow, and consider which message is most effective: “There
shall be no gratuitous redistribution of nature’s benevolence”
or “Don’t throw snowballs”. They both mean the same, but the
message of the first will be lost on the majority of school-age
kids, if not most adults. (This is a genuine quote, by the way!)

Remember that flowery or “clever” language can alienate a large
part of your audience, either because they won’t understand what
you’re saying or because they’ll think you’re being
unnecessarily elitist. Don’t try to impress anyone, just write
in a conversational tone that will reach your target audience. 

To Your Success,
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