Hey Guys, Just wondering if anyone out there has any tips/suggestions for someone looking to get into copywriting. I've worked on many different website projects. I can build a website/app from scratch, but I have always had difficulties with the design and copywriting. I know I'm just not artistic enough for the design side of things, but the copywriting I seem to experience a similar issue. Like I have an idea for a website and I have a template and I'm just at a loss on what I'd even put in the title let alone the rest of the content on the page. I can sometimes put together maybe like a paragraph of text that relays get the message across, but then I just keep thinking there's not enough content and I always seem to have that issue. I'm just looking to see if any of you guys have any suggestions on where I could go to learn more, or maybe some motivational tips. Thanks!
It is a skill that develops and grows through practice. Write whatever comes to mind. Then you can go back and clean it up. Sometimes all you have are random thoughts and things you want to say. Just write them down even if it is only a sentence or two. You can go back to it and elaborate on a thought, form proper paragraphs, and organize the paragraphs. Take the meat of the text and work out a title and opening paragraph. Sure, you can read articles, eBooks, or take a class, but it still boils down to practice. If writing doesn't come easy to you, then you might be best to outsource your writing needs. Can your time spent struggling with filling your site with text, only to doubt yourself or flat out dislike what you have written, be better spent doing something else? Everyone has skills that come easy to them and those skills that don't. Strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, we can improve upon a weakness with enough time, practice, and patience. Other times, it is just best to leave it to someone else who is stronger in that particular skill.
Try these sites for starters, and good luck: http://www.staceythewriter.com http://www.copyblogger.com http://menwithpens.ca/ http://www.Bly.com http://www.freelancecopywritersblog.com http://www.nickusborne.com/ http://www.warriorforum.com/copywriting-forum/
it's a skill develops with experience...day by day...every day...so never give up keep on writing ...
Hi Samie, Here are a few tips that I learned from my several years' worth of writing for magazines and blogs: 1) If you are starting a fresh blog, always pick a main topic that isn't too specific. I've read several posts here in the DP forum saying that going uber-niche is key, but in my opinion, you'll just be limiting yourself with an incredibly narrow topic. Blogs need fresh content almost every day. Most of the uber-niche blogs I've sampled are--sorry for being frank--quite trashy, with content stretched out too thinly to be of any value. Sure, they may rake in some instant cash for the blog owner, but they serve as an annoyance to readers who are searching for sites that hold more relevant information. 2) If you don't have the staff, don't cover an extremely general topic. I once worked for a blog which covered all facets of geek culture--and the owner can afford to do something as wide-covering as that because he has like 15 writers on the team. If you're working alone, it's better to have something in between a general topic and something uber-niche. For example, "gaming" is too general, "Dota 2" is still too general, but "Dota2 Spider Queen Tips and Strategies" is incredibly narrow. Something like a blog about "Dota 2 Strategies" would be perfect, as you'd have a lot of wiggle space, but not too much that your blog would look too bare. 3) Always start with an outline. Just list down in bullet form what your article/copy would need to contain, then arrange it so it reads from most important to least important. By starting with an outline, you can easily gauge how many words the article would need and make the proper adjustments (e.g. if it's too broad a topic for your maximum word count, you might want to focus on just a single angle; if it's too narrow, you might want to check out some of the more tangential stuff). 4) If you're working on content for marketing purposes (e.g. copy for a sales advert or descriptions for a product), it helps if you list down the specs of the product/service first in bullet-form. If you only need a basic copy, use the list to build a sort of "blueprint" for your sentences: indicate in which sentence this feature/spec would go, which sentence the other one would go, etc. Important features come first, of course; and of course it wouldn't hurt if the more significant aspects would be allocated a space of more than a single sentence. One you have the "blueprint," you can easily write your sentences. If you need some snappy lines for a sales advert (a banner, for example), the specs would give you an idea of what you could focus on. Try and think of relationships between the specs: analogies, contrasts, complements. I once wrote an advertorial copy for a smartphone which has a shockproof, waterproof exterior: "Smart on the inside, tough on the outside." That's pretty cliche, but it demonstrates how observing relationships between specs/features make for good material. 5) And of course, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ. If I haven't emphasized that enough: JUST READ. You WILL NOT be a good writer if you don't read. In fact, I might even go as far as say YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO WRITE IF YOU DON'T READ. Reading is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of improving your writing. Read news, read fiction, read magazines, read blogs. Just read everything that you can get your hands on (of course, only those that peak your interest). You'll learn a lot of writing techniques just by reading. You might find a tone of voice from a particular author interesting, and you might try to emulate that voice in the beginning--that is a good start. Soon, you'll find lots of authors whose style you like. By combining these styles, you build what amounts to be your own unique style.
to pick up at a faster pace, buy one or two products most especially those that come up with some kind of mentoring. also, learn, make mistakes and make amends you will be fine in no time just my 2cents
Quick tip: Use the AIDA Formula A - Attention I - Interest D - Desire A - Action Employ this into your copy and keep writing and tweaking. Practice makes perfect.
You must read blog pages of high PR blogs, they are quite helpful in giving you an idea of what you can possibly write. They are only for inspiration, so get an idea and create your own content. You can also get help by reading newspapers, magazines and books.
Here are two tips that I think can really help. Got to a few magazine subscription sites and browse through the overs. Magazines publishers are experts at printing headlines that catch people's attention - that's how they make their money. Look through them, write them down, notice the patterns. Also think about starting a "swipe file" where you keep some of your favorite headlines as templates for future use. The other suggestion I have for you comes from Dane Maxwell, founder of "The Foundation." He prides himself on copywriting as a driving force of his business. He said that he got really good at copywriting by writing out, by hand, sales letters from experts like Dan Kennedy and Gary Halbert. Practice makes perfect and soon enough he internalized the skill by copying the best. Hope that helps!
If it's motivation you require in order to write, then simply scroll down to my thread entitled "How do you write when you're not in the mood?" There you will get many good tips from talented, experienced writers. Although being the OP I am biased, I think it's an excellant thread and ought to help you.