This month, the rivers of our major cities will run green, folks in green top hats will fill our pubs, and shouts of “sláinte!” will be heard from town to town. No, it’s not an alien invasion. It’s the one day of the year when we’re all a little Irish—St. Patrick’s Day!
And as we all don our greenest garb and stand in solidarity, we’re reminded of one of the traits the Irish seem to share. From the happy babbler at the end of the bar to such notable scribes as Yeats and Oscar Wilde, the skill of spinning yarns and spouting witticisms seems to be passed down through the generations. So, in honor of St. Paddy and the writers whose words sound even sweeter uttered with a brogue, let us celebrate the adages of the Old World (and then apply them to copywriting principles just for fun!).
Irish Copywriting Proverbs
Say little but say it well.
As any faithful introvert would attest, saying much with just a few words is a skill. This should also be the goal of any writer, whether you’re writing a blog, website or advertisement. A company that cuts unnecessary words and consolidates ideas engages readers easier and faster.
Time is a good storyteller.
… and copywriting is storytelling. Just as a good story is memorable, a great word, phrase or brand story is, too. In order to make your ideas, services and products sticky in the minds of consumers, conversational content with a narrative arc told in a human voice delivers lasting marketing impact.
A questioning man is halfway to being wise.
What’s the purpose of your blog post, email or video? What action do you want the reader or viewer to take? Establishing an objective is one of the first steps of copywriting. If you’re not sure of the answers, your target audience won’t be either.
Every eye forms its own fancy.
Marketing can be subjective. What breaks through for one audience may not for another. This is why writing effective copy is not only a talent, but a science. It involves constant education, testing, trial and error, improvements, predictability and discovery. Understanding your audience and adapting to them is the key to effective, reliable results.
Idleness is a fool’s desire.
Once you’ve put your content out into the world, don’t just sit there. Track and analyze! Make the most of your marketing efforts by evaluating them from creation to distribution. Are people seeing your content? Are they engaging? Are you making conversions? From basic consumption to interactivity to lead generation, there are plenty of auditing techniques and metrics tools available to guide your overall strategy.
Remember, you’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind. If you have big ideas but need some brilliant copywriting to bring them to life, MarketSmiths is ready to captivate.
