You never want your prospect to have to reread a paragraph—or, worse, decide it isn’t worth reading at all.

Every time your copy becomes difficult to follow, you give your reader a reason to leave.

Keep It Simple

Regardless of your audience or how well educated your prospects are, make your copy easy to understand.

Aim for plain language at roughly a ninth-grade reading level. Even an expert appreciates a message that gets to the point.

Keep your paragraphs short. One to three sentences will usually do.

Your opening paragraph can be a single sentence.

A short paragraph invites your prospect to keep reading.

Don’t Forget the Transitions

Make sure the sentences within each paragraph connect naturally. Then make the transition to the next paragraph clear.

Each paragraph should move the reader forward: introduce a problem, explain a benefit, provide proof or answer an objection.

Read your copy aloud. If you stumble over a sentence or lose the connection between ideas, your reader may struggle, too.

Don’t Waste Your Reader’s Time

Get to the point quickly.

Don’t explain your product or service at length before stating what it is—and why your prospect needs it.

Here’s a hypothetical example.

Complicated:
“Our comprehensive inventory management solution offers an integrated range of capabilities designed to facilitate the optimization of stock availability and improve the efficiency of your organization’s ordering processes.”

Clear:
“You’ll know what’s in stock before you promise delivery.
Our inventory software helps you track available products and plan your next order.”

The clearer version gives the reader a practical reason to care.

10 Rules to Keep Your Paragraphs Simple:

1. Make them interesting. Give your reader a reason to continue.
   2. Focus on self-interest. Answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”
   3. Keep paragraphs short. Give each main thought room to stand out.
   4. Keep words familiar. Use language your prospect understands.
   5. Use one to three sentences per paragraph. Break up dense blocks of copy.
   6. Use “you.” Involve the reader directly.
   7. Write from one person to another. Make the message feel personal.
   8. Examine your opening. A short, compelling first sentence can pull readers in.
   9. Keep the tone conversational. Write as you would explain the offer to a prospect.
   10. State the benefits clearly. Explain what your product helps the reader accomplish.

Your goal is to give prospects the information they need in paragraphs they can easily follow.

Make your copy easy to read—and your offer easy to understand.

Action:

Get a free critique of your copy. Could complicated paragraphs be costing you leads and sales?

Call Michael at CDMG for a free copy critique. Our team can help identify confusing passages, sharpen your benefits and make your message easier to act on.

Call Michael at 615-933-4647 or email him at [email protected]⁠.

FAQs:

Q: How long should a paragraph be in direct response copy?
A: One to three sentences is a useful guideline. An opening paragraph may be just one sentence. Break paragraphs where doing so makes the message easier to follow.

Q: Does simple copy work for educated or technical audiences?
A: Yes. Use necessary technical terms, but explain them clearly. Expertise does not eliminate a reader’s need for clarity.

Q: Does keeping paragraphs short mean the entire sales message should be short?
A: No. Your message should provide enough information to explain the offer, establish credibility and answer objections. Short paragraphs make that information easier to read.

Q: How do I connect paragraphs without making the copy choppy?
A: Put ideas in a logical order and use natural transitions. Each paragraph should follow from the previous one and move the reader toward understanding the offer.

Q: What is a quick way to find complicated copy?
A: Read it aloud. Notice where you stumble, run out of breath or have to reread. Simplify those passages and make the benefit clearer.

About Craig Huey

Craig Huey is one of America’s leading direct response marketing and advertising experts. He is the founder and president of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), a direct response advertising and marketing agency specializing in direct mail, digital, and multichannel campaigns. CDMG has worked with hundreds of companies, helping them generate leads, sales, and measurable results through targeted, data-driven marketing. Craig is also the publisher of the Direct Marketing Update, a newsletter read by marketing professionals, business owners, and executives who want to stay ahead of the latest trends in direct response marketing.

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