Write to entertain as well as to inform your readers

Whether you are writing for a webpage, an ezine article or a sales letter, try to entertain your readers as well as inform them. By entertain I don’t mean you should deliver a string of terrible jokes or dubious anecdotes but you need to connect with your reader. If your prose style is too dry or academic they are likely to switch off and/or move on to another webpage or article written by someone else. We need to be factual in our writing but facts can be effectively transmitted in an interesting and engaging way. If you get too bogged down with detail your readers are likely to nod off in the middle of a sentence.

This is largely down to experience. They say that good teachers can teach anybody anything for the simple reason that they have the experience and the technique to make even the most mundane explanations interesting, – even inspiring. In our copywriting we must have the same ambition. An occasional touch of humour is a very good thing as it makes the writer seem that little bit more human and believable than someone whose delivery is deadpan and lacking in any sort of lightness at all.

If, in the process of writing, an amusing story or memory pops into your mind which is relevant to your topic, then use it! Don’t back off from humour as if it somehow devalues what you are writing because, usually, the opposite will be the case. It is certainly not a good idea to overload your writing with too many funny stories or your narrative can appear flippant which would not be helpful in getting your message across. As with so many things in life, it is all a question of balance.

In order to get across to a potential customer the value of a particular product or convey the benefits of using a particular service, an effective sales letter does need to be long enough to get the full message across. Introducing short ‘diversions’ into the flow of the letter will help to bring back any flagging readers and refresh their concentration. In my career I have often found myself standing on my hind legs in front of a roomful of eager faces with a message of some sort to deliver. My approach has always been the same regardless of the precise situation and the message to be delivered. It is simply this: “Get their attention and then hit them with the message.” If you haven’t first got the attention of your audience your message is unlikely to get across with any sort of impact. Humour is one of the very best ways to get people’s attention. That is true for teachers, after-dinner speakers or internet marketers.

So, when working on copy for articles, sales letters, webpages, etc. follow the usual advice regarding value, benefits, etc. but try to divert and entertain your readers too. Don’t be afraid of putting in something that will make them laugh. Far from reducing the success of your writing it is much more likely to enhance it.