With the changing trends and the upcoming holidays, it’s high time to revamp your CV (curriculum vitae). If you’re looking for a change, why not consider researching for a career in copywriting? You’ll be able to use your writing skills to bring clarity to complex issues and to craft winning sales pitches, product descriptions, and marketing campaigns.
But how can you get started? What skills should you hone to become a successful copywriter?
In this blog post, we’ll tell you about 11 skills that you should master to become a successful copywriter.
1. Research
As a copywriter, you’ll be conducting extensive research to come up with the most effective and persuasive copy for your clients. To start with, you’ll need to develop a solid understanding of your audience’s needs and wants. For this, you can either consult the scientific literature, trade journals, or survey tools like Google Consumer Surveys or SurveyMonkey.
You’ll also need to become an expert in the field and increase your knowledge base. To do this, you can either join a professional organization or association, or you can consider reading and learning from the best. Once you’ve amassed enough knowledge, you can begin applying what you’ve learned and developing your own unique voice. Whether you’re writing a press release to promote a new service offering or product, or you’re creating a marketing plan for a new brand, your research will be crucial in helping you craft the most effective pitch.
2. Structure
As a copywriter, you’ll be taking an unstructured idea and shaping it into a well-thought-out and logical plan. To do this, you’ll need to have a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve and how you’ll go about achieving it. To get started, first define the goals and objectives you have in mind.
From here, you can map out the most effective plan of action. Is your goal to boost web traffic to your site? Do you want to raise brand awareness? What metrics should you use to gauge your progress?
With your goal in mind, you’ll be able to choose the right structure for your plan. You can use the 5W’s Framework (Who, What, Why, When, Where, and How) to build your plan. As you might imagine, using a structured approach can help you stay organized and on track while you’re developing your writing project. It can also help you communicate your thoughts and ideas to others more clearly.
3. Creative
As a copywriter, you’ll be using your creative skills to bring life to your ideas. For this, you’ll need to develop strong aesthetic sensibilities. If you can craft a winning pitch that appeals to the emotions of your reader, you’ll be able to pull them into action – whether they want to learn more about your product or service, or they want to purchase it. Plus, you’ll be able to use various methods (e.g., images, bold fonts, colors, etc.) to make your content standout.
To start developing your creative skills, you can either take a traditional art route and learn how to use traditional media like paint or pencils, or you can consider exploring new media. For instance, if you’re looking to explore online marketing, you could do so by creating videos to showcase your product, or you could develop an online magazine to showcase your work. It’s all about finding the right platform for you and your style – something that will showcase your creativity and make your work stand out.
To spice things up, you might want to try your hand at fiction writing. From engaging character development to a fresh new storyline, you can use creative writing to develop your storytelling skills. Plus, you can use fictional narratives to explore issues that you might deem too sensitive to address accurately (e.g., mental health issues, drug abuse, etc.). Just make sure that you approach this type of writing with a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve. Are you trying to shed light on a particular issue? Or are you looking to create an entertaining read?
4. Emotional
As a copywriter, you’ll be using your emotional intelligence to analyze situations and craft pitches that will resonate with your clients. To put it simply, your readers (i.e., your customers) want to believe that what you have to say is true. To this end, you’ll need to develop the ability to discern what is important to your audience and the ability to make them feel something. For example, if you’re writing to raise brand awareness, you might want to explore how to make your audience feel compassion for the issues you’re raising – whether it’s climate change, the need for equal rights, or the desire for financial stability. In these instances, you could use storytelling to paint a more realistic picture of the issue. That is, you could use the 5W’s framework to craft an objective piece about climate change that doesn’t completely vilify green living. Instead, you could explore various ways that individuals and families can adapt to the new climate. This would allow you to use your creative skills to bring some life to a rather dry subject.
5. Logical
As a copywriter, you’ll be using your logical skills to take the reader from point A to point B. To put it simply, you’ll be using logic to sequence ideas – whether they’re ideas for content or an order of operations for a business plan. To get started, simply break down the tasks you need to complete into a logical flowchart and work your way from top to bottom. In creating a logical plan, you might want to think about what would cause your plan to fail. For example, if you’re writing a business plan and you run into trouble articulating your strategy, it could be because you’ve neglected to include all the necessary background information. In these instances, it might be a good idea to pause and go back and add more detail. While logic alone won’t make you a skilled copywriter, it will help you become more organized and confident in your work.
6. Communicative
As a copywriter, you’ll be using your communicative skills to persuade your audience to action. To do this, you’ll need to craft an argument that is both logically sound and emotionally engaging. To get started, simply follow the 6 steps of logical reasoning:
- List the facts (i.e., present the evidence).
- Explain their significance (i.e., give the reasons).
- Connect the facts to your conclusion (i.e., show the relationship).
- Defend your argument (i.e., prove the veracity of your claim).
- Summarize your argument.
- Repeat until satisfied.
When crafting an argument, keep in mind that your reader (i.e., your audience) is likely to have different perspectives. In other words, your reader might not necessarily agree with your conclusions. To persuade them otherwise, you should consider using various rhetorical devices (e.g., appeals to emotion, vivid examples, etc.). Just make sure that you maintain a logical flow in your argument.
For instance, if you’re writing to persuade your reader to purchase a product or service, you might want to take a cue from advertising and create a sense of urgency. This in turn could be the result of your diligent research into your audience’s needs and wants. With a clear understanding of the issues at hand and the various tools you’ll need to address them, you’re ready to begin writing.
7. Self-motivated
As a copywriter, you’ll be expected to put in the necessary hours without any direction from above. For this, you’ll need to develop a strong work ethic. But how do you get started? First, set a goal for yourself. Then, take this goal and break it down into small, achievable tasks. For example, if your goal is to become a successful copywriter, your first task could be to submit 100 pitches to different businesses. To do this, you could create a to-do list and check items off as you complete them. Alternatively, you could use a productivity app like Todoist to track your progress and stay motivated.
With your goal in mind, you’ll be able to set a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Regular exercise and a positive outlook help too.