Testimonials are so important.

After all, doesn’t matter how amazing the Airbnb, if it doesn’t have a Trip Advisor or Trust Pilot review, no-one’s going to book it… People trust what other people have to say. Even if they don’t know it.

With that in mind, I’m going to grit my teeth and share some kind words from people I’ve worked with, on here.

Starting with these from my amazing Instagram client @stephenhallwoodmusic. Go visit his grid and check out that voice!

And if you’re planning a wedding, Christening or event where you need a Bluesy-folk tunesmith to provide musical chills then Stephen is your man.

See, I find it so much easier blowing someone’s else’s trumpet than my own. (You know what I mean.)

I don’t actually mean the best copy is the copy written in the smallest font, of course.

I mean the best kind of copy is the copy that doesn’t draw attention to itself. ⠀ ⠀

The kind of copy you don’t even realise you’re reading until you’ve read it. ⠀ ⠀

The kind of copy that lets the story you’re telling, breeeeeath, rather than suffocating it under a tonne of long words and sub-clauses.⠀ ⠀

My advice is: keep your sentences short and your words simple – just like you do when you’re having a chat with someone in real life.⠀ ⠀

Because a reader can spot a writer who’s trying to show off from a mile away – and that’s not good copy because it’s taken the reader out of the story.⠀ ⠀

Same rules apply, whether you’re writing ad copy, product descriptions, a newsletter or a novel.

We’ve all been there, wanting to impress our reader with our favourite new long word, finding excuses to shorhorn it into our copy – but I’ve learnt from experience that actually, keeping it short, is keeping it sweet!