One of the most daunting parts of a project can be the brainstorming, or copywriting concepting, process. Concepting can feel like a mystical process, conjuring brilliance out of nothing or mixing a magical potion. (I suppose in some ways it is kind of magical since you'll use just three ingredients—you, your design partner, and the brief—to produce your ideas. Sometimes it may … [Read more...]
Slash and Burn: How To Write Less More Often
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, logician, physicist, and theologian of the 17th century, wrote in a letter, “Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parceque je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.” (“I have only made this letter rather long because I have not had time to make it shorter.”) As copywriters, we don’t have the option Monsieur Pascal had. We … [Read more...]
How Copywriting Projects Actually Come Together
For people who are just starting out as copywriters, there's an element to the copywriting process that's often kind of a mystery. Namely, well, pretty much the whole process. How does a project get started? How when do you work with a designer? How does your work get seen? Where does the writing fit in? Believe me: what seems confusing and intimidating now will eventually … [Read more...]
The Anatomy of a Good Ad: 6 Elements to Include
In the course of a day, you'll come across about a bazillion ads (I'll have to cite that study later...). Some are good, but many are not so good. As a copywriter, it's crucial that you learn to tell the difference. Being able to tell if an ad is any good is crucial since you'll need to be able to apply that same discernment to your own work. After all, if you can't tell … [Read more...]
Fake Job Alert: What You Need to Know About Being an “SEO Copywriter”
For all the companies that are looking for "SEO copywriters," you'd think it's a super-specialized field. But the truth is, any copywriter worth their fees is an SEO copywriter—and most people looking for SEO copywriters have no idea what they're actually asking for. Despite all of the show about differentiating it from "regular copywriting," what separates SEO copywriting … [Read more...]
Keep Your Copywriting Creative Review from Going off the Rails
If there's one aspect of copywriting that almost always comes as a shock to the new practitioner, it's creative reviews. Sure, it sounds simple: A meeting in which people get together to discuss work. But what actually happens—and how it can be perceived by writers—is a bit different. Read on for a few tips about how to survive and thrive in creative reviews. What is a … [Read more...]
How Copywriters Work With Designers
In many ways, the collaboration between a copywriter and a designer can make a project...or break it. Today, we'll talk about a few tips for making the most of your most important partnership. 1. Recognize That Copy is Just as Important as Design and Vice Versa The first step in creating a good partnership is to understand that both of you hold importance in creating your … [Read more...]
Can You Handle the Proof?
Someone has a great idea. But, as with any great idea, there's no telling whether or not this idea will sell. In some scenarios, it's then up to a copywriter and designer to help them figure out how likely it is to succeed with a "proof of concept" test. What's a Proof of Concept Test? Let's dig into this with an example. Say you work at a travel company and someone has … [Read more...]
How To Pinpoint the Deep Benefit in Successful Copywriting
As a copywriter, to create truly effective copy, you know you have to lead with the benefit to consumer (what's in it for them), but what else can you do to make your audience take action? You already know to lead with the benefit, give a strong call to action, and keep your copy within your brand/company's tone. However, there is something else you could be utilizing—a … [Read more...]
How to Reign Supreme with Content
It's worth first noting that copy and content are two different, if related, beasts. Copy is used to sell things (products, ideas or actions) while content provides added value for the reader by giving them things to read/view that are useful, entertaining or inspirational. That said, many copywriters do take on content writing projects (after all, if your client needs … [Read more...]