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- Clear, short messages are easier to remember and act on, according to Heath & Heath.
- Bullet points make content more engaging by over 30%, according to Nielsen Norman Group (2020).
- Shorter calls to action get more clicks than longer ones, shown by Unbounce (2022).
- More than 60% of web traffic comes from mobile, showing why mobile formatting is important.
- Data like how far people scroll and heat maps help find weak spots in messaging so you can make it simpler.
If your marketing messages aren’t being seen, the issue might be how much you’re saying, not what you’re saying. In a digital world with tons of content, people don’t have much time to pay attention. Simple messages and good copywriting are what marketers need to get noticed. For brands using automation and content platforms, the key is not to say everything, but to say the right thing at the right time with few words. This article looks at how saying less really helps in marketing, and how making things simple can improve sales, keep customers, and make your brand clearer. 
Why Simple Messaging Works
People today see thousands of messages daily. This creates constant information overload. A Microsoft study says the average person’s attention span is now just 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish’s. When attention is short, clear writing is convincing.
Clear messages help the brain understand and remember information better. In their book Made to Stick, Heath & Heath (2007) say “simple” ideas are just “main” ideas stripped down to what’s essential. This means removing extra words, repeating things, and jargon. It’s about getting rid of what makes understanding hard.
Good copywriting respects short attention spans. Every word needs to be there for a reason. That’s why phrases like “Just Do It” or “Think Different” work; they are powerful with few words. When marketing messages are made simple, they aren’t just easy to read, they are wanted.
Know When (and When NOT) to Write
Not all messages need words. Often, pictures say things quicker and are more memorable than text. Think of a red dot showing a notification, a green checkmark, or a heart symbol. These simple pictures show meaning right away to everyone.
When marketers write too much, especially with automation tools that push for lots of content, they risk making the brand weaker. Too much content can confuse people and slow down how customers move towards buying.
Use automation for what it does best: making things fast. For questions asked often, chatbots or FAQ bots can give short answers without using up staff time. But being good at this comes from holding back. It’s about knowing when to show a picture, put in a video, or just leave space blank instead of adding more text.
This idea of “less writing, more communicating” is a main rule of good copywriting. Stop just writing by default.
Understand Your Audience—Then Speak Their Language
You can’t make things simple well if you don’t know who you’re talking to. Knowing your audience is what changes general writing into messages just for them, and those messages into sales.
Customer profiles show what users want, need, and their problems. With tools like CRM groups, marketers can change suggestions and how content is put together based on what someone bought, what they do online, or who they are. For instance
- A tech person looking for software might like straight facts and data.
- A busy parent buying things for home needs clearer messages about benefits, without technical words.
Caring about your audience makes your message matter to them. When a shopper feels you “get” them, they are more likely to trust what you offer. Dove’s simple message, focusing on feeling good about yourself and natural looks, connects because they really know what their audience cares about.
When you write like your customer talks, you make it easier for them to see something and take action. It’s not about saying more, it’s about saying what matters to them.
Think First, Write Later: How Outlines Help
Writing good copy is hard. Writing short, convincing marketing messages is harder, unless you start with a plan.
Making an outline before writing forces you to figure out your goals, main benefits, and key actions before adding details. This stops you from writing about too much or adding ideas that don’t fit, which often make messages too long.
In a planned outline
- Headlines hold the main ideas.
- Smaller points explain benefits.
- Data adds proof.
- Calls to action tell people what to do.
For example, an outline for an email promotion might look like this
- A headline showing value
- A quick mention of a user’s problem
- A key product benefit
- Proof from others or data
- What you want them to do (Call to Action)
Teams using automated systems or templates can save these outlines. This helps keep the brand voice the same and lets them send messages quickly without extra words.
Planning the message structure first keeps your communication clear, sharp, and focused on getting results.
Use Bullets Wherever Possible
Bullet points are more than just a way to format text; they are a smart tool.
When people quickly read things online and on phones, bullet points
- Make it easier to read and scan
- Help stop people from getting tired of reading long text
- Improve how well users understand by showing ideas in easy-to-read parts
According to the Nielsen Norman Group, content with bullet points was 30% more interesting than text without them. People read faster, and they remember more.
When listing features, what makes you different, or benefits, bullets are great
- Saves time with automation
- Works with all CRM platforms
- Voted #1 by 12,000 users in 2022
In automation platforms, you can add bullets easily using content parts. This makes them a useful and quick way to format in good copywriting. Use them often, especially on phones.
Write, Then Cut It Down Hard
Your first draft is just getting ideas down, and that’s okay. Making it simple is where the real work happens.
Start editing by asking: What is the very least someone needs to know to do something?
Famous ad writer David Ogilvy was known for cutting headlines hard. Sometimes he rewrote them 100 times. Tools like Hemingway Editor help writers remove passive sentences, find long sentences, and lower the reading level.
Trying to “explain it to a 5th grader” makes sure it’s clear. If someone new to your business can’t say what you offer in one sentence, you’ve written too much.
Many automation tools now have AI that helps check writing. Teach your system to find too many words before it sends things out. Simple messages aren’t basic; they are smart, easy to remember, and get results.
Don’t Let Automation Mean You Write Too Much
Automation makes whatever you give it bigger, whether that’s clear messages or messy ones.
Too often, marketers create templates full of extra words and confusing layouts. They think the systems will “fix it.” The result is automatic junk that turns off potential customers.
Avoid big, complicated plans. Set limits on how many words you use, get rid of polite opening lines (“We just wanted to follow up…”), and focus on the main actions. Put rules for simplicity into your workflows.
For example
- Keep descriptions under 140 characters
- Always test different versions of calls to action
- Set up a way to score how clear your writing is in your system
Good copywriting made bigger by automation can do really well, but only if your starting point is lean. Bad messages plus automation equals failure happening faster.
Do More With Fewer Words: Calls-To-Action that Get Results
Calls to action are the last step before someone does what you want. But many are weighed down by business jargon or weak suggestions.
Good call to action writing is
- Short: 2-4 words works well
- Action-focused: Use verbs
- Shows a benefit: Suggest what they will get
Examples
- “See All the Features Available in Your Dashboard”
- “Get More Done Now”
Unbounce’s 2022 report found that shorter calls to action had up to 54% higher click rates. This is because being clear is better than being clever when people need to act fast.
Most modern systems let you use different calls to action at the same time. Create three versions, test which one works best for different groups of people, and use the click data to make them better.
Remember, good copywriting leads to action. Be clear, be short, be bold.
Brand Consistency Means Saying the Same Thing—Just Not in Many Different Ways
Brand messages should be easy to spot, but not sound like a robot. Repeating things well builds trust, but saying too much makes people bored.
One phrase, used well across different places, builds brand strength. Nike doesn’t say “Just Do It” 20 different ways. They say it one way, everywhere.
Automation tools let you use parts of messages again. You can change them slightly for different places like web, social media, or email. This makes sure
- The voice stays the same everywhere
- Fewer words are used again on purpose
- Messages fit better with what the customer is doing
It’s better to say one powerful thing five times in different spots than five weak things once.
Make Your Funnel Easier with Keyword-Focused Messages
Good marketing communication includes using SEO best practices, but not if it makes things unclear.
Putting too many keywords in makes your voice weak and the content hard to read. Instead, match what users are looking for with clean, action-focused phrases. Think
- “Marketing automation tools for small and medium businesses” becomes “Automate Growth for Small Teams”
- “Tips for getting leads” becomes “Get More Leads—Faster”
Put main and secondary keywords (like “good copywriting,” “simple message,” “marketing communication”) naturally in titles, bullet points, and short text.
Use data tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to find phrases that get results based on searches. Then, deliver them in a short format using automation.
SEO and simplicity are not against each other; they help each other when used correctly.
Format for Easy Reading: Think Mobile First
Your audience isn’t reading your text in a quiet office; they’re quickly looking at it during a lunch break or late at night. That’s why content must be easy to read on phones.
Tips for formatting
- Keep paragraphs to 3 lines or less
- Break up long sentences
- Use titles every 100–150 words
- Make important action phrases bold
- Use plenty of space
Statista (2023) says over 60% of web traffic is now from mobile. If your text isn’t easy to read, scan, and click on a small screen, you are losing sales.
Most content apps and website systems let you see how things look on mobile or use heat maps. Test before you publish. Good design starts where the eye is comfortable, not where the word count is high.
Use Data to Make Messaging Better
Good copy isn’t just written; it’s improved.
Modern content data shows exactly where people stop reading. Track things like
- Scroll depth: Are people seeing your call to action?
- Bounce rates: Is your intro too long?
- Reading time: Is it too hard to read?
Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg offer heat maps that show “dead zones” where people lose interest. Change things there. Also, find phrases or titles that get clicked often and use them again.
Automation tools make testing easy. Run different versions automatically, track results, and make changes right away. Good copywriting starts ideas, but data picks the winners.
Simplicity isn’t Weakness—It’s a Smart Strength
Smart marketers know that being short isn’t being lazy; it’s on purpose. Top brands communicate less, but what they say means more. That takes skill and sticking to data.
Vivino grew by making wine reviews simple. Slack helped new users with clear instructions. Apple launches products that make billions using only two-paragraph descriptions.
So the task is simple: Say less. Sell more.
Start today: Look at your last five campaigns. Cut 30% of the words. Show the main benefits more clearly. Replace extra words with useful ones. Use the rules of good copywriting to create simple messages that make people act, not confused.
Ready to make your plan simpler? Book a marketing communication chat and learn how to use automation without sending too much to your audience.
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