Know Your Readers

Listen to Your Audience
The English language is filled with words—about 171,476 of them, according to the Oxford-English Dictionary. When you consider slang, that number goes even higher. 

​As a copywriter, you’ve got your pick of all these words when writing.

​Make sure you’re choosing the right ones—words that will land with your audience. 

The right words matter

How you say what you’re trying to say matters depending on who you’re saying it to.

Consider these two examples:
  • “We pay a premium for precious commodities.”
  • “We pay cash for gold.”

Two sentences, one sentiment. They mean the same thing, but land different depending on the audience.

​The first sentence likely makes perfect sense to a commodities broker, but is gibberish to other people. The second sentence makes more sense to more people. 

Say it the right way

Spruce up your message too much and you’ll lose your audience by making it too difficult to follow. Dumb it down too much and you’ll put people off.

A good copywriter will find the right words for every audience. Here’s how:
  • Consider the reader and their understanding of the concept. 
  • Choose the level of grammar and word choice based on that understanding.
  • Skip the implied concepts or already established information.
  • Deliver content that meets your reader’s needs and expectations

Pieces of a puzzle

Use the right words. Address the right concepts. Deliver the right message. Do all three and you'll be a hit with your target audience.

​Learn how to speak to your audience in a more meaningful way by joining our 360 Copywriting class!