“What is body copy?” “Is anyone going to read all this stuff?”
I am used to being asked these questions during my marketing workshops.
Body copy is a copywriting term.
It denotes the main body of text within a marketing piece.
For example, an advertisement has (1) a headline, (2) body copy and (3) a call to action.
During my copywriting training workshops, I ask the attendees whether short or long body copy is best?
Invariably, 90% of people are in favour of short text.
“No one has time to read all that stuff,” they tell me.
However, someone at the back of the room says:
“Write as much as you can.”
I proceed to have a debate with them.
It transpires that they have tried short and long copy in various forms of promotion.
They have found that long body copy gets better results.
More engagement, more website visits, more enquiries, more sales.
The reason is that when someone is in the market to buy something or has an interest in a topic, they want information.
They are happy to ‘read all about it’.
If you have bought a property: did you read the surveyor’s report?
If you have bought a new car, did you read the brochure and / or the website?
The more important the purchase, the more likely it is that the buyer will want to read detailed information.
When you are writing copy for web pages and blogs, the search engines prefer long text.
However, there are obstacles in your path.
For example, thinking of topics to write about, writing ability and finding the time to get the writing done.
Life is full of challenges, isn’t it?
Think of copywriting as a strategic marketing asset.
The ability to write interesting, engaging copy that gets the message across can make a significant difference to your results.
More engagement, more website visits, more enquiries, more sales.
You can learn to improve your writing skills or outsource the writing.
PS Nigel Temple has written over 3 million words of marketing copy. He provides copywriting training services and he also writes copy for his clients.
