What makes good copywriting?

If you’re reading something and you find your attention wandering, it’s not good copywriting. It’s that simple.

Except it’s not really.

Lots of copywriters figure out what they think works early in their career and then continue to rework it ad infinitum. We both know that doesn’t make for good copywriting, because that’s not the way the internet works.

What people found engaging years, or even months ago, often doesn’t work anymore.

Take these Patek Philippe ads, the first from 1949 and the second from 2012:

1949 Patek-Philippe Ad good copywriting
patek philippe good copywriting new

It would be easy to look at the above and think ‘ok, long form copywriting is out of style right now, better avoid it.’

Not true. A couple of years ago, long form homepages became extremely popular because they give space to present potential customers with a ‘story’, as well as testimonials and snapshots of features. That trend is still going strong. So, the question remains – what makes good copywriting?

Good copywriting has no ego.

Although concise, snappy copywriting has taken the reins in some areas, it’s impossible to predict whether long or short form copy will win out until you test it.

THAT is what makes for great copywriting. The best copywriters are constantly testing their copy to make sure that it’s performing better than anything else they could use in its place.

It’s fine to have a gut instinct going into a test, but good copywriting has to convert.

In case you’ve ever doubted it, words are really important – you wouldn’t be reading this, or thinking about hiring a copywriter, if you didn’t believe that.

If you want to make sure that your site is laced with good copy, please get in touch. Anything I write, we can test against your current copy – what makes good copywriting for a certain audience doesn’t always hold true for another. People are tricky like that. But we’ll always get there in the end!