How to Choose Between Short Form and Long Form Copy

Do I create long- or short-form sales copy?

That seems to be a million-dollar question when it comes to copywriting and marketing.

And making a choice might be really difficult at times!

For your benefit, I've been writing sales copy for four years and have a few guidelines I stick to so I can quickly determine which is better for a campaign.

Here is all the information you require regarding short form and long form sales copy.

What exactly is short form copy?

Short form copy is concise, direct text that is intended to be rapidly read.

Due to its simplicity and ability to swiftly get to the point, it is frequently used in headlines, social media postings, and email subject lines.

Short form copy is shorter, but that doesn't make it simpler to write.

It might be difficult to convey just the right amount without giving away too much when creating an effective headline or social media post.

Some short form copy examples are as follows:

• Posts on social media
• Brief emails
• Text messages
• Floating Bar or Popup Copy

And to complete the picture, here is an example that, since it only has about a dozen words, would be considered short form copywriting.

Shorter copy is frequently employed to evoke a sense of excitement or urgency. It's also excellent for developing a call-to-action (CTA) that will compel the reader to act right away, like clicking a link or buying something.

If used properly, short form copy can be incredibly powerful. It's crucial to keep in mind though that due to its length, you won't be able to offer a lot of details about your goods or services.

In this situation, lengthy form copy is useful.

What exactly is long form copy?

On the other hand, long form copy is significantly more thorough and extensive. It may even be thousands of words or longer! Writing like this is typically saved for things like email marketing campaigns, landing pages, and sales letters.

By giving the reader as much information as possible, long form copy aims to really sell the reader on your product or service.

This covers items like attributes, advantages, endorsements, special value propositions, case studies, etc.

Long form content can be quite powerful at persuading readers to act, but it's crucial to keep in mind that because it is so thorough, the reader may occasionally find it overwhelming.

To make it simpler to understand, it's essential to arrange it using headings, pictures, bullet points, and other graphical components.

What circumstances call for short form copywriting?

Because it's brief and simple to read, short form content works well for things like social media posts, product snippets, and emails.

Remember that a person has an attention span of 8.25 seconds on average...

Therefore, there are numerous situations in which keeping things brief and to the point is necessary to avoid losing the reader.

When you don't have a lot of room to work with, such as sharing on Twitter, TikTok, etc., it's also a wonderful option.

You must also consider your audience's age and stage of development.

Do they have any prior knowledge of your brand or your goods?

They will then require more details (long form copy) in order to comprehend what you do and how it may benefit them.

The sales copy might be shorter if the audience is already aware of what you have to offer and how it will benefit them.

What circumstances call for long form copywriting?

For things like sales letters, sales pages, and web pages, long form sales text is ideal.

In other words, whenever you need to convey a lot of crucial information without omitting any specifics.

Additionally, research shows that 95% of consumers read reviews on company review websites before making a purchase.

You need to understand that I bring it up because consumers do their research.

What happens if you write more than 3,000 words on a sales page?

It will be read by serious buyers.

With the aid of headings and other formatting features, people may quickly scan it, but they still reach the finish.

Long form text can also be used to create in-depth blog posts or articles.

It's crucial to keep in mind that just because a piece of copy is long doesn't automatically make it great. In fact, because it's simpler for the reader to understand, shorter writing can occasionally be more effective.

Really, it all depends on the circumstances and your goals.

Remembering what I said before about where your audience is in the purchasing process, consider whether they are already aware of your company and its offerings.

If so, your sales piece can typically be shortened without being penalised.

On the other hand, cold traffic requires more convincing, which therefore necessitates more text.

Also…

The complexity of your offer is one of the most important criteria in determining whether to write short form or long form sales copy.

For instance, describing the style and materials of a pair of jeans would require no more than a paragraph and a few bullet points.

However, the sales text for a financial SaaS application may be thousands of words long.

Get my meaning?

Final comments on the pros and cons of writing lengthy and short copy

In the end, I'd say there are three primary factors to take into account when deciding between short and long sales copy:

• How much room do you have at your disposal? Due to the limited space available on social media, sponsored advertisements, and other outlets, you will inevitably write less.
• How busy are you and how engaged is your audience? Compared to warm consumers who are already aware of what you have to offer, cold traffic requires more information to convert.
• How intricate is the product? As a general rule, the sales copy must be longer the more complicated the product is, and vice versa.

Would you like to receive mentoring from me and learn more about copywriting? Sign up to my free copywriting course (to be received via email) by leaving a comment in this article.