5 quick tips for improving your writing from Bob Bly

Here are a few quick writing tips that can make your copy leaner, less stuffy, and more concise:

1) Get rid of "that."

Nine times out of ten, the word "that" can be profitably eliminated from your sentence.

Original: "Here are the key metrics that web analysts measure."

Better: "Here are the key metrics web analysts measure."

2) Do not invoke the future tense unless it is needed.

Original: "Optimizing your web site will increase traffic."

Better: "Optimizing your web site increases traffic."

3) Do not capitalize words to emphasize their importance.

Original: "It is the policy of the Company to provide up to 10 paid Sick Days."

Better: "It is the policy of the company to provide up to 10 paid sick days."

4) Say what you have to say in the fewest words possible.

Original: "He was driving at an excessive rate of speed."

Better: "He was driving too fast."

5) Avoid dangling modifiers.

Wrong: "As a policyholder, I want you to know that you can reduce your premiums by 50% this year."

Correct: "As a policyholder, you can reduce your premiums by 50% this year."

These tips are courtesy of Bob Bly.
I'm a regular reader of Bob's blog and he has more at www.writebetterandfaster.com.

Who's Bob a very few of you might ask? Well, he's written more books than I will in several lifetimes, I learn a lot from his Direct Response Letter, and he's a legendary copywriter.

Thanks for letting me reprint Bob!

Comments

[The Hairy Beast]

Went to his page. He has a very serious overuse-of-the-ellipsis problem Ted.

[The Hairy Beast]

Quoth Bob:

"You’ll find that -- despite the different selling strategies and approaches used by each of these masters -- there’s one technique they all practice ... and render flawlessly:'

So much for abuse of the word "That".

Physician heal thyself.

[Ted Demopoulos, Blogging for Business]

Hairy One,
Bob Bly is one of the most successful copywriters around as well as essentially a legend (despite being alive).

You can't argue with success, especially as measured in dollars and sense.