'Short' Copy or 'Long' Copy - Which Works Best?

'Short' Copy or 'Long' Copy - Which Works Best?

For anyone involved in the development of a marketing message, there has been a long-standing debate for which there is no absolute answer.

That debate has centered on whether it is better to use sales copy in advertising, direct mail, even brochures or websites, that is ‘short’ or ‘long.’

What does that mean?

For most of us, we can think of ads we’ve seen in most magazines. They usually feature a picture or illustration, combined with a headline, combined with a small amount of ‘copy,’ or words that tell us more about the product or service, and ask us to do something.

These are ‘short’ copy messages – a couple of paragraphs, maybe even three or four, but not much more than that. These marketing messages simply make you aware of a product or service, the ‘brand,’ and probably how to buy it or learn more.

These use ‘short’ copy for several reasons. One is simply the amount of space available. But more importantly, a decision was made to use that type of media because the creators of the message were targeting a specific market, and chose to stay with a simple, quick-to-read message.

Often, that decision will come down to whether the company is doing ‘brand’ marketing, or ‘direct’ marketing. Both have their place, but the trend for the last 10-12 years has been for more ‘direct’ marketing.

Why? Again, there can be many reasons, but near the top of that list will always be that it is more efficient and more accountable. What does THAT mean?

Direct marketing means that the message goes directly to a target audience who buys directly from the marketer. No stores, no middleman, no distributors.

Starting with the direct mail industry, direct marketing has grown to use other forms of media, to reach the people who are a good market for that product/service. The difference is that direct marketing MUST provide enough information for the prospect to make a purchase decision… right now.

As you can guess, this is where ‘long’ copy comes in. It has proven, in literally millions of sales letters and direct mail packages, and now websites, to be a very powerful, very efficient way to sell.

Does that mean 'long' copy should always be used? The obvious answer is no. But, if your model includes direct marketing, it is the ONLY way to go.

On top of that, direct marketing makes it much easier to know how well the marketing message is working. It either produces results that are profitable, or it doesn’t. Direct marketers KNOW what is working, where ‘brand’ marketers must rely more on sales trends, usually over a longer period of time.

After all that, is the debate over? No… but now you know why there IS a debate!