Length is one of those ever-debated things in copywriting.
How much is to much? How much just isn't enough? And how the heck do you know?
The answer you don't want to hear is that it always depends on the brand, the audience, the author's (or founder's) preference/style, the purpose behind it, the medium, the offer or subject matter itself, the copy's place within a larger sales funnel or process, what's come before it, what comes after it, and the action you're hoping your reader will take at this particular juncture.
So yeah, there are quite a few factors involved. But if you're a fan of simplicity and want me to shoot it to you straight:
The answer is that it's less about length and more about whether it becomes a bore.
Because copy that's a chore to read? That isn't working on anybody. Especially not in year 2024 with our weaning attention spans and the endless onslaught of input we each face.
In fact, sometimes long copy can be easier to throw together because it doesn't require as much culling, editing, and deep critical thinking to pare it back to the essentials. It requires the reader to do the sorting and make sense of it all.
But on a similar adage, sometimes short copy can be lazy copy because it merely assumes the reader ‘gets it' - without drawing out enough of the argument and invoking the necessary persuasion to solicit an action or engagement.
As much as you want and need to get into a flow when writing, you want to create that same feeling of flow for your reader. (That's why people love ‘escaping’ into a novel so much.)
We've reviewed many, many a'drafts that sit on both sides of the issue.
Ones that don't quite say enough and unintentionally leave more to be desired.
And ones that say way too much and leave us wanting to strikethrough 75% of it in order see the gold shining through.
A rule I tend to use is this:
If it doesn't serve a necessary purpose (which at times could be just to entertain or add personality) or move the reader forward, it gets cut.
Perhaps it's relocated or saved for later … and not necessarily deleted … but definitely moved out of the way.
You want your copy to feel like movie with a strong plot line and rich dialogue … the type that makes you ask your fellow movie-watching buddy to hit pause before you get up to use the bathroom, refill your popcorn bowl, or top off your wine glass. Because you can't stand to miss a single detail.
Similarly, your copy should be tight. Infused with only purposeful ‘B-roll’, where you're unable to cut or cull further, without missing key narrative details and aspects of connection or resonance.
Yes people “skim" read - but I'd argue bad copy is what's developed that habit.
Good copy makes it almost impossible to skim because every headline, every phrase, every bit of body copy demands to be effortlessly read—and leaves you feeling glad you did.
Just a little insight to help you & your audience love what you write — it is the month of Valentine's after all! 🤍
