The simple 4 S formula emphasizes the importance of brevity in SEO copywriting. When producing copy, the focus should be on writing that is clear and easy to read. So what is the 4 S formula, and how does it help in copywriting?
The 4 S formula can be summed up as follows:
Short words
Short sentences
Short paragraphs
Short sections
These four strategies may appear simple. However, they are basic principles for producing copy that is effective in its goal of converting customers. In this article, we go over each one of the four S’s in the 4 S formula.
1. Use short sentences
There is an obvious reason for choosing short sentences over long ones. Short sentences are easier to read. Long sentences may be an impressive feat in the world of literature and other forms of creative writing. However, in more commercial forms of writing, brevity is preferred.
Reporters, social media writers, copywriters, and magazine writers are all taught the benefits of keeping their sentences short. Even in creative writing, brevity has its merits. Writers like Hemmingway were famous for their sparse, concise, and effective type of prose.
In copywriting, you should always bear in mind your target audience — ordinary readers looking to buy something. The attention span of the average reader has become shorter.
A recent report stated that the average human attention span has shrunk from two-and-a-half minutes to 47 seconds on a screen. For such a population, long sentences are tiring and unbearable. So you need to keep it short.
Focus on making sure that your sentences are around 14 to 16 words in length when writing long-form copy. For short-form copy, make it even briefer.
2. Use simple words
Simple words operate on the principle of saying more by saying less. Big words should only be used when they better express your intended meaning compared to a smaller word. Big words are typically used by writers who want to show off their vocabulary.
However, the goal of copy is not to impress, but to sell. You can only do so by writing copy that appeals to the average reader. Thai usually means using words that are used in everyday speech. At first, this may seem to make copywriting easy. But it really doesn’t.
This means the copywriter is faced with the challenge of using common and everyday words in an original way or in novel contexts. This can take alot of creative thinging to pull off. In short, writing short isn’t always easy.
When writing advertising copy, your aim is direct communication with potential customers. You should avoid words that are too fancy. The focus should be on communicating the details and benefits of your product or offer. Your readers should be able to read your copy and immediately understand the product or service being sold.
3. Use short paragraphs
In academic writing, we are taught about the importance of a paragraph containing a fully developed idea. This is one of the fundamentals of the famous five-paragraph essay. In the five-paragraph essay, you are supposed to introduce the thesis statement and the ideas supporting your thesis statement.
This is then followed by three paragraphs, each of which contains a single main idea that is properly fleshed out. The last paragraph is the conclusion that restates the main points of the essay. This is quite logical. In fact, when writinglong-form copy or even short-form copy, you may follow this logical process. However, you should not follow the form.
A long fat paragraph of the sort that would make a five-paragraph essay would scare away readers. You will inflict the trauma of long-forgotten college essay days on the reader. For better or for worse, people associate this type of writing style with boredom and intellectual stress and strain. Stressing out your potential clients is the last thing you want to do with your copy.
Focus on the sentence as a unit. Even if a paragraph must be unnaturally broken in either short-form or long-form copy, you should go for it. The aim is for anything that would go easy on the eye of the reader. And fat long paragraphs are not it.
4. Break the copy into short sections
Breaking copy into short sections is based on the same principle as short paragraphs. However, instead of using the paragraph as the unit of separation, you rely on other strategies. These strategies include:
Headings and subheadings
Bullet lists
Pictures and graphics
Headings and subheadings are useful from both an SEO perspective and from the perspective of keeping your readers interested. Headings and subheadings represents breaks in the copy that allow the readers to pause.
In particular, if you arrange your headings and subheadings properly, busy or lazy readers get the opportunity to switch from one section to the next without reading a whole page of copy that they find too long or too boring.
Bullet lists because they are arranged vertically give the visual impression that the copy is broken and is not as long and boring to read. Make sure to include a liberal amount of bullet lists in your copy when the opportunity presents itself. Vertical bullet lists are always a better option than list arranged as long sentences where items are numbered.
Copywriting should appeal to the sensibilities of a modern audience. This sensibility, whether you like it or not, is defined by the attention span of a clownfish of the sort featured in Finding Nemo. This doesn’t mean that you treat your audience as stupid. It means working hard to find the balance between capturing reader’s attention while successfully selling the benefits of your service or product.
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Long-form copy such as blogs
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Landing pages
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Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, December 26). Copywriting Tips | The Simple 4 S Formula. EminentEdit. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/copywriting-tips-the-simple-4-s-formula |
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