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Read well written newspapers. Picking the right book still is the best way to improve. Get “Positioning” by Trout and Rise. Edit. Edit. Edit.
But your final edit should be the next day. More is less and less. You almost never need yo use the word “that” or “both.”
Carry a pencil and paper with you. Shorten your paragraphs. Usually put the subject before the verb. Most words that end in “ing” are weak.
1.Tell ‘em you’re going to tell them.
2, Tell ‘em
3. Tell ‘em you told them.
That means:
1. Set it up
2. Illustrate your points.
3. Summarize and close.
A few separate but relevant tips:
1. Input equals output. Everything you see in the world, from TikToks to books to graffiti, can influence the things you make. It gets filed away in your brain so that you can one day draw upon it and use it to connect dots. And a big part of the job is being a dot-connector. To make people who hate ads notice or care about ads, we have to disrupt the patterns their brains have come to expect. When you connect two things that have never been considered or paired together before, that makes the brain stop and pay attention. So watch shows, listen to podcasts, go to museums, travel, etc. All that is useful.
2. Great headlines aren’t necessarily great sentences (stole that from Dan Nelken). Great headlines (and copy in general) are the written expressions of great ideas. So yeah, it’s important to improve your vocabulary and understand grammar rules. But it’s more important that you use those tools to say or do something new and different.
3. Copywriters are also copy-thinkers. You’re not just putting words on a page. You’re thinking about the business problem presented to you and how to solve it with words. Everything you write is ultimately there to convince someone to buy a product. You have to think strategically to get there. Focus as much on the thinking part and the writing part will improve too.
4. As with anything, time and reps are really the only way to get better. Natural talent helps and may get you there faster, but the most important factor is work ethic. Do you care about being a better writer? Then throw yourself into it. Write more lines and scripts and blogs and manifestos than you were asked to. Quantity leads to quality.
5. Study up on good work in the industry, past and present. Don’t just settle for the stuff that’s awarded and visible. Dig deeper to find what you think is good, then decipher why you like it. Anytime you see something good that you want to emulate, save it to Pinterest or your bookmarks or wherever. Overtime, you’ll see patterns emerge and your sensibilities will become clearer.
They're wonderful
Study successful campaigns and analyze what makes them effective. Additionally, work on your ability to break down complex ideas into clear, concise language - which I think is half of the skill in copywriting. You can also experiment with different formats, like video scripts or social media posts, to expand your versatility.
A lot of weak writing stems from weak understanding. Talk with someone from the client company who loves the product or service who doesn’t speak in jargon about it.
My worst writing is always about stuff I don’t understand or care about and that’s when I don’t understand what problem it solves.
But almost everything is interesting someho
Banks are boring. But a better interest rate isn’t attractive. Neither is having more money.More money is about not being terrified about affording braces for your daughter. It’s about when your spouse spots a house you’d both love to spend retirement in, you say “yes” instead of mournfully saying, “We just can’t afford it.”
None of these replies are anywhere close to getting it. Become friends with your CD. That’s it. You just became a good copywriter.
When people like you, your ideas get sold through. Writing ability is not really required to be a successful copywriter.
If you can write a great print headline, you can write anything else. Study the greats
Great writing is great thinking. Writing and reading a lot will only get you so far. It won’t get you to the kind of precision we apply in this industry.
So start with a lot of thinking. Have lots of campaign ideas. Then write great taglines for them. Then write great headlines for them. But make sure your thinking is structured otherwise you’ll just be writing into the ether and that won’t be useful to anyone.
I love this, but honestly, when is there ever time to think about ideas? All there's time to do is work on existing projects, and then the weekend comes around.... and I need that break to not feel burned out for the upcoming week. How do you usually set aside time for this activity?
Have you tried the Deck of Brilliance? When I feel like I’m getting stagnant, I like to use it to try new styles, ways of approaching things, etc.
This was such a good rec! Can't believe I've never heard of it before. Thanks
Do anything but look at advertising. See a movie in theaters. Go to the museum. Get tickets to see a comedian.
<3
Do you want a coach? I have a few decades of experience. Always happy to teach and support. G.
Thanks for the offer. I have a super tight schedule but I will keep this in mind!
Every day/month/year you write is progress. I am worlds better than I was 25 years ago and I hope that trajectory continues. It isn't also just writing that will help you get better, it's understanding your connection to the strategy/business and how what you do makes an impact.