{"id":1170,"date":"2013-03-26T14:57:26","date_gmt":"2013-03-26T18:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.customedialabs.com\/blog\/?p=1170"},"modified":"2018-02-07T11:50:23","modified_gmt":"2018-02-07T16:50:23","slug":"get-rid-of-robo-text-once-and-for-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.customedialabs.com\/blog\/get-rid-of-robo-text-once-and-for-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Rid of Robo-Text Once and For All"},"content":{"rendered":"

This morning, I heard something so horrible, it made me cringe.<\/p>\n

It was a radio spot for a LASIK surgery center. The ad was written as a conversation between a man and woman, with the man asking questions of the woman who just got her procedure done and loved it. Sounds good, right?<\/p>\n

WRONG.<\/p>\n

This might have worked if the script was written along the lines of actual human speech, but the writing was rigid and robotic. When spoken aloud, it sounded incredibly fake and disingenuous, which did not inspire confidence in the company\u2019s service.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed dry, lifeless sentences in your company\u2019s marketing collateral or are having your first go at writing copy yourself. Whatever the situation, you may have come down with a bad case of \u201crobo-text.\u201d So, how do you fix boring, stiff copy and start writing better? Here are 3 simple steps.<\/p>\n

1. <\/strong>Stop using buzzwords. Right. Now.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Go ahead and read that title again, at least 3 times. Even if you don\u2019t work in advertising, you\u2019ve probably heard most of the common buzzwords<\/a> that get bandied around offices, such as \u201cshare-of-voice\u201d, \u201cstreamline\u201d, and my personal favorite, \u201cleverage.\u201d As often as these kinds of words are used, it would be easy to think they make you sound smart. The truth is they do the exact opposite.<\/p>\n

When you notice these words pop up in your copy, take a moment and think \u201cWhat am I actually saying here?\u201d Then go ahead and write out<\/strong> the clearer meaning. In addition to improving your copy, I guarantee doing this will make you better at selling your ideas to bosses and coworkers.<\/p>\n

2. <\/strong>Tell a (great) story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Telling a story<\/a> about your product or service can be very powerful\u2026unless you write in the style of that LASIK commercial mentioned above. There are good ways to write a story and there are bad ways.\u00a0 Look for good examples that you can reference when you need inspiration. Think about your favorite books, news articles, commercials, and movies. Don\u2019t be afraid to take some notes and try to define what about these materials made you stop, take notice, and continue reading\/clicking\/watching.<\/p>\n

This is obviously not the only way to write material that sells, but it is effective. Just consider a print advertisement aimed at selling a winter coat:<\/p>\n