What color is your copy?

Want to know how effective your copy is likely to be? To find out, highlight it in two different colors. Whether you’re developing a blog post, a brochure, a web page, or any other channel, take a few moments to highlight all of the sentences that are really about your customer and his or her needs in pink. Next, highlight all the sentences that are about your company and what it does in yellow.

So what color is your copy?

If it’s mostly pink, you’ve probably done a great job of reaching out to your audience. You also probably have an excellent grasp of marketing strategy. That’s because it’s more effective to talk about your customer and his or her needs than to go on and on telling the customer why you’re so great.

If your page is mostly yellow, you’re coming across as an egotistical bore. Know that guy that stands off to the side at the party, talking nonstop about himself and what he’s doing? That isn’t you, but that’s how your copy is presenting you.

What if your page is a mix of pink and yellow? You’re heading in the right direction, but you need to rewrite your copy to make it pinker.