For much of our writing, the sentence composition we learned in school will serve us well.  You probably remember the main points:  Write in complete sentences and pay attention to paragraph structure.  Avoid ending a sentence with a preposition.  Never begin a sentence with “and” or “but.”

As they say, you have to know the rules before you can break them.  Why?  Because, particularly when you’re writing a marketing piece, those rules just won’t serve you well.  (That’s a sentence fragment right there, in case you missed it.)

Here are a couple of examples:

The headline of an ad is not the same as the topic sentence in a book report.  A headline isn’t even a complete sentence – it’s a catch phrase – and seldom uses any punctuation at all.  And ad copy has to have a certain punch to it.  Constructing your sentences formally, to avoid ending in prepositions, is something up with which readers will not put.  (That is, you want the ad copy to capture somebody’s attention very quickly.  You’ve maybe got twenty words to accomplish this, so don’t tip-toe around your point.)

The most successful marketing letters are written such that readers can hear the writer’s voice in their heads, carrying on a conversation.  To do that, you’ll need to build sentences the way you’d talk, using dashes – to indicate when you’re speeding up – and ellipses…to show when you’re slowing down.  (Did you see that preposition right there?  At the end of the sentence?  Crazy!)  Paragraphs are also shorter, to draw the readers’ eyes through your letter, with emphasis added in bold type or with underlining to direct attention to the most important information. 

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of contractions, when it comes to de-formalizing your copy.  And it’s okay to use an exclamation point once in a while! 

There are myriad ways you can work within grammar conventions when you’re crafting your message.  Just don’t let those rules hamper creativity and enthusiastic communication with your audience.