Would your mum understand it?

Try explaining concepts to your mum over a coffee

The great thing about being a copywriter is that you get to learn – and write – about anything and everything. And whether it’s whistleblowing law, pasta sauce or deep sea drilling, our job is to really get to grips with whatever we’re writing about – so we can make it easy and interesting for our readers to understand.

Believe us, we know that making complex subjects rivetingly interesting can be a challenge. So what happens when you’re staring at the screen, wondering where to even start?

Just imagine you’re in a coffee shop with your mum. You’ve just settled down to a latte when she asks, “So what are you working on at the moment? Tell me all about it.”

You know your mum doesn’t have any knowledge of the subject. You need to explain it in words she will understand. Jargon and industry lingo aren’t going to cut it and neither is business speak. But your mum’s not daft. You don’t need to “dumb down” – you just need to explain in a way she’ll understand first time.

Have your imaginary conversation out loud (or whisper if you’re in a busy office, noisy canteen or packed train carriage). Then once you’ve finished explaining, write down what you said, word for word. It might need a bit of refining and tightening up – but your copy is now in a place where your readers will understand it first time around.

Want to learn more about writing clear, compelling copy?

Or, as ever, give us a call or drop us a line. We’re always happy to chat about copywriting and would love to hear more about how you approach comms in your organisation.

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