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October 25, 2007
How Many Writers You Know Make This Mistake?
We've seen this reported in a number of different places now. Seth Godin's recent post points to research behind the assertion that short, simple sentences are the best.
What??? You mean we can't show off our intelligence by writing long sentences with complext words? No waxing poetic? No verbal virility? What about the "A" in that writing class? What about all those books that require a dictionary on hand to read?
Sure, if you want to stroke your ego. But not if you actually want to influence. Not if you want to sell. Remember this the next time you want to air a radio ad. Radio commercials with long, run-on sentences or complexly stated benefits or offers... are leaving opportunity on the table. Word your radio ads in short sentences.
There's another benefit to this. It helps the voiceover person read the ad the way you want it read. Without long sentences, there are fewer chances for creating an oddly expressed rendition of your copy.
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Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely
Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell
Made to Stick, Heath & Heath
The Power of Persuasion, Robert Levine
Influence: Science & Practice, Cialdini
Words That Work, Frank Lutz
My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising, Claude C. Hopkins
Or Your Money Back, Alvin Eicoff
Being Direct, Lester Wunderman
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