A great copywriter must be a s**t hot grammarian.
Absolutely, 100%, no.
You see, the art of copywriting isn’t about grammar.
No, come on, hear me out.
If you put the importance of grammar ahead of everything else, you will ruin any chances of engaging with your audience and creating an emotional connection.
Grammar is excellent for formal written English; it’s not so great for marketing.
The English language is fluid. It’s constantly evolving. It is a vessel through which we can express ourselves. So, I will end a sentence with a preposition if I feel like it.
For a copywriter, emotion trumps grammar
Copywriting is all about persuasion.
It’s how we use language to trigger emotional responses. Because it is emotion that drives us to buy, that’s why emotive language comes before grammar.
A copywriter does that by writing in the style of spoken language.
I can hear the Puritans screaming at me, telling me I am single-handedly ruining the English language. I’m not. Honest. I’m allowing it to evolve and become a language of our time.
You see if I create content for my clients that sticks rigidly to the rules of grammar, they’ll hate it. It will be boring, clumsy, formal and all the other words that result in a dry montage of words that will send readers to sleep.
And that’s not what you’re after.
To create content that your customers will want to read, engage with, and (heaven forbid) enjoy interacting with, it has to empathise with them and show them that you ‘get it’ and can help them overcome the issue they’re facing.
Still not convinced?
OK, in a face-to-face situation, empathy is easy to achieve because you can read the other person’s body language, use your body language to show you understand and respond to their questions to counter any barriers to a sale.
But if all you have is an article, white paper, email, newsletter, or brochure, then none of that is possible. That’s why emotion should always trump grammar (yes, I know I’ve already said that. But I will keep saying it until you get it.)
It’s not an excuse to be sloppy
There is one caveat to the above. Creating natural, emotionally charged writing means it must still be well written.
Although I’m all for bending (and at times ignoring) the (archaic) rules of grammar, I’m not condoning that you disregard them altogether. The trick is to achieve the right balance.
Great copywriting begins with the thought: ‘How do I want my reader to feel?’ Only then can you create content that ‘speaks’ to them.
It’s this delicate balancing act that’s behind the fact that even though we can all write, we can’t all be great copywriters.
Sally Ormond is a professional copywriter. Her playful use of the English language will keep your readers loyal and engaged.