Page 172 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

Not only bigger than before, our passengers now recline in
electrically heated seats.
I still smile at the mental image this conjures up: bigger-than-ever
passengers melting slightly as they squeeze their bulk into a leather-
upholstered slow cooker.
If you’re selling cheap goods where price is the only differentiator,
quite honestly, grammar doesn’t matter. People who want the
cheapest lavatory paper really don’t care whether you can write well
or not. But if you’re purveying high-quality merchandise to a more
discerning customer, yes, it does matter. Your marketing materials,
copy especially, should create an aura that attaches itself to the
product and the whole buying process. Bad grammar says “wide
boy” and sows seeds of doubt in your reader’s mind. This book isn’t
the place for a discussion of “that” versus “which,” the use of the
subjunctive, or dangling participles, but they do matter and you
should get grammar right.

In practice

• Keep your copy as simple as possible—this automatically reduces

the chances that grammatical botches will creep in.

• If you’re not sure of anything, check it, or have it checked.

Reference books and proofreaders are cheaper than the cost of
missed sales.

100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS • 163