Short vs. Long Copy: Which Is Best for Conversions?

There have been many debates that folks have gone back and forth on for years. Coke or Pepsi? Superman or Batman? Yankees or Red Sox? But today we’ll be discussing the longstanding debate between short copy and long copy.

Which one should you use for your business and why? There are certainly pros and cons to both, but if the correct format is used correctly for your specific situation, then you should be able to take advantage of the benefits of whichever format you choose.

First, let’s dig into what the differences between short and long copy are, and then discuss when it may make sense to hire a copywriter to do the heavy lifting for you.

What Is Short Copy?

Short copy is the term used to describe what marketers call “a brief description of a product or service that appears on advertising.” Short copies are often found in ads, brochures and other marketing materials. Short copy can also be called short messaging services like SMS texts or Twitter’s character limit, which lets you say a lot with just 140 characters. Short copy is also the term used to describe a short, punchy marketing message. Short copies can be found in advertisements and other forms of advertising that need to stand out with limited space.

Advantages and Disadvantages to Short Copy

Advantages to Short Copy:

– Short copy conveys a lot of information in a short amount of space. This is great for being concise, but it may not be ideal if you’re trying to convey that your company offers many services and options.

– Short copy can make people want more because they weren’t able to fully understand what’s being offered. It also leaves you with the opportunity to simplify your message.

– Short copy is easier on readers’ eyes because it doesn’t take as much time to read. This can be a huge benefit for people who are busy and don’t want to invest too much of their time reading about you or what you have to offer.

– Short copy tends to deliver less information, which means there may be less opportunity for errors.

Disadvantages to Short Copy

– Short copy can seem generic and uninteresting if not done correctly. This type of content may also come across as being self serving or just trying to get your company’s name out there without any substance.

– Short copies tend to have lower conversion rates because readers are turned off by the lack of information.

– Short copies don’t give your company much room to expand its message, so it may be difficult to convey exactly what you mean if you’re not given much room to work with.

– Short copies don’t always tell your story well, which can mean that prospective customers are left with more questions than answers about who you are.

What Is Long Copy?

Long copy is the term used to describe what marketers call “a more detailed description of a product or service that appears in advertising.” Long copies are often found in ads, brochures and other marketing materials. Long copy can also be called long messaging services like email newsletters. It’s also the type of content you’ll find on blogs and social media.

Advantages to Long Copy

– Long copy allows you to tell more of a story and create an emotional response from your reader. For example, if they’re reading about how the company was founded by two brothers who grew up on a farm together and have always been close, it can help the customer connect with them in ways that short copy cannot.

– Long copies typically allow for more creativity in the content. Longer copy also gives you the opportunity to share your company’s story and what makes them different.

– With long copies, there is a better chance that people will take action on what they’re reading because it covers so much ground.

– Long copy typically shows more of an effort or investment that’s been made into writing it. It also means there are more words to read, which can be good for conversion rates.

Disadvantages to Long Copy

– Long copy can be a lot to read and too involved for some people. If they’re not interested in what you have to offer, the longer length of content may just make them tune out.

– Long copy may be too complicated and lengthy for people who prefer shorter content

– If you’re not able to write the long copy well, it can come across as being boring or confusing. It’s also typically harder to edit because of how many words there are.

– Long copies don’t always have a lot of pictures included which means the reader may get bored or not have a good visual representation of what you’re trying to say.

When Should You Hire a Copywriter

Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons to short and long copy, let’s figure out when it might just be a good time to hire a copywriter. Maybe you’ve tried any and all forms of copywriting for your business, and you’re just not getting the results you know you can generate. If you find yourself running into any of the following issues, it may be a good time for you to consider outsourcing this area of your business.

• Your Current Marketing Efforts Just Aren’t Working

This may or may not be an obvious one. Because maybe you’re seeing some results, but you’re feeling like you’re just not maximizing your sales with the copy that you have. If this is the case, it may be a good idea to give a Copywriter a shot. This will at least give you a fair A/B test of what your efforts compare to a professional copywriter after you try them out.

• It’s Just Taking Too Much Time

Your company has a lot of information or material that you want written, but don’t have the time for this work. I’d argue this is where hiring a Copywriter is most valuable. Copywriting takes thought and consistency for it to be effective. And if you’re a business owner or if you’re just spinning too many plates in the air, this would be a great time to try out a Copywriter

• Your Product is Complicated

You find that your copy is too complicated or long for the audience you’re trying to reach. And oftentimes, this can come down to the fact that your product is not super straightforward to sell. It’s a good idea to spend time understanding your audience and what they’re looking for. And sure, maybe you understand your product and audience the most, but you’re just finding that translating that into customers taking action is a bit more difficult than anticipated.

At the end of the day, you’ve obviously got to do what’s best for your business. There’s a lot of folks who have a great foundation for writing their own copy and it’d be able to go to the next level if they were able to better determine which length of copy they should be writing. Or maybe you’re at the point where you’ve tried a couple of things and you’re just feeling a little stressed with trying to figure it out on your own. That may be a good time to hire this piece of your business out to a professional Copywriter.