Punctuation Packs Power: A Tip to Copywriters
I was working on the proof of one of my poems all morning and took out a comma. In the afternoon, I put it back again.
~ Oscar Wilde
For all Copywriters out there:
We have access to hundreds of Power Words. A simple “Copywriter Checklist” shows a million blogs, infographics, PDFs, whatnots! But little attention is paid to punctuation marks.
“Do I have to care about punctuation?”
Yes!
“Semi-colons and quotes are for Grammar teachers. Not for poets, creative geniuses, and writers! Will a punctuation mark make a huge difference to my copy?”
Again, yes!
Much like Power Words, punctuation adds a “voice” to your copy.
“We can sound more excitable. Or authoritative. Or empathetic. We can build suspense. Make readers stop, or get them to rush ahead to the next paragraph.…”
-by Henneke D
“So, how do I use punctuation marks to get the desired results?”
Here are a few articles that helped me answer that question.
The basics of punctuation
If you’re a beginner and want to understand the usage of punctuations in copywriting, here’s a quick read:
Important Punctuation & Formatting Rules in Copywriting
Want to read something more insightful? Check out The Writer: Style Guide. This article talks about each punctuation mark, how to use it and is a rather fun read. (NOTE: I love their website. The writing is incredibly creative.)
NOTE: If you’re looking for a handy, comprehensive guide to punctuation and style editing, check this — The Elements of Style. Every writer swears by this book.
The book is 100 years old, but every tip holds even today. It is just about 50 pages long, so you can re-read it occasionally to keep yourself updated.
How punctuation influences your copy
Credits for this entire section: Enchanting Marketing
Learn how each punctuation mark has a voice, emotion, and power from this well-written blog post.
Don’t use exclamation marks!!
I love exclamation marks and everything that’s exaggerated!!
But in a sales copy, they strain the flow. Avoid using exclamation marks except for actual exclamations. Like, “Wow!” “Bam!” “Punk!”
Are you often confused about when to use an exclamation mark? Hubspot came up with the perfect flowchart for you.
Free resources that help you with punctuation:
Use these resources that help with proofreading/adding the correct punctuation. I use these to proof-check my copies.
- Grammarly — Correct your grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.
- Hemmingway App — Check how easy/difficult your writing is.
- Grammar Girl — Examples of how to effectively use voice and tone.
