A guest post by Melissa Hawkins
You don't have to be a beginner to want to improve your copywriting skills. There's always room to improve, learn new skills and discover fresh insights. And with marketing updates, innovative tools, and the emergence of AI popping up left, right and centre, keeping your knowledge up to scratch is essential. But with heaps of resources online and a million things to read, knowing where to turn first can be overwhelming. What sources can you trust? Which courses are worth the money? Have no fear – in this article, we will dive into ten great ways to improve your copywriting skills today.
Truly understand what a copywriter does
First and foremost, you need to really understand what a copywriter does. The role of a copywriter is often confused with that of a content writer, and while there is some overlap, there are many significant differences. And that distinction is their purpose. Where a content writer focuses on producing content that educates, informs or entertains, a copywriter uses language and words to convince a reader to take action. It's a subtle but essential distinction with roots in pre-digital days - one can think of content writers being more akin to journalists and copywriters like the old school ad men or direct response writers. Of course, these days, there's a lot of overlap, and it's worth acquiring skills from both camps.
From books to blogs: read everything
The best writers will read a lot. In fact, they will read pretty much everything. Surrounding yourself with well-written copy will help you improve your own writing. You'll discover new words, similes and metaphors; you'll immerse yourself in literary devices and tone of voice examples essential to good copywriting. But where should you start?
When it comes to books, you should start with the classics. David Ogilvy and Joseph Sugarman are at the top of our list. These copywriting staples will give you a good grounding in everything you need to know to write well, with actionable examples to help you put their advice into practice. And for a more modern insight into copywriting, Tom Albrighton and Lindsay Camp are two authors that have written excellent books that we wholeheartedly recommend.
There are also so many great blogs, newsletters and social media accounts worth following and reading regularly to help you improve your copywriting skill. And with the frequent publication of resources on these platforms, you’ll never run out of things to get stuck into. WHR Marketing has compiled the best marketing blogs into an article here – you'll want to add these to your reading list too.
Take inspiration from others
When we say inspiration, we mean inspiration. Anyone who has ever told you copying is the best form of flattery is wrong – it's a breach of copyright and could land you in a pretty tricky (and expensive) situation. But you can read good examples of copywriting and learn from them. How do they craft their sentences? What kind of words do they use to express the chosen tone of voice? Do they address their reader? Is it conversational, or is it formal? How does this piece of writing make you feel? You'll find it easier to replicate the same effect and quality in your writing by pinpointing what another copywriter has done well.
Find a copywriting course
There are so many copywriting courses out there that it can be challenging to navigate what's worth the time and what isn't. Nearly every industry thought leader offers a course or masterclass these days, but many are expensive and not worth their weight in salt.
Attend an event or tune into a webinar
Webinars are a fabulous opportunity to learn from and ask questions to thought leaders in the industry. And many big content marketing names host them for free. We recommend signing up for the newsletters of some of these big names – we love Nick Parker’s Tone Knob and Dave Harland’s The Word Man - and looking out for when they advertise these offerings. LinkedIn is a great place to find events and creator recommendations too.
Revisit the basics
You don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree in English Literature to write well. But you do need a good understanding of grammar and spelling. Poor grammar in your work is likely to lose you credibility, opportunities and customers. Maintain your grammar and spelling by keeping a dictionary close by at all times; I'd also recommend using a thesaurus to help vary the words you use and avoid repetition. Investing in a tool such as Grammarly can also massively help. The free version will help you spot wordy sentences and spelling mistakes, but the paid version will also help you ensure your voice or tone is consistent throughout the copy. And for a book that sets you up with everything you need to conquer punctuation, Lyne Truss’ Eats, Shoots and Leaves is a one stop for all.
Don’t write things you wouldn’t say
On the flip side of our last point, you can easily overcomplicate your copy by trying to sound like someone you're not, as you swap frequently used words for ones you'd never say in real life. When writing, ask yourself: would I say this in a conversation? If the answer is no, you should reconsider the words you've used. Your copywriting doesn't have to be full of jargon and long-winded explanations, it needs to engage and capture the attention of your reader. Don't put them off with a load of words that require a lot of hard work and attention to understand.
Make the most of tools designed to help you
Just like we mentioned Grammarly in the point above, there are lots of free and subscription-based tools available that are designed to help you write well. But we don’t mean an AI tool that will write copy for you. The Hemingway App is great for breaking down how you write, letting you know which sentences are tricky to read, and WordCounter is a great plagiarism checker and word counter that helps you stay on track.
Get good at editing
You've got to be ruthless when editing your copy; it pays to be harsh on yourself. Editing is a skill to master in its own right and adds value for clients. If your work is accurate and typo-free, they will seriously thank you for it, and conversely, if it's littered with mistakes, you may feel their ire. Start by reading your copy out loud and removing any filler words that halt your copy's flow and make it sound unnatural. Next, try cutting down any really long sentences and changing phrases that can be more succinct. Most importantly, remember who you are writing for. Keep the target audience at the forefront of your mind when writing and editing to give yourself the best chance at creating content that works.
Be humble and ask for feedback
And last but not least, always ask for feedback. No criticism, as long as it is constructive, is ever negative or unhelpful. You will learn from your mistakes. Find a few people you can trust to regularly review your work and provide you with notes on what worked well and what didn't. Spot patterns in the feedback you receive and note any weaker areas that need working on. Put your focus here first. If you want to succeed and build a career as a copywriter, you've got to keep writing. Practice makes perfect.
About the author:
Melissa Hawkins has worked in the digital world for over six years. A self titled digital storyteller, her day-to-day is full of content creating, copy writing, algorithm chasing and social media trends. She has worked with the Big Star team for over two years and when she is not creating fab content for the agency, she s crafting great copy for their eclectic roster. In true marketer fashion, she shares everything online and you can read more about me on her LinkedIn.
Check out her website:
https://www.bigstarcopywriting.com
Visit her Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamaehawkins