Five Copywriter Habits That Will Improve Your Writing

Depending on the time of day, you’ve probably written hundreds of words already. Yes, it’s true.

Think about all the emails, reports, shopping lists, purchase orders, and notes to colleagues you’ve put out into the world today - all those words add up pretty quickly!

Modern business thrives on written communication. The power of the written word is so immense, it forms the entire basis of our society - think about our Constitution, laws, ordinances.

Though we may not be using words to trade sheep stations (or perhaps we are?) you can use these five copywriter habits to improve your own writing - and be more well understood and effective at work.

Writing For An Audience of One

The great American novelist and writer Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. once said:

“Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

In most cases, emails are one to one communication. In business, we may be writing reports to many stakeholders. Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett says that he writes his annual reports as if he was writing directly to his sisters. This will inform your style - as Buffett directed his copywriters: “safe, bland, and reassuring.”

Writing with one person in mind will keep your style consistent. You’ll feel less worried about how you say things and more focused on getting your message out there.

Takeaway: write to please one person, not many. Because you can’t please everyone.

All Writing Is a Story

Every piece of writing in business - in the world to date - has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Though I might cringe at the term “storytellers” in business, I do so because everyone is a storyteller.

In business, this narrative form may look like:

• The current problem

• What needs to be done about it

• What the resolved situation will look like

Make sure all your communications have a definite beginning, middle, and an end. Just like in high school, you need to introduce the topic of conversation to the reader. Don’t assume your reader knows everything there is to know - communication is the act of scooping out your brain into the brains of an unsuspecting and naive passer-by.

Takeaway: Structure your writing as stories with definite beginnings, middles, and endings.

Concise and Clear Language

You’ve likely read emails or reports that had you reaching for the dictionary at one point - I have, and I’m supposed to know “all the words.” Truth be told, I don’t. (The horror!) The point of good communication is clarity and concision. That means saying what you mean and making it as simple as possible to understand.

Doesn’t matter if your audience has three degrees in engineering or didn’t even finish high school - your writing should be equally accessible to both people. Would you rather be known as pretentious for trying to show off your brainiac vocabulary, or a business genius for explaining a difficult concept like you’re talking to a five year old? (That’s the old trick of “Explain Like I’m Five.”) Substitute long, difficult words for simpler alternatives. Utilize? Just say “use.”

Takeaway: Making your writing simple means it is easier to understand.

Editing Yourself

Everybody has time for editing. Doesn’t matter if it took you thirty seconds to compose, you can spend another thirty seconds proofing and editing. Editing is the art of cutting redundant words from your writing to achieve that concision and clarity. A sentence shouldn’t have extra words in it, much like a clock shouldn’t have extra hands on the dial. If you’re unsure on how to edit yourself, you can use Hemingway Editor or buy a book on editing, such as the aptly titled Edit Yourself.

Takeaway: Editing yourself is as crucial to the writing process as composition.

Using Verbs

Verbs power writing. Verbs, or “doing” words are the momentum your writing rides along. In business, almost everything is verbs. Buying, selling, ordering, drafting, syngergizing - some don’t seem like words at all, but they are at the very least passing themselves off as verbs. If your writing is trying to persuade or will something into being, verbs will get you there. Using too many nouns and adjectives bog the reader down - they will start wondering when you will get to the point very quickly. If you can write verbs into every sentence, you’re off to a flying start.

Takeaway: Verbs are the engine of writing, so the more verbs, the more horsepower your writing has.

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How Do I Learn Copywriting?

In business, there’s many facets to being successful. It might be being an expert in business finance; sales; research and development; or administration. However one skill that gets overlooked is clear and crisp communication. Marketing copywriting is essential to the success of any business. Like other types of business skills, can you learn it yourself? If so, how do you learn copywriting?

What is copywriting?

As I’ve explained in other blogs, copywriting is the art (and sometimes science) of writing text (known as copy) to persuade someone into taking an action - usually to buy something, sign up for a list, make an appointment, and so on. There are different types of copywriting and copywriters, which you can read more about here.

Once you’ve made your mind up about what type of copywriter you’ll end up being, you need to learn it all. The more forms of writing you can master, the more opportunities open up for you.

How do I start learning copywriting?

When you want to learn how to write, there’s only one place to start. Reading. Reading everything from sales letters, ad copy, blogs, forum posts, books, everything. If you aren’t a reader, you probably won’t get a kick out of copywriting, unfortunately!

You firstly need a good command of written English (or your home language.) I’ve put together a list of books on improving your written English here.

For some specific books, I recommend:

• Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins

• Ogilvy On Advertising by David Ogilvy

• The Gary Halbert Letter by Gary Halbert

• The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman

• Impossible to Ignore by Dr. Carmen Simon, Ph.D.

• The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth

• Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells by Robert W. Bly

You’ll also have to start practising your craft by writing, writing, and writing some more! Then, editing.

How can I learn copywriting skills?

Learning copywriting skills can be learned by repetition, continuous improvement, and if you so desire, under the supervision of a teacher or a mentor. One of the crucial skills of a copywriter not only choosing the right words but knowing which ones to cut. You also need to do that while remaining professionally detached from the finished product.

Editing yourself

Much of the art of copywriting is the judicious and ruthless editing of yourself. There’s a great book by Bruce Ross-Larson called Edit Yourself which can get you started. If your writing is bloated and full of unnecessary words or sentences, you’ll need to take some time making your writing punchier and more succinct. It may be worth your time hiring a professional editor to give you pointers.

Formal learning for copywriters

As I’ve mentioned in this post How To Become a Copywriter, you can take courses in professional writing and editing. This isn’t essential but can give you a leg up if you’re a complete beginner.

Ego is the enemy

Much of a copywriter’s output will be credited to someone else - but you also have to maintain the utmost quality regardless of who takes the “glory.” 90% of the time, you’re a hired gun. Much like a tradesman, you can make suggestions based on your expertise, but ultimately, you’re hired to build from the plan (or brief, as it may be.)

How long does it take to learn copywriting?

How long is a piece of string? I’m a copywriter and I am still learning! However, to get a grounding in the basic skills should take you at least a year, possibly two if your written communication skills are basic at best.

What are the essential copywriting skills, and how do I learn them?

There are a few essential copywriting skills - that is knowing the mechanics of good grammar, syntax, and sentence construction. Knowing that verbs power writing and that you should omit needless words. That persuasion is achieved through a combination of logos, pathos, and ethos, and that a good piece of writing should be able to overcome objection in advance. As for learning them:

Hand copying the greats

This is how the famous Hunter S. Thompson (author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) did it - and how you can do it. That is, typing out ads and webpages that are known to be successful. There’s no real way around it; but it will give you a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

Stealing!

It’s true - good artists borrow, great artists steal. If you hear or find a sentence or tagline you think is really great, write it down. Save it for later. I’ve stolen about five things in this blog post already (you’ll never catch them, though!)

Following the formulas

Like genres in fiction, there are formulas in copywriting. Learn them and familiarise yourself with them. One such formula is the “FAB” formula - feature, advantage, benefit. You will get a feel for what type of formula matches the product or service you intend to sell. Mix, match, and experiment.

Formatting your copy

Formatting text for your medium is important as the words you choose. Sometimes one influences the other, such as specific UX wireframes and character counts.

Learning how to research

In SEO and content writing, you’ll likely be writing blog posts, either for yourself or as a ghostwriter. You need to learn how to research your topics and even do some original research, e.g. interview subjects or create surveys as well as interpret the results. Getting people to open up and feel comfortable during an interview is a must-have skill. Ask as many questions as possible, until you start hearing answers that sound the same.

Added to that, you should have a good working knowledge of the latest SEO techniques, analytics, and basic HTML/CSS.

Knowing your audience

This is as much psychology as it is writing. If you want to write compelling characters in fiction, you need to get inside people’s heads. What do they want? What are they motivated by? What would make them need this product? What would make them want it? This means getting a handle on your own emotions and motivations - which is no easy feat.

Ask for help

When in doubt, ask for help from a professional or your mentor.

Improving your copy

This might seem overwhelming - but don’t feel stressed! This can take many years to master. To start, you should try to make your everyday communication as punchy and concise as possible. That means emails, reports, and blogs. Don’t know how? Don’t worry - I have you covered with my online Skillshare course, Write Like a Boss right here! It covers all the essentials of clear and memorable business writing. Best of all, you get one month of Skillshare free.

The next steps - how to become a copywriter

If you believe you have the skills and are ready to take on the world of copywriting, click here for my comprehensive blog on How to Become A Copywriter.

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Is one or two years of copywriting training too long for your liking? Hire one of Melbourne’s best copywriters to do the job for you instead! Check out my copywriting services here, or click below to contact me.