in the form of headings, subheads, call-outs, pull quotes, sidebars and other eye-catchers, for those who prefer to skim the copy for the gist of it before deciding to either buy, move on or read further. (And for those who are chomping at the bit to make the buy, a good sales page has purchase buttons or links starting right at the very top of the page, so they can skip the hoopla and go straight for the win.)

Sometimes short copy can do very well on its own

As I mentioned, the less you have to “sell” something, the shorter the copy you can get away with. In fact, if people are crawling over each other to buy a product or service, too much copy can actually get in the way - slowing customers down and dithering away their buying energy. In such a case, you’re better off with the minimum amount of copy required to facilitate the buying process.

So if you’re sending out something to a list of red-hot leads or customers who have already expressed an interest in buying, skip the epic prose and cut to the chase. But add a link to a “specs page” with the full run-down (and plenty of buy buttons, of course), just in case somebody needs more info or wants to pass the offer on to a less-excited friend.

But for an item or service that your prospect perceives as involving a substantial cost, a substantial emotional or personal investment, the potential to get ripped off or the possibility of getting stuck with something that doesn’t work or just isn’t quite right - or any combination of the above - long copy provides the reassurance that:

A) this really is the product they need
B) it covers all the bases vis a vis solving their problems
C) their risk in purchasing is low enough to make them feel comfortable taking that critical step

So, Long Copy v.s. Short Copy? There Is No Such Battle

Each type of copy has their place in a good marketing strategy, and each works well in that place. Conversely, each would fail miserably if used where their fraternal twin was more appropriate.

Think of long copy like researching a new car or other large purchase: No one really enjoys all that work, but we’re willing to do it because it saves us from making a big, expensive and potentially embarrassing mistake. In fact, we’re unlikely to buy at all if we don’t have all the information at hand, however tedious it is to slog through.

On the other hand, short copy is a lot like the label on the pack of toilet paper - it simply allows you to make a fine-grained choice (between, say, pink quilted v.s. white plain) on something that already has your interest and costs you little to say “yes” to.

And The Winnah Is…You!

Shortchanging your customers out of the information they need to feel comfortable giving you their money, just because long copy makes you feel like a used car salesman, is poor judgment indeed. Not only will you be cheating yourself out of sales, but you’ll be cheating your customers out of products and services that could make their lives better.

On the other hand, making someone who’s gung-ho to buy slog through page after page of copy is just silly. Hence the buy buttons scattered throughout long copy - so readers who are already convinced can just buy the thing, already.

The real winner here is the marketer who knows when short copy will do the job, and when it’s time to reach deep down inside their inner novelist and pull out the long stuff. Remember - long copy for big, involved purchases and short copy for the easy stuff (or for existing customers who know your products and don’t need to be “sold”).

Granted, that’s a generalization. But in practice, it’s a far better alternative to a coin flip if you’re waffling over which way to go.

About the Author: Soni Pitts is a self-described marketing geek and business consultant for folks who want to save the world but need some help figuring out how to use the Internet to do it. Soni blogs at TheOrganGrindersMonkey, and if you find her blog name intriguing, cheeky and weird in a good way - you're just the type of person she loves to work with.