Wouldn't it be wonderful if the world were always a bright, shiny place and everyone was always supportive? Oh, it would. It would. But that's just not the case. So let's talk about how to stay up when other people are bringing you down. The simple fact of the matter is that people—including our family and friends—are going to have opinions about what you do. To be clear, … [Read more...]
How to Improve Your Copywriting Skills
When you're first learning to write copy, trying to craft the perfect line feels like pulling teeth. You wrangle and struggle and moan and groan and wonder how long until you'll get better at this. So, today, we're giving away the big secret: the key to improving as a copywriter. First, the most important thing to remember when you're learning is that it's supposed to be … [Read more...]
What to Do When You Feel Inadequate
It's true: We're all our own worst enemies. After all, who hasn't been going along just fine when, all of a sudden, you're hit with the certainty that you're not good enough? That you just don't have what it takes and you're going to fail? It's coming...so let's talk about how to deal with it. "What do you do when you feel inadequate?" is one of the most common questions I … [Read more...]
How to Deal With Rejection from Copywriting Clients
At some point or another, every single person is going to be passed over for a job they want. It's just the way the world works. But what separates the successful copywriters from the less-than-successful copywriters is what they do after the rejection. Here are three steps you can take to move pass that feeling of rejection and move toward your next win! 1. Remember: … [Read more...]
How To Find a Copywriting Mentor
A lot of career and business guides will advise you to find a copywriting mentor...but they won't tell you how to find that mentor. Until there's a website to connect would-be mentors with mentees like a dating site (note to self: business idea!), you'll have to go it alone. So, here are a few tips to find a copywriting mentor. When you're looking for your mentor, don't … [Read more...]
8 Tips for Networking Success
On the list of "Things People Hate to Do," networking probably falls just below "get a root canal." After all, nothing conjures up fear of rejection like an entire room full of people you don't know. At the same time, though, you know that you have to master networking to get started (and keep progressing) in the copywriting industry. So, here are a few easy tactics to help … [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...]
Your Unique Selling Point: Set Yourself Apart from the Competition
We're all in the business of selling. We're either actually trying to sell products or services, or we're trying to "sell" people on taking some kind of an action. Even nonprofits are trying to sell people on making donations. But with the unemployment rate constantly making the news and articles about "how to get a raise" and "how to brand yourself" across magazines and … [Read more...]
How to Deal With Feedback and Criticism From Copywriting Clients
Advertising and marketing (and, therefore, copywriting and design) are very collaborative fields. You put your best foot forward with great copy, but the team you work with is always going to have added insight and opinions based on their own expertise. But it's not always so easy to listen to feedback and criticism of your work, especially since what's up for review is your … [Read more...]
5 Easy Steps to Overcoming Feeling Overwhelmed (Really)
With all due respect to Nike, sometimes "Just Do It" is easier said than done. Often (and more often than I'd like to admit) when I'm facing a big project, my gut reaction is to shut down, stare into space and deeply, deeply panic. Not so useful. Years ago, when I moved into my first condo, my Mom came out to help me get moved in. I signed the papers, the movers brought the … [Read more...]