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Clarity trumps cleverness… what does it mean?
You know what, you can skip reading this entire article by keeping this in mind: “Keep it Short and Simple”.
In our increasingly distracted, time-starved world, simplicity and clarity are two of the most powerful tools in a copywriter’s arsenal.
No matter how sophisticated your audience, using plain language and straightforward concepts will better capture attention and drive your message home versus overly complex writing.
I mean, what do you really want to do? Do you want to show your audience just how many “clever/intelligent/sophisticated” words you can stuff into your copy or actually sell something by using simple words?
Effective copy should be as simple as possible, but no simpler. The goal is to convey your core ideas with remarkable brevity, vigor, and focus rather than trying to show off with unnecessary jargon or inflated lingo.
Don’t use a 25-cent word when a 5-cent one would do just as well. Avoid complicated sentence structures with multiple clauses and qualifiers. Break down complex concepts into plain terms that a smart 8th grader could grasp.
Deceptively simple writing that cuts out the fluff and gets right to the pith is extremely difficult to master. But when you do master it, you’ll see great rewards. It forces you to distill your message to its clearest, most concentrated essence, resulting in copy that’s highly impactful, memorable, and persuasive.
Let’s Test Your Attention Span
Unnecessary complexity and convolution saps reader attention, interest, and comprehension. (Notice how you kind of drifted off there for a bit?)
Make judicious use of short, punchy declarative sentences. Ruthlessly prune flabby words, corporate mumbo-jumbo, and needless jargon. (How’s that for an even more boring piece of copy?)
Take those two samples above. Even though I meant what I meant to say, you kind of drifted off because I used over-complicated words when all I needed to say was keep it short and simple.
Remember: Clarity Trumps Cleverness
Choose an active, conversational tone using commonplace words readers use in everyday speech. Bring abstract concepts down to earth with vivid examples, analogies, and comparisons rather than vague puffery.
Apply my “Is it boring test” test to your copy – ferret out all the dull, meaningless words and phrases like “comprehensive solutions” or “robust features.” Delete or replace with refreshingly simple, concrete alternatives that evoke crystal clear images in readers’ minds.
When in doubt, simplify, simplify, simplify. Your audience will reward you with their comprehension, trust, and action. In the end, all I really wanted to say was: “Keep it Short and Simple.”
I told you you could have skipped the entire article. You could have just headed on down here for that. 😊