How to fix limbo writing
When writing is obviously bad, you delete it. When writing is obviously good, you ship it. But what if it’s not terrible, but it’s not good either? I call this limbo writing. Here's how to fix it.
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I originally published a version of this essay in August 2020. If you find it helpful, please share with friends. Enjoy.
Read time: 5 minutes
Mediocre copy is a missed opportunity.
As an operator and leader, you need every lever you have to win. You could have an incredible idea… But if you have poor messaging, all your hard work is wasted. Bad messaging obscures your value.
On the other hand, good messaging is an amplifier. It takes a seed of something good and aggrandizes it.
The benefit is a transference of emotion. Of course you feel excited about your idea. With good messaging, you can TRANSFER that feeling to your recipient.
To improve your messaging, you can do three things:
Improve your writing
Improve your idea
Improve both
It’s hard to quantify the value of clear thinking and clear writing
When writing is obviously bad, you delete it.
When writing is obviously good, you ship it.
But what if it’s not terrible, but it’s not good either?
Now we’re in a grey zone where there’s no easy fix.
I call this limbo writing.
It’s just kind of there. Neither dead nor alive.
Editing limbo writing takes a disproportionate amount of mental effort. Because the problem often isn’t the copy. The problem is that the underlying idea is fuzzy.
The lack of a point of view expresses itself as mediocre copy.
As a marketer, founder, or product owner, there simply aren’t enough levers to treat copy as a throwaway. We have to use every lever to the max.
Here’s how to fix limbo copy, depending on the underlying issue.
When the problem is the writing execution
There are lots of good resources on how to write well, so I’ll keep this short.
Add rhythm by varying the sentence structure. Rhythm is hard to put your finger on. It’s what gives writing a good pace. It’s why people say, “The book was long but it felt fast.”
Use a mix of short and long sentences for a dynamic feel. This is an easy and fun one. Read through your writing and mark sentences you want to make longer or shorter.
Trim excess fat to make your writing tighter. Say it in fewer words. If you feel bored reading it, remove it. If it’s too much backstory, remove it. Start right before you get eaten by the bear.
Strengthen your claim stronger by adding data points, surprising statistics, numbers. You won’t have to shout because these help make your point. Your reader comes to your conclusion themselves.
Swap out weak nouns and verbs. Get rid of adverbs while you’re at it. You can usually remove descriptors if your readers won’t need that detail.
Sound like a human, not what you think a business professional sounds like. No one talks like the corporate machines from your college career center manuals.
Avoid double negatives. Double negatives are confusing. Don’t make your reader think too hard.
When the problem is the underlying idea
Clarify what you want to say in the first place. Writing is the vessel to express your idea. If you don’t know what you want to say, no amount of good writing can compensate for the lack of an idea.
Finish the knock-knock joke. Does the idea feel incomplete? Sometimes, we write the first half of a knock-knock joke, but we forget the payoff. If that’s the case, add the “Who’s there?” to complete your thought.
Even a tweet has a narrative arc. Even in 280 characters, there’s a beginning, middle, and end. That’s why you can’t pull a few random sentences from a blog post and turn it into a tweet. It will feel incomplete because there’s no tension. Make sure whatever you’re writing is a standalone unit, whether it’s a work email or a 280 character tweet.
“I am not a crook” makes people think you are a crook. Plant ideas you want people to think of. My favorite example of what NOT to do is Richard Nixon saying, “I am not a crook.” Then everyone thought, “Hmm I couldn’t put my finger on it before… But you are TOTALLY a crook.” More on why to avoid incepting negative ideas.
Explicitly state your assumptions and rationale. It’s like showing your work in math class. Share the thought process behind your recommendation. This helps your manager give feedback on specific logical gaps instead of tossing out your whole idea. It creates the basis for a productive conversation.
Scarce + relevant = valuable. Teach something people don’t already know. What’s both surprising and true? Instead of summarizing and recapping, how can you make your contribution additive? There’s too much of the same-same already.
Clarify your stance. Have a spiky point of view rooted in evidence that others can disagree with.
Articulate the action you want your reader to take. Once you have your call-to-action, give them reasons to give you an enthusiastic yes.
Remember: Messaging is one of the few levers available for getting your customers to take action.
Besides the product design, the messaging is how you set expectations and offer surprise and delight.
It’s how you build closeness with your customer. It’s how you frame your product’s value.
Don’t waste this lever.
Have you dealt with limbo writing? Which tactic above are you most excited to try?
Hit reply because I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for being here, and I’ll see you in two Wednesdays at 8am ET.
Wes
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I loved “finish the knock knock joke” and everything in that section - it’s absolutely true the writing can’t be as strong if we aren’t clear 🙏 great article. Thanks for sharing
Nailed it.
I started my career as a copywriter. Give me the scope and I’d send words… usually the right ones.
As I gained experience, I realized many of the problems people were hiring me to solve weren’t copy problems. The copy was a symptom of a shaky foundation.
Positioning with too many hedges for fear of alienating someone with a credit card.
Or, like you mentioned, weak messaging. Messaging that doesn’t know what was critical, kind of important, and a footnote. Messaging lacking a POV. Messaging afraid to say, “hey, you’re probably great, but move along because this isn’t for you.”
So, I had to learn all of this on the go, because clients were hiring me to solve problems, not write copy (even when it was copy they asked for).
It’s made me this weird thing I’m calling a “PMM Copywriter.” Typically, a copywriter with a story similar to mine, or a PMM who treats the craft of copywriting with the respect it deserves.
Will I keep using the term? Does it have legs? I’m not sure.
But I’m desperate for a title people see and immediately think, “ooh… this guy handles the copy and most of what informs the copy.”
Because the perception is:
PMM = strategy and decks
Copywriter = words
Even if this isn’t true.
Anyway, great post!