#640 You Focused Copy

Long before I ever worked on my first website, I was developing brochures and direct mail campaigns for business owners. Many of the rules of good copywriting I learned back then, are transferable to a digital environment especially, great content is engaging and interesting to a reader when it's focused on them.

So the trick as you're writing your web copy is to make sure you're focused on the client. One of the best ways to figure out if your focus is correct is to print out your web copy.  Then read the content with two pens in hand, one red and one blue.

As you read circle all your first person references in red words like I, we, our company, and even our clients.  Then circle all your second person references you, your business people like you in blue. When you're done, look at the page if you see more red circles than blue, go back and rewrite from a readers perspective. The result will be more interesting, more compelling and more effective. Go ahead, try this at home on your web copy.