10 tips on how to improve your copywriting skills
If you are involved in copywriting as a copywriter or copy editor then you know its importance. At the outset, copywriters work with the article content, write copy for advertising and promotional materials, customize documents to achieve a desired tone of voice and style. They make sure that the text they work on is understandable, accurate and well-presented. Copy editors' role is to check copy for correctness – spelling, grammar and punctuation – before it goes to press. In both cases, they need good writing skills. The better their copywriting skills are, the better they perform their jobs.
Copywriters who want to become more successful must sharpen their writing skills by reading widely from many disciplines e.g., newspapers, magazines or books. They must develop the general copywriting skills to establish a good career.
There are several ways to improve copywriting skills, but these are some of the easiest that you can do yourself at home or even while on your break at work:
1) Read copy written by professionals. This is perhaps the best way copywriters can learn copywriting skills. It's not enough just to read copy or ads for fun, they have to study them so they can get an idea how professional writers do it. Some copywriters want to be able copywriters when they grow up; but if their only goal is to imitate what they see, then all their efforts will be in vain. The more ads and other copy they read daily; the better their skills will become because their copywriting skills are sharpened by exposure to copy that has already been proven effective. The copywriters should read ads in the same publications they want to write for; ads of other copywriters; and, if possible, ads written by copywriters whose style they like.
2) Keep a copywriting journal. In this, copywriters can keep notes about what they have seen in print that impresses them or makes them laugh or even infuriates them. When copywriters see an ad that is successful, one that pulls well or gets repeated orders from satisfied customers, then it is best just to sit back and think how it made them feel when they first saw it before going on with whatever else is at hand. The copywriters will know what they are doing is copywriting if they feel excited about the ad; if their minds become absorbed with it; or if they find themselves thinking of ways to write ads like it.
3) Read copy written by copywriters who are just starting out. Some copywriters may think that only copy written by professional copywriters has merit because this has already been proven effective and successful, but actually reading copy written by beginners can be helpful. It's best to read copy that was published in small-circulation publications where there were fewer chances for mistakes than in big-city papers which have got all the bells and whistles to impress its readership. When copy is highly targeted then there's less likelihood that crucial words or copy points will be missed.
4) Read copy written by copywriters who are trying to break into copywriting. This can give copywriters an idea of what copywriting is all about so they'll understand more about the world of copywriting. They must remember, however, that copy written by beginners is usually unpublishable for several reasons: it's ungrammatical; badly written; too long-winded; has loose construction; lacks focus on the product/service being sold or promoted or uses jargon that doesn't quite fit in with its theme and its intended readership.
5) Write copy for ads of companies where you would like to work as a copywriter. Writing ads for imaginary companies gives them the chance to hone their copywriting skills. At the same time, copywriters can become familiar with the company they want to work for as a copywriter so they will know what kind of copy works best for them.
6) Write copy about products or services you have firsthand knowledge about or have experience using. This can give copywriters an idea of how copy should be written because it is easier to write copy if they are familiar with the product being sold and how it feels, tastes, looks, and smells like when used by customers. It's also easier to write copy if copywriters themselves have experienced using that particular product or service, but just writing about things which people use in daily life – toothpaste, foodstuff, laundry detergent – can help them learn copywriting basics, too.
7) Write copy that sells. Copywriters should do just that, even if they find it difficult to get into or keep up with the pace of deadlines set by their publications for copy to be published. They must remember that copy is advertising, and what it needs are copy points that will get people to buy advertised products and/or services; great creative lettering and headline writing; photos, artwork, and other visuals which illustrate and support message and copy points clearly.
8) Practice copywriting on a regular basis until copywriting skills become second nature so copywriting seems effortless when done well. The best way for introverts to copywrite is for copywriters to listen to recorded copy instead of reading from a script.
9) Get feedback from other copywriters who have been on the copywriting beat longer than you have so they can help copywriters become better at writing copy that sells.
10) Find a mentor or an adviser who is willing and able to give advice and constructive criticism, especially when copy is not up to par with what's expected in that particular publication. They must remember that it's even more important for copywriters to get paid well for their work, because it's their livelihood after all.