Today, I want to talk to you about the very basics of copywriting. Say you’re just starting out and you’re overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that is being thrown at you from all directions: rules, advice, things to remember. This is an attempt to simply all that in the best way possible; let’s make learning copywriting as simple as learning you’re abcs. So, here are a few simple rules and principles to base your writing on, organized in a fun, efficient way. Enjoy!

Always keep your target reader in mind. They are the one you need to reach through your writing, so it needs to be tailored in such a way as to appeal to them. Whatever you choose to write, the reader is always the most important, so you need to remember that and adjust your content, tone and style of writing, accordingly. For example, if you are writing a piece about children’s playgrounds, you’re going to want to make it fun and child-friendly. If, on the other hand, you are writing about financing options for a private business, you will need to take a significantly more serious and somber tone.

Before you start writing, remember to do your research. Research stands at the heart of any article, e-book or any other piece you are writing. It’s one of the most important steps in your process – if not the most important – and you need to give it the time and interest it requires. Regardless of your topic, unless you are an expert on the matter, you have to take the time to read about it first, educate yourself and inform yourself to the best of your abilities, so you are familiar with it before you start writing about it. It makes sense, right? You can’t write about something, unless you know what you’re talking about, so don’t skip this essential step.

Creativity is your best friend and your most valuable asset. This job doesn’t only require it; it exists because of it. It’s what lies at the basis of this entire business and at the heart of writing. I mean, they don’t call it a creative process for nothing. Let your imagination guide you – within reason – and reap the benefits of your talent.

Pro tip: Make sure to always think about a different or unique way of presenting things. Don’t immediately go for the obvious; instead, take the time to brainstorm a little, throw some ideas around and see what you come up with. Sometimes, inspiration comes from the weirdest of places and the best ideas are the unlikely ones. : Make sure to always think about a different or unique way of presenting things. Don’t immediately go for the obvious; instead, take the time to brainstorm a little, throw some ideas around and see what you come up with. Sometimes, inspiration comes from the weirdest of places and the best ideas are the unlikely ones.

Don’t be afraid to be bold, whether we’re talking about statements or titles. Opinionated writing is big right now and most of the time, shocking or unusual claims are going to attract a lot of readership. Of course, you have to be ready to back up that bold claim, but if you have the guts and the arguments, go for it. There’s nothing worse than bland, boring, neutral writing. The world needs opinions, so let them have it!

Every copywriter runs into the dreaded writer’s block, from time to time. What you need to remember is to not let it scare you into giving up. It’s just a temporary phase and it is guaranteed to pass, but you need to give it a little nudge, so to speak. If this happens to you, try some exercises meant to get your writing groove back. For example, you can

Take a break from writing, entirely . Shut down your computer, put your pen and papers away and just take a break from writing, thinking about writing or stressing over your task or the ticking clock. Take this time to relax and clear your head. The emptier, the better. Do something completely unrelated, which doesn’t solicit your brain power, like watching TV, taking a walk, talking on the phone, playing with your pet, etc.

. Shut down your computer, put your pen and papers away and just take a break from writing, thinking about writing or stressing over your task or the ticking clock. Take this time to relax and clear your head. The emptier, the better. Do something completely unrelated, which doesn’t solicit your brain power, like watching TV, taking a walk, talking on the phone, playing with your pet, etc. Try writing something different. Writing on a different topic for a while, or simply making an exercise in creativity and writing something else, just for the hell of it, can clear out the pipes, so to speak, and give you the creative boost you needed. It can be a different work-related task, something fictional or even something personal, in a diary or journal. The aim of this exercise is to write.

Approach the subject from a different angle. Take a piece of paper and a pen and start brainstorming ideas. What else can be said about your topic? What hasn’t been written before? What would be an original way of taking on this particular issue and what elements of novelty can you provide to your readers?

Flexibility is vital in copywriting. No client is going to want the same thing as another, and you have to be prepared to tweak, modify, change or even scrap altogether and start again, in order to make sure the client gets what they envisioned. This requires patience and an open mind and the willingness and flexibility to dance to someone’s else’s music, so to speak. You will need to:

Write about a wide (and I mean wide) variety of topics

Write form different perspectives

Write for different audiences

Write according to strict specifications

Write entirely based on assumptions

…and many other things I won’t list here today. This is what makes our job interesting and exciting; it would be boring if it were the same thing every day, right?

Good writing stirs up emotion in the reader. We know that the most popular and widely read pieces of writing are the ones which pull at the reader’s heartstrings and produce some sort of emotion. Whether it’s nostalgia, empathy, shock or happiness, the thing to keep in mind is that it has to make an impact. That’s easier said than done, but it can be achieved through means of relating to your reader. You can make that happen by introducing some visual examples, which are very powerful, appealing to your reader’s memories, recounting something from your own experience, etc.

Headlines! Yes, we’re talking about headlines again, because damn it, they’re important. Your number one priority, when it comes to headlines, is to make them attractive and intriguing. Whether they’re announcing a list, posing a question, making a shocking statement or something else, they need to make the reader want to click your article.

It’s all in the benefits. Writing copy oftentimes means you have to try and sell something – a service, a product, a website, an idea, a message, etc. Whatever it is, your job is to make it sound appealing to as many people as possible, so they’ll go check it out. It’s marketing, at the end of the day. And one of the most important aspects of marketing a product is showing off and highlighting its many and unique benefits. This is something companies usually ask you to really focus on, as it’s what ultimately draws the customer to the product.

Pro tip: An easy way of making sure you are listing the benefits and making the product appealing is answering the customer question “What’s in it for me?”, “Why would I buy this?” or “How do I benefit from this product?” : An easy way of making sure you are listing the benefits and making the product appealing is answering the customer question “What’s in it for me?”, “Why would I buy this?” or “How do I benefit from this product?”

Just because you’ve failed once, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. When you write for a living, you’re probably putting out several pieces every single day – that’s a lot of writing. And not all of it it’s going to be your best, and that’s ok. Newbie writers, especially, tend to get discouraged when they receive bad reviews or negative feedback, mean comments or get reprimanded by their bosses for less than stellar work. It’s not the greatest feeling in the world, but now you can learn from this failure and get better. Failing doesn’t mean you’re bad, just human.

Keep a schedule. Yes, writing is a creative endeavor and it can’t be limited to a specific amount of time, because you never know how it’s gonna go. That’s precisely why you should set up a schedule and a game plan of sorts. Decide that you’re going to write x amount of words by 4 o’clock, for example and do your best to keep within that time frame, even when you don’t have a strict deadline.

Pro tip: When you do have a deadline, do your best to finish before it’s crunch time. This way, you don’t end up hyperventilating, because you’re afraid of not meeting your deadline and you have time to spare to review, proofread, etc. : When you do have a deadline, do your best to finish before it’s crunch time. This way, you don’t end up hyperventilating, because you’re afraid of not meeting your deadline and you have time to spare to review, proofread, etc.

Language is much more important than you think it is. You can’t just use any kind of language for any kind of article and any kind of audience. And I’m not just talking about not using swear words and “yo!” in serious, professional articles. Nelson Mandela once said about this that I found very interesting:

“If you talk to a man in a language that he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

Now, this can be taken to mean language literally, as in dialect, but it can also be interpreted in a different way. You can write an article using high-brow language and “big” words, and your audience will understand it, at an intellectual level, but they won’t take it to heart. However, if you write something in someone’s own “language”, like you knew them, that makes the experience much more personal and your message touches your reader where it matters.

Most articles don’t get shared on social media. Did you know that? It’s because they don’t have what it takes to become viral. This is a term that gets thrown around a lot, lately, but what does an article need, in order to go viral and get shared by everyone and their mom across all sorts of social media platforms? For one, that emotional component we were talking about earlier is very important. But so are things that are shocking, outrageous, secret, funny or taboo.

Nobody will be impressed by your ramblings. In other words, stick to the subject. Sure, we’re all creative thinkers, here, and we tend to get a little carried away, sometimes, but spending 600 words of a 1000-word piece on quality fabrics arguing the fact that stretchy jeans are the devil is by no means meeting your word quota or staying relevant.

Pro tip: Take a break from time to time and re-read what you’ve written up to that point. What does it sound like? Is it on topic? Then, good, carry on. If you have a long-winding introduction and you’re only getting to the point halfway through the article…revise. : Take a break from time to time and re-read what you’ve written up to that point. What does it sound like? Is it on topic? Then, good, carry on. If you have a long-winding introduction and you’re only getting to the point halfway through the article…revise.

Once you submit or publish your piece, let it go. Whatever you do, don’t go back and read it again, because you’re always going to find something you now think is objectively terrible and want to change. There’s nothing you can do about it, it’s done now. You have to stop editing sometime, and that time is when you press submit. Then it’s bye-bye, editing and hello, criticism, good or bad.

Pro tip: If you really feel that strongly about it, give yourself some time before you submit an article. Finish writing it, wait for a few hours and then read it again to see if you still like it. If you give it a green light, send it on its way. If not, modify whatever you want, but don’t re-write the whole piece. : If you really feel that strongly about it, give yourself some time before you submit an article. Finish writing it, wait for a few hours and then read it again to see if you still like it. If you give it a green light, send it on its way. If not, modify whatever you want, but don’t re-write the whole piece.

Proofreading must become your best friend. Let’s assume you’re reading a highly emotional article about someone’s personal experience in the horrors of war. You’re very engaged and interested in what this person has to share, but you’re taken out of the experience by a typo. Eh, it happens. Then there’s another one. And another one. Look, typos happen sometimes – we’re not robots and especially when you’re typing something really fast, some misspellings you miss are bound to happen. That’s why God invented proofreading. If you can’t trust yourself to do it, ask someone else, but for God’s sake, don’t publish your typo-filled piece, because no one wants to see that.

Quality writing is your goal, so put effort towards it. Take your time to put your piece together and always write with quality in mind. It’s tempting to just whizz through an article with run-of-the-mill, general information and zero value, but that’s not going to help anyone and you’re only going to waste your time. Instead, make an effort and pay attention to your writing style, your content and your sources. Quality writing comes from talent, but it also comes from hard work and proper research. You can’t have one without the others, so you have to find the right balance between them. For example, an article titled “How To Lose Weight” which only barely covers superficial things, like “Exercise more” and “Keep a diet” is sub-par, no matter how beautifully written. However, one which details techniques and exercises and actual diets, together with the reasons why they are so efficient is going to provide much better quality and value.

Redundancy is something you will want to keep away from at all costs, but it happens to most of us from time to time, usually when we have too many words to write on a subject that has no “meat” or when we don’t do enough research and just keep on repeating what we know (naughty!). Obviously, this situation is not ideal, so avoid being that person who reiterates the same idea over and over and keeps beating a dead horse.

Pro tip: Whenever you start writing, no matter what topic, try making a list with at least 10 things to say about it. Alternatively, if your task is to write a : Whenever you start writing, no matter what topic, try making a list with at least 10 things to say about it. Alternatively, if your task is to write a listicle such as “15 Things You Didn’t Know About X”, don’t stop at 15; jot down as many things as possible, and have at least 5 more than you actually need. The purpose of this exercise is to have options and diversity to the points you make. This way, you have more to choose from and you can include the best of 20 or more, instead of the first 15 things to come to mind.

Sell it! No, not literally, but you know, make an effort to make your writing sound appealing to your audience and, most importantly, believable. This means you need:

Credible sources – Pulling your information out of thin air is not going to do anyone any good – neither you or the reader. Especially when you’re writing about something very specific that you’re not an expert on, don’t be lazy; cite your sources! And make them credible – buzzfeed doesn’t count.

Fact-checking – “Why do I need actual research, when I can just make up statistics to make my piece sound credible?” Because that’s lazy and unprofessional and you know it. Back up your claims with facts and check them twice (yes, like Santa Clause) to make sure you’ve got it right.

Persuasive language – “Undoubtedly, Queen is the best group of our generation”, “This is definitely the worst game of the entire season”, “I am certain that everyone will agree that this product’s feature is amazing”. See? You can do it, too!

All of these things will give weight and authority to your words.

Time is of the essence in this industry, but more often than not, time is the one thing we do not have enough of. That’s why you need to learn to make the most of your time and become more and more productive in your limited minutes and work more efficiently. “That’s all swell”, you might say, “but how do I actually do that?” Allow me to give some suggestions:

Give yourself strict deadlines – Be your own mean boss and be really hard on yourself, when it comes to time. The secret, here, is to not allow yourself to waste even a minute. You can take breaks, but not very long, and whatever you do, make sure you don’t spend more than the allotted time on one task. Identify your most productive time of day – We all function differently and while some are early birds that get more done before 7 am than the rest of us do all day, other people are more akin to night owls and reach peak productivity around 2 am. Take advantage of your most productive time of day (or night) and get most of your work done then. This way, when the afternoon rolls around and you’re lacking in energy and desire, you’re not stuck trying to figure out harder tasks. Divide and conquer – Sometimes, it’s easier if you just divide a longer piece into several smaller parts that you can do one at a time. Reward yourself with a treat or 5 minutes of internet time after you finish a section and then go on to writing the next one. Eliminate distractions – Be ruthless: no internet, no phone calls, no pets, no staring idly out the window. Work time is for work, and then you can play.

Understanding your topic seems like it would be the logical first step before you start writing, right? Well, sometimes signals gets crossed or there’s an oversight of some sort and you end up…completely missing the point. It’s not ideal, but it happens. But you need to actively try to not let that happen, because, let’s be real, here: it’s unprofessional and bad for business.

Pro tip: Whenever you are unsure of what you are supposed to write, ASK! The client or your boss or whoever is assigning you your work is not going to bite. Asking for a bit of clarification goes a long way and can avoid disasters produced by even the slightest misunderstanding. : Whenever you are unsure of what you are supposed to write, ASK! The client or your boss or whoever is assigning you your work is not going to bite. Asking for a bit of clarification goes a long way and can avoid disasters produced by even the slightest misunderstanding.

Voice means something else entirely in writing than it means in real life. When it comes to copywriting, having a voice is essentially having a distinct style and opinion; something that can be recognized immediately. Think of it as your signature style of writing, and it must have a unique twist to it. Maybe you’re very good at making vaguely inappropriate jokes, maybe you’re wonderfully sarcastic or your writing has a caustic quality to it. Whatever it is, some people wait a long time before finding a voice, because it’s going to be what defines you as a writer. And that can be a scary thing, my friend.

Words are your most valuable weapons. You’d think that, as writers, we’d be overly careful about the words we use, but that’s not always the case. What’s I’m saying is that it should be. Words are very powerful, but you should already know that. You should also know that some words are more powerful than others. Copyblogger makes a case for this by listing a few of the most persuasive words in the English language, including:

“free”

“new”

“you”

“instantly”

“because”

Xeroxing is just another term for what is, essentially, copying and pasting other’s people’s work and presenting it as your own content. This is why everyone expects 100% original work. No one wants to be or work with a copycat or “xeroxer”. It’s lazy, dishonest and most importantly of all, illegal. There is so much copied content out there, but most people don’t realize (or don’t care) that this just not something you can do without repercussions. Think of your own ideas, write your own work and leave the Xeroxing for real life, when you actually need multiples or something.

You should learn to relax. Yes, writing can be stressful, at times, but you chose it because you love it, remember? Well, if you don’t remember, it’s time you did, because otherwise, it’s just not going to work out. Part of the appeal of this job is that it’s genuinely fun for us to do, because we enjoy the entire process of researching, writing, looking at things from a creative perspective, thinking outside the box, etc.

Pro tip: Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, or like you no longer want to do this, take a moment to breathe. Step back and look at things objectively and most important of all, think about why you started: because writing was relaxing; it was therapeutic. Well then, go back to that mindset. Allow yourself a bit of freedom and unclench – it’ll do wonders, trust me. : Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, or like you no longer want to do this, take a moment to breathe. Step back and look at things objectively and most important of all, think about why you started: because writing was relaxing; it was therapeutic. Well then, go back to that mindset. Allow yourself a bit of freedom and unclench – it’ll do wonders, trust me.

Zoning out can be a real problem when you’re trying to write. You think you’re thinking hard about the topic at hand, and somehow, you end up…not thinking at all. This happens to all of us from time to time, and it’s normal, especially when you are less than interested in your subject. You can get your focus back by slapping some sense into yourself (ok, no, I’m not advocating self-abuse or auto-flagellation). Alternatively, you can take a small break, wash your face with cold water, take some time to take a short (5 minutes) walk outside, etc. Your aim is get out of this state and regain your focus.