04 · 22

Does graphic design work without copywriting?

The simple answer? No, graphic design doesn’t matter without copywriting. Kyle might get mad for me saying this one, but it’s true. The most incredible graphic design doesn’t work if you can’t write about what you do and why someone should hire you. So, how do you make sure that your writing is as good as your graphic design? My first tip would be to hire a copywriter , but not all of us can afford to. So, for those who can’t have someone professionally write their site/blog, etc, here are a 4 tips for improving your own skills and the copy on your site:
  1. Focus on the ‘what’s in it for me’ where the ‘me’ is your buyer/customer. If all your site talks about is how great your product is, people won’t listen very long. They don’t care what it does, how ‘cool’ it is or what you think. What they care about is how it will save them time, money, make things easier, more efficient, etc… so tell them!
  2. Make it simple enough for a sixth grader to read. If every other word you use has 6 syllables and requires a dictionary – people will stop reading fairly quickly. I’m not saying you can’t use some interesting and unique words, but try to keep the main ideas fairly simple. The best way to test this? Give it to an actual sixth grader (or someone close). Ask if what they are reading makes sense. No matter the topic, they should be able to understand it – if they do, you’re probably good!
  3. Paragraphs, bullet points, numbers, italics, bolding, etc. Using different accentuation on words, separating paragraphs and turning longer paragraphs into bullet points/numbered lists make things easier to read. Most people will only ever scan your website, so make sure that they can pick up the key points you want them to see by making them easy to find.
  4. Don’t forget who you’re writing for. Who are your readers? Teachers, IT guys/girls, small business owners? Make sure that whomever it is, you are writing in a style that they would understand and want to read.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to remember that good copy and great copy are two entirely different things, and the closer you can get to great copy (*hint, hire someone!) the better off your site will be.
Kirsten Wright is a freelance blogger and graphic designer from Orange County. Her experience spans social media, traditional marketing and many years in writing/editing. She is active in twitter and can be found @kirstenwright. Her personal and business blog, http://www.wrightcreativity.com focuses on the ways that you can use creativity in business and in life. She writes for numerous other bloggers and offers her services by the hour or by the project.