There’s no such thing as web copywriting
I think the very phrase “web copywriting” is so broad as to be meaningless. Off the top of my head, here are ten things you can write for the web:
- Blog posts
- Tweets
- LinkedIn updates
- Corporate web pages
- E-commerce pages
- Landing pages
- AdWords
- E-zine articles
- HTML emails
- YouTube pages
Are we saying that there is something called “web copywriting” that will cover them all?
That there is a single tone of voice, style and approach that applies to the 140-character haiku we write on Twitter and 10,000-word landing pages (yes, they do exist)?
Of course there isn’t! It’s as meaningless a suggestion as saying there is something called print copywriting.
Write for the format, not the channel
Now, if what we want is tips on writing blog posts, or web pages, maybe we’d be getting somewhere.
I have one client who asked me to develop a web writing workshop for her team. She very specifically told me she didn’t want any course content to focus on copywriting itself.
Tags, SEO and usability
She wanted me to talk about those technical aspects of online copywriting that don’t appear in print channels. Specifically, tags, SEO and usability.
Even here though, there is a huge amount of crossover. Writing a decent title tag is not so very different from writing a good headline for a brochure.
Writing SEO copy that is rich in, but not overstuffed with, keywords is a lot like writing good old-fashioned direct mail copy.
It’s poor because it’s poor
Most of the web copy I get asked to improve isn’t poor because it’s not optimised for search engines. It’s poor because it’s poor.
Long, rambling sentences. A focus on features, not benefits. Unengaging tone of voice. Long words where short ones would be better.
In short, it’s just not very good copywriting. Full stop. (Which, incidentally, I see far too few of in most web copywriting.)
Brilliant advice on web copywriting
I’ve lost count of the number of articles I’ve read on the web – about web copywriting – where the author advises us to write clearly; for the user; in plain, simple language; with an engaging tone of voice and meaningful headlines.
This is brilliant advice. It just isn’t particularly new. Nor is it only relevant to the web. That’s great advice for press ads, case studies, sales letters and brochure too.
