By Kaitlin Pham

You’ve been there before. You’re reading an ad and then you bounce. And a lot of it has to do with formatting writing.  

You see an eye-catching headline, click — uh-oh. You’re faced with a page of messy and unbroken text. It’s like one gigantic paragraph that’s rambling on and on. Not even the first couple of words in and exhaustion hits. 

This wall of a word and eye twist mumble jumble doesn’t feel like it’s talking to you. You feel like you’re being talked at, not talked with. And let’s face it–you’re looking at a Facebook ad for CBD gummies and don’t want to hear a college lecture over it. 

You’re feeling tired and lectured from this wall of eye injury–and it’s confusing you. Grammar devotee or not– it wouldn’t hurt if this post knew the difference between they’re, there, and their. 

Doesn’t matter if it’s about “10 things you need to know as a starting vegan” or words of comfort from the Dalai Lama. You’re not going to strain your eyes and head — you won’t read it. 

No matter if in a crisis or on a vegan journey, it’s okay that you won’t read it. Why? Information overload. There’s too much, and you’d rather leave than make your eyes and brain tired. 

And there’s no shame in that. You may not get your ten vegan tips, but there are plenty of vegan-related posts out there. It’s not your fault, you’re the audience that’s looking for a clear and quick answer. 

A lot of why you felt tired, lectured, and confused? It has to do with how you format your writing. Formatting writing can make your reader go nuts like you felt earlier or stay and be engaged. 

This is why formatting writing is key, including in copywriting.  Never make your reader strain their eyeballs and brain. You wouldn’t want that on yourself either. 

Formatting Writing Matters in Copy 

Too many bold words? Is the font making your eyes squint? Things like this in your formatting writing turn your reader off. 

Many businesses are realizing the power of well-written copy. Well-written copy promotes a business’ growth. Think of high conversion rates and high customer engagement to SEO. (2)

You save your client time by doing the writing part for them. You’re putting your client’s business on the Google map more so their target customer searches for them with no worries. Your copy is easy and makes them stay, which is a strong sign of “head to the checkout.” 

And you’ve got a happy client. The chances of working together in the future are high (or scoring another testimonial for your website). You have good formatting writing to thank. 

Your copy has the right voice, engaging content, and plays the best strategy–but your formatting is on the mess express? (2) Your reader will bounce. Not only did you get a low open rate, but an unhappy client. 

And with an unhappy client, you just said goodbye to future opportunities with them. (And no testimonial). But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

To help you with better formatting writing, think about being in your reader’s shoes. (2) Are they here for a Ph.D. lecture over shampoo or looking quickly to see if it’s vegan-friendly? (Wouldn’t you agree that nobody wants to listen to a two-hour sermon over hair lathering?)

 You click on “Eight benefits of vegan and sulfate-free shampoo” but leave after because all you see is a huge wad of text. (Even worse, if there are no headlines to guide you, not even one).  

Poor formatting not only makes the reader leave, but it won’t help your client and their business. All the hard work and energy you spent on your copy will be wasted. 

The Basics of Formatting Writing 

Since not everybody has the brain of a mad scientist, write your copy in a way that is easy to read, clear-as-mud, and simple. 

Formatting writing that’s easy to read helps you as a copywriter gain the reader’s attention. And with that attention, more clicks and CTAs are taken. (Ding! And your client gets happy). 

Your reader wants information that’s relevant and quick to their search. Meaning: Don’t make this harder on them by giving them a large slab of text, bad grammar, or messy structure. (2)

Want to help the reader get to their answer quickly? Here are some basics. 

Bold, italicize, underline, or highlight words or phrases that you feel are key to point out. (3)

Italicizing

• We emphasize our words from time to time in a conversation. (“I don’t like it, I love it”, etc). Copywriting is conversational, and italicizing gives a visual of it. 

Bold 

• When you want to point out something important for your message–go bold. 

Underline

•  When you want to emphasize one or more  words. Like bolding, but her subtle sister. And a great way to get links to pop out. 

Highlight

•  Do you know when you wave a big sign at the airport waiting for somebody to see you? Highlighting is like that, to give attention to a word or phrase you want to get across. Don’t use it too often—we don’t want to attack your reader’s eyeballs. 

To make your copy feel like having a chat with a pal and less lecture hall, some things would make it easy. Sentence fragments, and one-sentence paragraphs, starting with conjunctions and ending with prepositions won’t hurt. (2) And your reader is less likely to tear their hair out. 

Your Reader Won’t Bounce if You Think of Them 

There is so much content out there– if your copy doesn’t attract the eye, it won’t get read. And in the age of cell phones, a couple of seconds can make or break a click. (2) Think of how to structure your copy so that it adheres to that aspect of your readers’ lives.

Everybody has and uses a phone for everything. From “what’s for dinner” text to directions for that new deli place. And when they’re on their electronic assistant, formatting writing can impact your reader’s attention span. 

They may be reading this in between work breaks, scrolling, or even during a wait time. People want a quick search for what they want, so they will skim. This gives you an idea of what your formatting writing will be like–and it makes it easier for your reader.  

Might I add in another POV? Your client. They’ll be glad that you think of the target customer scrolling through your copy while at the dentist’s office. 

Plus, your efforts won’t go down the drain and you’ll save your hair.