I have been fortunate enough to work with some great copywriters over the years – individuals who could spin magic out of plain English and simple sentences.
Some of these copywriters worked for big brands, some worked for small businesses; one or two wrote for magazines while the rest wrote for newspapers. One thing they all had in common is that they were incredibly talented and dedicated to their craft.
But that doesn’t mean their paths to copywriting were straightforward. In fact, each one of them had their own story to tell.
So whether you’re an aspiring copywriter heading down the right path or even if you’re just looking to beef up your team, here are some of the best tips from the professionals on how to lead a copywriting team.
Set the Tone
When you’re leading a team of copywriters, it’s important to establish a writing style and approach that will make your product stand out from the competition. Do this by sitting down with your team and brainstorming some unique selling points about your product – things that will make your customers want to buy it. From there, you can develop a brand voice and style that will resonate with your audience. This will also help you decide on the tone of your writing – are you aiming for an informative, educational piece or something more entertaining?
Once you’ve established this, you can start to put into practice what you’ve learned. Work with each member of your writing team on a regular basis to improve their craft and ensure that each piece of content resonates with your target audience. To continue growing your business, it’s important to identify the key areas that you need to improve on and the content that you need to create in order to appeal to the people most likely to buy your product. This is where having a clear brand voice and style will really start to pay off.
Be An Expert
Speaking of paying off, being an expert in your field is always going to be a valuable asset. Building your reputation as a subject matter expert and thought leader will do more than just land you more professional opportunities – it will also make your product stand out above the competition. Since customers are more likely to be swayed by an expert’s opinion than by a newcomer’s, this is a classic case of gaining leverage. And if you play your cards right, you might just end up with more customers than you could ever dream of.
Know Your Audience
In order to effectively lead a writing team, you need to know your audience. Just because you have a particular niche doesn’t mean that everyone in it will have the same interests. To continue with our example, let’s say that you’re the founder of a new technology startup that provides a platform for online businesses – the type of business that you would write for. While your product may be valuable and offer a lot of benefits to online merchants, that doesn’t mean that the people reading the reviews or using the product have the same interests as you do. Knowing what your target audience wants is the key to successfully leading a copywriting team.
Take Care Of Your Creatives
If you don’t already, take care of your copywriters. The same way you would with any other members of your team, keep them motivated and happy by regularly communicating with them, giving them opportunities to showcase their talents, and providing them with the resources they need to do their jobs well. When you’re taking care of your copywriters, make sure to do this both individually and as a group. Just because you have a lot on your plate does not mean that you have to do everything yourself – get a team of people to help you out so that you can get things done faster and with more quality.
As a copywriter, you have the unique ability to communicate with your audience using words and phrases that they are already familiar with. Knowing this, it is essential that you learn how to craft a compelling headline that will make them want to read your article. Craft compelling headlines that will stick out from the crowd so that they will click the links to your content.
Get Inspired
As a creative person, being a writer – or a photographer, or an artist – is all about being inspired by something, anyone, or anything. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut, feeling that we can’t come up with new ideas for our work because we’re always working on the same types of projects. To combat this, get inspired by everything around you – go for a walk, drive to the countryside, or take a trip to your local library and see what is inspiring other people. If you need a little push, start a blog or newsletter around a topic that you’re passionate about so that you can keep creating content on a regular basis.
Be A Supportive Leader
Above all else, be a supportive leader. Your job as a leader is to get the best out of your team, so you can continue growing your business. While you’re busy doing your job, the last thing you want to do is hold back your team – after all, if they aren’t enjoying their work, how can you expect them to do it well? Make sure to praise your team for their efforts and give them the opportunities to grow and develop their skills.
Above all else, be a supportive leader. Your job as a leader is to get the best out of your team, so you can continue growing your business. While you’re busy doing your job, the last thing you want to do is hold back your team – after all, if they aren’t enjoying their work, how can you expect them to do it well? Make sure to praise your team for their efforts and give them the opportunities to grow and develop their skills.
Keep On Top Of Trends
To stay ahead of the trends in your industry, you need to stay abreast of what is going on. This is especially important if you’re aiming for a specific niche or audience. To continue with our example, let’s say that you’re creating content for businesses that sell luxury goods – creating content that will appeal to this audience will put you ahead of the competition. Similarly, if you’re targeting young audiences, learning how to write effectively for the millennial generation is a great way to stay ahead of the trends.
Be Confident
Above all else, be confident. If you’re feeling nervous about something, say so. It is rarely pleasant to feel nervous, so make sure to tell your manager or coworker that you’re feeling anxious – this will likely make them feel less nervous about the task at hand. Confidence is important in all areas of life, but it especially so when it comes to writing – if you’re shaking like a leaf, your content is going to come out shoddy and unappealing. Make sure to work on your confidence – if you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, others will likely believe in you too.
Above all else, be confident. If you’re feeling nervous about something, say so. It is rarely pleasant to feel nervous, so make sure to tell your manager or coworker that you’re feeling anxious – this will likely make them feel less nervous about the task at hand. Confidence is important in all areas of life, but it especially so when it comes to writing – if you’re shaking like a leaf, your content is going to come out shoddy and unappealing. Make sure to work on your confidence – if you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, others will likely believe in you too.
Above all else, be confident. If you’re feeling nervous about something, say so. It is rarely pleasant to feel nervous, so make sure to tell your manager or coworker that you’re feeling anxious – this will likely make them feel less nervous about the task at hand. Confidence is important in all areas of life, but it especially so when it comes to writing – if you’re shaking like a leaf, your content is going to come out shoddy and unappealing. Make sure to work on your confidence – if you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, others will likely believe in you too.
Learn From The Best
The best way to improve your craft and become the best possible version of yourself is by constantly learning and evolving. This is especially important if you’re aiming for a specific niche or audience – make sure to learn what works well for these people and what doesn’t, so that you can provide the best possible service to them while also making sure that your own voice is still heard in the content that you’re creating. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to do – keep learning and evolving, and eventually, you’ll find your peak performance level.