The Ancient Battle: Long Copy Versus Short Copy

Which is better?

The truth is that copy should be as long as it needs to be to convey the intended message - - and not a syllable longer. But what’s the secret of knowing exactly when that is? 

More often than not, in today’s attention deficit-ridden climate, most casual commenters would offer the answer, “the shorter, the better. “ They might go so far as to add an addendum like, “no one reads anymore, anyway.” And if they’re really in a cynical mood, they’ll quip, “Just use emojis to get your point across. Everything else is a waste of time and effort.”

That however, is where I strongly disagree. It’s true, for sure that we live in a world where there is a ton going on. Information is everywhere, and with that excess of availability, it means most of the information we come across must be ignored, but that doesn’t mean that reading is dead or that there is not a huge need for products and the information that goes along with them. In fact, it means the opposite. There is a huge need for copy; the copy just has to be compelling enough to read. It can’t sound like a sales pitch, but it still usually has to do all the work of a salesman, including that final push to take action.

Picture reading a mystery novel. You could take the advice that shorter is better, and compose the shortest mystery to date. You can eliminate extraneous characters, and limit the scenes, chop the dialogue and trim the whole thing down to a slim little pocket novel that will fit in the back pocket of your skinny jeans, but mystery novel readers aren’t going to be happier with less. They’re present for the thrills, the subtle little details about a discrepancy in a blueprint and the presence of a secret room. They need to know exactly what kinds of shoes the various characters were wearing and the weather on the night of the murder. To cut any of this precious information from the novel would be a detriment to the story and compromise their experience.

Shorter is not better. Economy of course is great, and you don’t want to elaborate about the second cousin’s ex-wife’s bed-wetting incident unless of course it’s relevant to the plot somehow, but to blindly cut your story down because of a belief that shorter is superior, is not a solid reason.

Here are some factors to consider when deciding exactly how long to make your copy.

Target Audience

The reason that the “shorter is better “mentality abounds is because there is such a plethora of poorly written long copy out there. But there is also a lot of long copy out there that is simply not meant for us. There’s copy that’s not meant for me, but meant for you and vice versa. People read what interests them, and when they really have a problem they need to solve, they will read a lot about it in order to find a solution.

For example, I recently spilled water (ok rum) on my laptop. In the days surrounding this incident, I read a ton of articles and blog posts on various computer and tech sites that provided information on this very specific problem. Many of the articles that I read were quite long, and in depth, but I needed a solution, some hope and to know what to look out for, so I read them intently. And I’m happy to say that I’m typing on that very same laptop today, so it all worked out. But I would not have been remotely interested in these articles had they showed up in my inbox the day before the spill.

So yes, people read, and some even read thoroughly when the information suits them. As another example, think about all of the television blogs out there. I don’t know about you, but when I’m immersed into a really compelling and intricate show, I live for reading articles about that show, whether about theories, character information or behind the scenes tidbits. I will easily and happily devour anything related to those topics.

Similarly, when I am about to undertake an art project that I haven’t attempted before, like painting and distressing some patio furniture, I suddenly become a sponge for all articles on the how-tos, tips and tricks, and what NOT to do. I read, and I re-read, and I bookmark, and if there was embedded in there something about a particular brand or item that made the whole process easier or come out better, or last longer, I would be the prime candidate to purchase it.

My long-winded point is that there is a huge need for information that I don’t believe is going anywhere any time soon, and when you set it in front of the appropriate person, they will consume it readily, and will even purchase something when they are finished reading.

Conclusion 1: Long copy is not a turn off to your target customer.

Simple Should be Short and Complex Should Be Long

Length of copy depends a lot on what exactly you’re selling. If you sell peanut butter, it doesn’t require much explanation. Maybe your peanut butter doesn’t ever stick to the roof of your mouth while you’re eating because it’s got some non GMO, stick-resistant super-ingredient in it, so stick with a short message (see what I did there?) that will convey this: “Stuck with an old peanut butter?” That one sentence and a fun picture with kid unable to speak because his mouth is jammed with peanut paste might be enough to convince people to try your brand. But if you’re selling hologram paint for your walls that will change color at your whim via an app on your phone, it might require a little more explanation. There will be questions and objections raised. Pricing concerns perhaps, inquiries about the options or what happens when only half your wall changes color right before company is coming.

So in that case, you might need to write a little more. And if people are digging it, and are really excited about hologram wall paint, than you might have an intrigued audience that is hungering for more, clicking on accompanying videos, and devouring the FAQs. Clearly, they don’t have an especially long attention span. They can’t even resist the idea of having their walls change color every time they get bored with them. But that ADD has literally no impact on how long they stick around to read your sales copy. They’re into it. And when you develop the outdoor version that they can use to paint their fence, their house and even their car, they will still be into it, and will read all about the possibilities, the drawbacks, and the hacks.

Conclusion 2: The More Complicated or Technical the Product, the More Copy You Need

Price Point

Have you ever been standing in the canned vegetables aisle at the grocery store when a sales rep comes up to you and says, “Are you interested in that can of peas? Well it just so happens, we have a little promotion going on where if you also buy a can of corn, you get a free potato. We have a 0% financing plan so you won’t pay anything today.”

No, of course you haven’t!

And that’s because there is very little objection or resistance to the price of a can of peas. It’s not like walking into a furniture store where you are immediately greeted by a person who is essentially there to assuage your objections and convince you to add a coffee table or two to your couch purchase so that you can get a free lamp. The salesperson is there as a personified sales letter. He or she is someone who can address your objections, and provide the benefits you’ll experience when you sit down to watch “Game of Thrones” in your new leather couch that is the consistency of butter. And if you’re experiencing that level of comfort, wouldn’t you also need a table to set your beer on so you don’t have to get up? Coasters, of course, are extra.

There are no objections when you’re purchasing a .79 cent can of peas.  No one needs a long sales letter highlighting the benefits of canned peas, why they’re of a preferable consistency to frozen peas, and why they last longer than fresh peas.

But if you are trying to convince someone to invest a hefty chunk of money in a year subscription to a new invoicing software or are selling them on turning their house into a smart home for just a small 4-figure fee, than you might need a little more time and a lot more syllables to do so. And that’s perfectly okay, and is actually a lot more helpful than a sparse page. For that kind of investment, I want to read about all the exciting things I’m getting. I want to ponder it all. Envision life with and without this fancy product. And then go through all the mental processes to justify why you can’t live without it.  

Conclusion 3: A Bigger Price Tag Means More Objections…and Therefore Copy that Includes More Answers

The Heft of the Call to Action

Sometimes the purpose of sales letter or landing page is to encourage a purchase, perhaps even a large one. The end game is to get you to put this particular widget in your cart and to click on Pay Now. But other times, a sales letter or page just wants your email.  Maybe because that means being part of a newsletter with more information or maybe because it will lead to a sales call. But either way, that’s a lot different than wanting your money here and now.

Wanting an email address is not as big of an ask as requesting a purchase. Of course, so many companies want emails these days we do tend to be a little selective with exactly who gets it, but it’s definitely not as big a deal as handing over your credit card information.

It also follows that less copy is required if you’re only looking to get a lead rather than an immediate sale. It’s a totally different game. The objections are milder. This is not a decision that is going to make or break anyone, and chances are if you’re giving your email, you’re expecting to get more information. You’re both feeling each other out. It’s almost like a courtship. You’re content knowing that this company is going to reach out with additional information, and that’s fine. You’re weighing your options. They’re welcome to do what they can to lure you in.

So it follows that, the bigger the ask, the longer the copy. It’d be similar to the difference between asking your friend to borrow their car versus asking for a kidney. The former situation probably needs little more explanation than, “my car is in the shop; can I borrow yours to run to the store?” The kidney conversation is going to require a little more breath, maybe an inkling of what to expect in terms of the future, recovery and possible complications to start.

So it should makes sense then that it would take less words to ask for an email than it would to ask for a week’s pay.

Conclusion 4: The More Significant the Requested Action, The More You’re Going to Have To Persuade

Some other elements to consider in your copy is whether to bundle all of your information on one long page or to separate it into multiple pages. Usually, if you ask someone what they prefer, they will answer that multiple, short pages is better, but in fact, that is not true. A study done by User Interface Engineering found that people prefer longer scrolling copy over short copy spread across multiple pages.

This makes sense as, generally when you’re reading something and are immersed in the experience of it, having to click to another page is not only annoying but disruptive (especially to the buying muscle) - - not really a thing, but there is a real “cognitive dissonance” that psychologists have determined happens when people click from page to page. That split second or on some computers, that minute, as the page loads, is enough time for a person to snap out of the buying trance and focus on other things. So in that click, you could literally lose a sale.

Another good thing to know is that people in a left-to-right reading world generally process information quickly in an F pattern. So there is a way in which you can capitalize on both the prospects you think want to read your words and those who you think don’t have time. If you structure your copy in a way that allows the skimmers to get the message in their way, and for the close readers to get the message their way, you can win over both prospects. This means putting things into bulleted lists, making headings bolder and bigger, and using indenting and other tools to alert the skimmers to what’s beneath the surface without disrupting the flow of those who are reading your words from start to finish.

Bottom Line: There is no definitive answer, but once you look at your specific situation, and figure out who you’re talking to and what you want them to do, you’ll have a better idea of what structure will work best. Plus you can always test one copy against the next. There’s no better way to see what helps your bottom line than good, old-fashioned A/B testing.

Also, if you made it to the bottom of this blog, think about what brought you all the way to the bottom. If you weren’t interested, you would’ve stopped reading a long time ago. People still read. They just have more options, and so can be more selective. So it only means you have to show them something better than what they think they could be reading. Do that, and you’re halfway there.