School made us bad copywriters

We had to follow MLA or APA rules that defined the structure and formality of our essays. 

We had to write with eloquent and large words.

We had to be grammatically formal, even when it sounded far from the way we speak.

The rules of school writing taught us how to be academic with our prose. But not how to connect with people. 

Good copywriting gets straight to the point. 

It's specific and concise. 

It avoids technical jargon and complex words. 

It uses short sentences and paragraphs. 

It sacrifices being grammatically formal for sounding more natural. 

Forget what you learned in school. Write like you talk, and your copy will connect better with people.