The Right Way to Use Questions in Your Copy

The point of a question in your copy is not to get an answer, it is to create curiosity. A question that everyone answers "yes" or "no" quietly gives the reader permission to stop. A good question leaves them thinking "tell me more", so they keep reading all the way to your offer.

What questions are actually for

Most people are taught that questions are good in copy because they get the reader nodding along. So they write a question the whole audience will answer "yes", like "Do you want more customers?"

That feels clever, but it does very little. Once the reader has answered in their head, the job of the sentence is done, and they have no reason to read the next line. A question that closes a loop is a place to stop, not a reason to continue.

Why yes or no questions kill your copy

The problem with a question that has an obvious answer is that the answer ends the thought. "Yes." "No." Either way, the reader is satisfied and free to scroll on.

Worse, some questions actively push people away. Ask a professional whether they find their own job hard and you insult them. The best questions do not invite a tidy answer at all; they open a gap the reader needs you to close.

How to write a curiosity question

Aim for a question where the honest reaction is "I do not know, but now I want to." The answer could be yes, no, or marzipan ostriches surfing on the moon. It does not matter, as long as the feeling it creates is "keep reading".

For example: "No matter how good you are at ideas, we all hit a blank screen eventually, but did you know there is a trick for getting funny ideas to appear on demand?" The reader cannot answer that, so they read on. That is the whole point.

Work with us

Writing copy that pulls people from the first line all the way to the call to action, questions and all, is what our team of comedy writers does for brands every day.

If you would like copy that keeps your audience reading until they buy, work with us.