I’m curious if long form copy still has a place in advertising and marketing communications. Attention spans are short. There’s an overabundance of information and scads of delivery vehicles: email, Twitter, RSS feeds, digital news media, curators, and social media applications all peppering us with news and noise every waking minute.
Just the other day, I raved in a blog post about how Twitter and other communications apps spark creativity because of the severe limits they put on copywriters. Long form copy demands another skill; the ability to tell a story. The narrative, though, must have a powerful payoff for the advertiser (sales) and the customer (a product or service that solves a problem).
I know there are some professional writers who made their name using long form copy. Arguably the best copywriter ever, Gary Halbert, didn’t shy away from long form, however, he insisted that every word had to matter and help sell the product or service.
Nowadays, it seems so few people have the time or patience to read informational, educational or sales literature. The majority want things without working for them, and that includes knowledge. Make it simple stupid. I don’t want to have to work hard to understand something. If it requires a user’s manual, it’s too complicated. It’s a plug-n-play world.
What do you think? Is long form copy short for this world?
Creative Writer for Hire
What’s Your Story? I’ll tell it for you. Long copy. Short copy. (and anywhere in-between). Contact me at briantbeasley@gmail.com
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