What is bad copy? Would you know it when you saw it? What’s your definition? If you think about the question, it’s actually a very interesting one. Each copywriter has their own definition of what bad copy is. Mine may or may not agree with the masses, but I’m going to put it out there anyway. You can take it for what it’s worth to you.

To me, bad copy is copy that doesn’t get the job done. Sorry if that sounds a little too simplistic, but I live in a bottom line world. If the sales letter I write doesn’t make me sales, I don’t care how well written it may be grammatically or otherwise…it’s useless as far as a sales letter goes and needs to be scrapped and redone. I hope you will agree that if a sales letter doesn’t convert, it can’t be good.

Ah, but what IS it that makes that sales letter not convert? See, this is where people get hung up on words. Words can kill you. Just ask any English professor. Truth is, a sales letter can be ruined, not by any words that were put on the page, but by the words that were left off…the ones needed to provoke the desired emotional response from the prospect. This usually happens when the copywriter didn’t do his research on the target market.

If you go on the premise that the person who might buy your skin care product is doing so because they want to have clear skin (and you harp on this in the copy) when the real reason is that they want to either score with the gal down the block or land that new job as a spokesperson, then you are missing the target of your pitch. You are telling the prospect something that isn’t pushing their buttons…and ultimately losing the sale. That’s what makes bad copy.

Grammar mistakes? Well, in some niches, bad grammar is the in thing. I’ve seen some sales pages in the music business that would kill any English professor and yet they convert like crazy. You can’t just judge a sales page by its grammar unless of course you’re selling a course on grammar. Then, it’s quite laughable.

Point is, bad copy can mean different things to different niches. What may work for one may not work for another. There is no one size fits all.

So put your preconceived notions away and look at your copy objectively.

Is it converting?
If not…you have bad copy.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write copy just like the pros? Visit my site at http://www.bcipe.com/ and discover killer copywriting tips that have allowed me to write my own copy for years and earn myself a 6 figure a year income selling my own products.