As this crazy year rolls to an end, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on how you can improve yourself in the coming year. Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions about personal improvement, but what about your copywriting resolutions – how can you write better copy in 2022?
Whether you are an entrepreneur or small business owner writing your own copy, or a seasoned copywriter, written communication plays an essential role in attracting prospects and getting conversions. Yes, email marketing automation has taken over, don’t get me wrong, but the fact that you’re still reading this article and actively seeking to improve yourself shows that copywriting is not a dying skill. On the contrary, it has become even more critical than ever.
So, here’s my list of New Year’s Copywriting resolutions every copywriter should be making. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or new to the game, these tips will help take your writing skills to the next level.
1. You need to write more (and if that’s not possible, then share others’ work)
Everyone needs some inspiration from time to time, and not just copywriters. In fact, some of the greatest copywriters out there don’t even have a degree in writing. They read as much as they can, practice their craft as often as possible, and learn from others.
Allow yourself that motivation. Perhaps you cannot write every day, but you can share a blog post from time to time. Share an article from one of your favourite writers on social media – not only will you feel inspired, but you’ll help spread the word about their work and in turn, you may inspire them.
There are countless communities out there full of inspiring writers just waiting to give you that morale boost. Find them, share their work and in turn, help inspire someone else. Not only will this keep your creative juices flowing, but it’s also a great way to stay up-to-date on what’s working in the world of copywriting – who knows, maybe one day you’ll be writing something that inspires someone else!
2. Make a point of researching your industry as much as you can
You may consider yourself an expert in your field, but just because you’re the most knowledgeable person on the topic doesn’t mean there isn’t more to be learnt. Look outside of what your company is providing as a service. What does the competition have to offer? How are you going to beat them?
In addition, it’s important to keep an eye on new technology that may be of use within your industry – for example, if you were a plumber, perhaps 3D Printing could revolutionise your business. It’s always a good idea to stay up-to-date with the latest news from your industry.
Not only will this make you a better writer, but it may also assist in providing better quality written content for you or your clients.
3. Always write as if you were talking to one person
This is a big one. Often business owners will hire a writer and ask them to write something that sounds like it’s for everyone, often ‘one size fits all’. However, this is not good practice when it comes to copywriting. Every single person who reads your ad or opt-in email has their own personality and their own voice inside their head.
They want something that resonates with them, not some generic message that sounds like it’s been churned out by a machine. So the next time you write for someone, take the time to think about who is actually going to read your content – are they male or female? Are they young or old? Are they from a particular geographical area? What is their level of intelligence? Asking yourself these questions will help you tailor the message to resonate with one person.
In addition, your language must reflect the audience you’re talking to – if they say “that sucks!” then feature that word in your content. The more personal you make it, the more likely they are to respond.
4. STOP using filler words
Every single writer has filler words. We’re not perfect creatures. But if you want to write copy that will captivate an audience and keep them reading for as long as possible, you need to stop using filler words. What are these words? They are commonly known as ‘filler’ words, also called ‘ditch’ words or the ‘most useless’ words in our vocabulary. They include: “like…”, “sort of…”, “I guess…”, “really…” and “basically…”.
When you use too many of these words, your copy will start to sound like a load of unnecessary chatter. It should be concise and to the point – it doesn’t need all those extra words to fill out the sentence. Your words should reflect your audience and engage with them, not drag on for too long.
5. Make sure you write in the active voice
The passive voice is very formal sounding. It’s often used in legal or academic writing to create a sense of authority, but it’s NOT effective when you want to engage your reader. Instead, you should be writing in the active voice – this is when the subject of a sentence performs the action instead of being acted upon.
For example: “The cat caught the rat” versus “the rat was caught by the cat”. Does it make much difference? Not really, unless you want to make your copy sound more formal.
6. Remember that the headline is the most crucial part of your written content
If you want your readers to stay on your page and read what follows, you must write a great, attention-grabbing headline. If they don’t understand what they can get from reading this article or looking at your ad copy, they’ll just leave and continue scrolling through other content.
Got any other ideas on how to improve your copywriting for your business content? Leave a comment and let me know!
If you have any questions or prefer someone else to provide you with freelance copywriting support, please feel free to contact me at https://creativecopywritingsg.com/.
