The purpose of this article is to provide a basic overview of what constitutes good copywriting. We will cover the following aspects:
Overview Of The Process
Although there is no exact science to copywriting, it typically involves the following steps:
- An understanding of the target audience’s needs and desires.
- The development of an idea that answers these needs and desires.
- The implementation of the idea through clear and concise language, including word choice, sentence structure, and style.
- The review of the finished piece, looking for any unnecessary words or phrases, and identifying where the copywriter went wrong, as well as any style errors.
- The reworking of the piece, based on the review, until it is perfected.
- Publication of the piece, either digitally or in print.
The Importance Of Having A Beginner’s Mind
In order to be a good copywriter, you must possess a certain amount of flexibility, having a “beginner’s mind”. This means you must constantly be willing to question yourself and your approach, and reevaluate your goals and the tasks you set out to accomplish. If you constantly think that you know what will work and what won’t, you will find yourself becoming stale, and ultimately, ineffective as a copywriter.
Focus On The Positive
Although the above steps are common to all areas of copywriting, it is crucial to keep a positive attitude, and to focus on what you can do, rather than what you can’t. This will help you to establish good writer’s habits, which will in turn make you a better, more effective copywriter.
Style Is Everywhere
This aspect of copywriting can be difficult to quantify, but it is of paramount importance that you develop a personal style, which naturally flows from your content. If you want to write successful copy, you must find a way to integrate style throughout your work, without making it overpowering or distracting. You can use various tools and resources to help you find the right tone of voice, but ultimately, your style will be reflected in your writing.
Keep It Concise
Concise language is vital to effective copywriting. Use simple, everyday language, appropriate for any audience, and free of unnecessary words and phrases. Concise language will make your writing more accessible to your target audience, as well as easier to understand and verify. Short articles are easier to write and verify than lengthy ones, so keep your articles short and to the point.
Analyze The Results
Even the most skilled copywriter will be able to improve, and the results of your analysis can help you identify the areas of strength and weakness in your writing. Once you have performed this analysis, you can work on fixing the errors, and making your writing stronger.
Avoid The Junk
There are several instances where copywriting can go wrong. First of all, unnecessary words and phrases, used either excessively or in the wrong context, can make a piece confusing or even misleading. One of the easiest ways to review your work and find unnecessary words and phrases is to perform a quick noun-reduction. Another source of errors is too much “junk food” language, popularized by the Internet, social media, and email. This type of language is overused, and can often be redundant, causing unnecessary words to be included, or junk sentences to be written. Finally, and most importantly, bad spelling and grammar can also cause major errors, and make your writing difficult to understand. For this reason, spelling and grammar must be proper, or else your writing will suffer greatly.
Know Where You Are Going
The above steps are the general guidelines for what constitutes good copywriting. However, if you want your writing to be perfect, you must know where you are going, and how you are going to get there. This requires a certain degree of planning, and it will help you avoid any unnecessary mistakes. If you follow these steps, and know where you are going, you will be able to write successful copy that will improve your career as a copywriter.