Tag
copywriting tips
4 posts
- 03WednesdayData·
For years, I bought into the dogma that 'every sentence must be active to keep copy punchy'—until I realized I was writing aggressive error messages that constantly blamed the user.
The Buffer Effect of Passive Voice: When Hiding the Subject Works
For years, I exhausted readers by following the rule of writing every sentence in active voice; yet passive voice serves as a powerful psychological buffer that prevents readers from feeling blamed during errors and crises.
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- 04ThursdayCase Study·
For years, I looked for fancier, flashier adjectives to strengthen my sentences. It took me a long time to realize that the more I painted the copy, the more I drained its soul and left the reader motionless.
From Adjectives to Verbs: Basecamp's 'Action-Driven' Copy Revolution
We examine how adjectives—often thought to embellish copy—actually drain energy, and how Basecamp pruned adjectives from its marketing copy to build a more persuasive rhythm with strong verbs.
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- 01MondayOpening·
For years, I handed writers exhaustive lists of 'must-include' phrases, and every time I received copy that ticked every box but was completely lifeless.
Why 'Positive' Briefs, Not Writers, Are to Blame for Bad Content
After years of vague, bloated briefs leading to bland copy, here is the 'anti-brief' formula: how to eliminate clichés without suffocating creativity.
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- 06SaturdayDifferent Angle·
For years, I choked my readers by treating subheadings as definition cells; the breakthrough came when I realized a subhead should act not as an information warehouse, but as a direct jobsite directive.
We Aren't Writing Encyclopedias: The Art of Turning Subheadings from Definition Cells into Field Directives
For years, I suffocated readers with theoretical subheadings like 'What is X?' and 'The Importance of Y.' Everything changed when I stopped hoarding information at the H3 level and focused on micro-actions instead.
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