Copywriting – is grammar important?

Some time ago, when I was just starting down the professional writing road, I read a great article about the role of grammar in sales copywriting. One sentence in particular stuck in my head, the gist of which was:

“When writing sales copy, it’s important to know when to ignore the usual rules of grammar…”

Never was a truer word said.

You don’t need to be a grammarian or hold an English degree to be a great copywriter. You just need to write words that sell – or that at least help in some way. Be it through educating, entertaining, informing, or persuading.

And sometimes, that means ignoring accepted best practice where grammar’s concerned. Like beginning a sentence with a conjunction. Or using an irregular comma to cause the reader to pause. Or using sentence fragments. Notice how many of those rules I just broke?

Often, great content marketing involves shredding the grammar rulebook altogether.

But you’d be well advised to at least read that rulebook first.

Why? If proper grammar’s not important in copywriting, what’s the point in learning it at all?

Readers will mentally question anything that looks “wrong”.

That includes words, sentences, punctuation, capitalisation – everything. And they’re right to do so.

Everything that goes on a website or sales brochure has to look as professional as possible.

That’s why you have to be the expert. Do you really want your audience knowing more about grammar than you?

Here’s some example feedback I’ve received from different clients:

“Do we need the ‘and’ at the start of this sentence? I was always taught at school that was a big no no.”

“There shouldn’t be a comma here.” (in reference to the controversial Oxford comma).

“This word shouldn’t be capitalised in a title. Please change it.”

In each of these cases, I was able to politely point out either that it was ok to break the rule (and why), or that the rule was subjective. There’s no way I could have done that if I hadn’t known which rules I had broken.

And often, you won’t have the luxury of looking the rules up before you reply. You may have to respond quickly over the phone while the client has their finger on the “publish” button.

Just because grammar and punctuation aren’t the most important parts of copywriting, doesn’t mean they’re not important.

An incorrectly-placed comma or apostrophe can change the meaning of sentence. Good luck selling your services if readers misconstrue a key sentence in your copy.

While it’s true that rules are made to be broken, it’s also true that rules exist for a reason. So don’t approach grammar or punctuation rules like a set of inflexible draconian commandments.

Instead, think about why these rules exist. This will help you understand when and why it’s ok to bend a rule. Want to capitalise every word in a title? It might look a little strange but that won’t stop you getting your point across – it might even help. But the last thing you need is to get it “wrong” without realising it – and then have your audience correct you.

So while you don’t need an English degree to be a copywriter, you absolutely need to know how to use correct grammar and punctuation.

Some helpful tips for writing great copy…

This is by no means an exhaustive list – far from it. But the below are some extracts from a writer’s guide I’ve used in both agencies and in-house content marketing roles. It will give you a very basic rundown of what to focus on when writing copy – where grammar is important, and where rules could be bent slightly!

1. Be brave and original. If you wants to be a leading voice in your industry, write like it! It’s more essential than ever to try and cut through the noise with your own authentic voice.
2. Put your audience first (physically!). This is especially important for sales collateral like pitch decks – speak/write in terms of benefits to them. Consider the difference between:

• Our company does X, Y, and Z. We achieve this by taking steps 1, 2, and 3. We think that’s important because A, B, and C.
• You’re having challenge A, B, or C. Turn that challenge into X, Y, or Z result by working with us. You’ll benefit from our market-leading approach of steps 1, 2, and 3.

3. Step out of your own shoes. Is what you’re writing actually interesting or valuable to your audience? Or just to you?

4. Make the complex simple. People are short on time. It’s harder than ever to get – and maintain – their attention. Even the most technically-minded professionals appreciate simplicity. You want to establish rapport based on mutual understanding and respect – not by trying to bemuse your audience into submission – or worse, boring them. So be conversational, friendly, and act as a guide.

Also think about your extended audience – who might read your content without you being there to explain it?

5. Avoid jargon, buzzwords, and unnecessary complexity. Words like heuristic, iterative, and ideation all have plain English synonyms – check a thesaurus for suggestions.

6. Write in short, snappy sentences. Simple sentences create rhythm. Tension. Urgency. And excitement. They get the point across quickly. Long sentences are hard to read and reek of formality. 20 words per sentence is just about ideal. 15 is better.

7. If there’s a shorter version of a word or phrase, use it. For example, ‘use’ not ‘utilise.’

8. Focus on readability. Keeping your reader engaged is more important than perfect grammar.

9. White space is your friend. Keep paragraphs short and leave ample space between them. For videos, sales slides and presentations, remember people can’t read and listen at the same time. So if you’re presenting, keep the copy on slides minimal. Your leave-behind version can be more in-depth. A video’s on-screen content should complement any dialogue, not clash with it.

10. Use spell check! Non-negotiable – it only takes a minute or two. Grammarly catches most errors. It’s free and plugs into most applications.

If in doubt, refer to the Cambridge English Dictionary when writing for UK audiences and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of American English for US audiences. If the dictionary gives multiple spellings of a word, go with the first instance listed.

11. Direct quotes must be word-for-word (e.g. customer testimonials). Misquotes are unprofessional and can cause legal issues.

12. Check copyrights and permissions. For legal and professional reasons.

13. Quote primary sources. If you find a great stat, quote the original source, rather than the article you found it in. And if you make a measurable statement like “the job market is strong,” back it up by citing a credible source.

14. Proofread. Read your content with fresh eyes. Next morning is usually a good time.

15. Write in active voice when possible. “Steve kissed the clown.” Not “The clown was kissed by Steve.

16. Sentence fragments and run-on sentences are fine. This is a great example. So is this. They create rhythm. Suspense. And intrigue.

17. You can end a sentence with a preposition. This is a grammar myth – it can be traced back to a single teacher in Victorian England. So:

• I like the rug you’re standing on. Not;
• I like the rug on which you’re standing (nobody talks like that)

18. And you can start a sentence with a conjunction. Because that’s how people speak in real life.

19. Be consistent. If you bend a rule of grammar, bend it the same way each time.

20. Minimise capitalisation. For example, job titles aren’t typically capitalised. Legal and financial terms are an exception.

21. Minimise punctuation. Especially commas. This, while grammatically correct, is, at best, hard to read, and, at worst, an assault on the eyes. In particular, don’t place a comma after an interjection – “Hello, Karen.” While that is grammatically correct, it’s unnecessary as it doesn’t add any clarity.

Close up gaps where you can. If in doubt, go with the option that uses least space: eg ‘3am,’ not ‘3:00 a.m.’

22. US English/British English/Australian English. Remember to use the correct form for your audience. This is a great guide. You can also set each one as spell check languages in Google Docs using these instructions.

23. Avoid hyperbolic (sweeping) statements. “There’s no doubt that…” or “it’s obvious that…” Respect your reader. What they can doubt and what they can’t is up to them. And if something’s obvious, why are you writing it?

24. Not being specific. Avoid ‘thing’ or ‘something.’ There’s usually a better word.

25. Using words you don’t fully understand. For example, are you sure you know what ‘plethora’ means? Look it up. You might be surprised!

26. Avoid words that are technically correct, but that sound outdated, pompous, or stupid. 

For example:

• Datum and stratagem are the correct singulars of data and strategy, but nobody uses them. Imagine the face you’d pull if somebody used them in a normal conversation!
• Thus belongs in the 19th century. Even in fiction, it’s associated with stuffy or eccentric characters. It also adds nothing in terms of clarity. Amongst is similarly old-fashioned and stuffy. Use among.

27. And finally…‘irregardless’. Yes, it’s a real word. But it sounds wrong. So don’t use it.