Why simplicity wins: The case for clear writing in B2B copy

Any newswriting guide I have ever read has pointed to simple, clear writing as the best form of writing. That always seemed like an intuitive point that should be clear to anyone who gives the subject a moment’s thought.

All the same, it is nice to know that the numbers bear out this ancient truth.

A 2024 study published in Science found that a simpler style of writing did a better job of attracting readers. The study focused on headlines and click-through rates (CTR) in two online newspapers and found that the public was more likely to read stories with simply worded, easily understood headlines.

“More common words, a simpler linguistic style, and more readable texts were associated with a higher CTR (click through rate), although character count was not…” conclude the authors.

In other words, readability is the goal, even at the expense of a slightly shorter version of your text.

What this means for B2B marketing copywriters

What is true of newswriting is equally true of corporate communications. Whereas journalists often write stories on their own (to be cleaned up by busy sub-editors!), marketers will often try to write by consensus or committee. Such a process often leads to clutter as a copywriter tries to take everyone’s opinion into account.

One of my favorite pieces of advice comes from the Marketing Communications Guide (2018) for The Economist Group, which publishes The Economist. Their first rule of copywriting is:

“Clear thinking leads to clear writing. So know what you want to say before you write it…”

Writing by committee is likely to have the opposite effect. A good marketing copywriter should be able to digest the demands of multiple stakeholders before putting fingertips to keyboard. Then, when it is clear what the key messages are, produce the content that gets the clicks.

Whether communicating with investors or drafting a headline for a press release, clarity and simplicity will get more clicks and eyeballs. Businesspeople are busy, and putting pressure on a busy readers with cluttered copy only discourages potential leads from traveling down your sales funnel.  

It all starts at the top with a powerful headline.

Need help decluttering your B2B messages? Contact me.