4 tips for beginner copywriters
As a senior copywriter, I have a tendency to say the same things over and over again when I’m reviewing or editing my team’s work. Some people have called these “Jen-isms,” and I was even honored when, after receiving one of my tips from a different teammate, a Gen-Zer said of it, “That’s so Jen-coded.”
I mean, I’m nothing if not consistent.
So, tuck in and let me introduce you to my favorite copy tips.
#1: Particularize.
I talked about this in my AYR brand voice analysis, but I’ll explain it again: particularizing is the act of diving into the details. Nothing makes me disengage from copy faster than filler words and pointless abstractions…and that’s the last thing you want to have happen.
We’re marketers. Our job is to paint a picture, sell a dream, create a want—and plant ourselves firmly in someone’s brain as unforgettable. The magic happens when we paint a vision that a consumer can’t shake themselves out of.
#2: Be conversational.
Overdished advice? Maybe. But there’s a reason for that. I think there’s a weird fear of…I dunno, grammatical incorrectness that hovers over every young writer. I’m here to tell you to put it out of your head.
Think about the way you talk. Do you use contractions? Do you use incomplete sentences? Do you start sentences with conjunctions? I sure do. I put more emphasis on SPECIFIC syllables to make a point, and slow. them. down to drive something home.
There’s a way to break the rules with every brand voice, even high-end ones—and these are the things that make you sound more human. (But, young grasshopper, it IS important to know the rules before you go too crazy.)
#3: Beat the academic out of your voice.
Ah, college term papers. We all wrote ‘em…and we all let them destroy our writing voices for a minute there. It does something to you: makes you over-rationalize, over-explain, and use big important-sounding words (like “utilize,” my least favorite word on the planet) instead of something simpler.
I’m not saying to dumb yourself down—absolutely not; the consumer is smart and your copy should be, too—but try and stick to words a 6th grader would know. When in doubt, open up the voice recorder on your phone and start to read your copy out loud. Listen back. Does it sound fun or engaging to read? Do you get tripped up? Do you feel like you’re giving a lecture? If yes…take a pass and beat out the academic.
#4: Cut in half, then cut in half again.
This is my favorite piece of advice–and probably my most sinister, if I’m being honest. The LOOKS I get when I ask for this! The looks! It’s even worse when I send it back and say, “cut in half again.”
But brevity is so key to copy. All we hear anymore is how attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and that’s true, but young writers also have a tendency to overwrite, use excess words, and be redundant.
Last, but most important: it makes you hyperfocus on word choice, which usually leads to better particularization, which leads to more stunning, convincing copy.
Never forget: No one’s perfect.
This isn’t just for beginners—I’m constantly reminding myself to abide by #1, 2, and 4 (I beat out my inner academic a long time ago, thankfully).
But part of getting to the senior level is being able to self-edit. The more you practice, the faster you’ll know good copy when you see it!
Oh, and one last thing: I just want to say that I had to write this post not once, not twice, but THRICE, because the first time the page refreshed and I lost it all, and the second time I hated it. So, a bonus tip…save your work as you go.