What to Avoid in Copywriting

While I am new to this site, i am going to try to contribute to the community. Here is an article about what to avoid as a copywriter, and hopefully I don't get too bashed.

Copywriting No-No’s

These days, content can be found all over the internet. While some of it is great, there’s just as much of it that’s not so great. Copywriting needs to be eye-catching, smart, witty, funny, persuasive and informative all at once.
Thinking about a great sales piece or ad might be tricky, but thinking about a bad piece of copywriting isn’t as hard. As a copywriter, there are several things you’ll want to avoid.

No Headlines

When you write a piece of copy, headlines keep it all organized. For readers that scan content, this helps get to the good stuff they’re looking for. If you have ever read a piece of content that has no headlines, you almost have to read it in its entirety to find what you’re looking for.

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

While using keywords is essential in getting your content found, using keywords too often can throw off readers and can sound awkward. You should not include as many keywords as you can as it’ll turn your content into irrelevant content that readers won’t want to read.

All Text is Bad

Writing sales letters or copy is all about the visuals and graphics. Avoid using all text since this can get boring for the readers. Often times, copywriting involves writing long ads that are a few pages in length, so having nothing but text can seem like a mountain. Breaking it up with graphs, testimonials, and other images can help make it more interesting.

No Free Trials

One thing many people look for when they are reading ads or promotional content is a free trial or a discount. If you aren’t offering a free trial, you’re losing potential customers. Don’t you prefer trying something out for a week or so before buying it?

Emotional Appeal

Adding in emotion can really help the customers feel like you can relate to them. Promotional content is designed to address the readers’ problems and to offer a solution. Offer a true story or an instance that can show them you have been in a similar situation.

Capital Letters

Writing promotional content is designed to help sell a product or service, and when you make it all in capital letters this can signify yelling at a reader. Because they can’t hear your tone of voice and enthusiasm you might have, keep your content to conversational appearing meaning avoid using all capital letters.

No Benefits or Features

Let’s face it, when you search for a product you’re looking for a solution. You want to know the benefits and features it’s going to offer you to help fix your problem or concern. However, some people are impulse buyers so make sure you always list the product or service’s features and benefits the reader can expect with purchase.

Copywriting involves selling a product and including a call to action. Once you have completed your copy, take the time to read it aloud to yourself to make sure it makes sense. The last thing you want is copy that is full of errors which can turn off your readers.

 

*Emotional appeal* if you're good at it can and will set you apart from your competitors. I cannot accent this enough. If you are asute enough to truly understand human nature and you couple that with writing talent, then you are going to be successful in reaching your target audience on a relevant level.

 

You are very right actually. Like I said, I am no pro, and definitely a newbie to copywriting! Wish I knew more about it, but that's why I joined this site! To learn more about writing and how to create more compelling content while making a career working online!

 

I very much appreciate your attitude, you are a welcome addition to this forum.

 

I know there is so much to learn, and as a newbie I am intimidated to post on the forum, but I know the only way I am going to learn is to just go for it and take a risk. I just hope I post things that people will not bash me too hard for because again, I am learning new things. All I know is article writing, but really am hoping this site can teach me more!

 

I felt the same when I first joined last week but then I just told myself that it is a forum of thoughts and ideas so I dont post anything 'technical' unless I know I am right. Most of my posts are my own thoughts and opinions nd while these may differ from others, as long as I can justify it to myself then I know that, to me, I am not wrong. Most people here are friendly, especially @spoiltdiva. She was one of the first people I interacted with and I now consider her a good friend.
Welcome to the wonderful world of DP x

 

Here's one secret that i'm willing to give out freely. As a full time Copywriter I've learned that the biggest secret to writing great copy is... RESEARCH.

If you spend 80% of your time researching your potential customers and understanding their day to day lives and emotions... Then you have a winner.

Forget the fancy "power words" and get straight to the point and target those fears, wants, desires...etc

 

I find this is true. If you are selling pepper spray then you say something like don't be a victim, fight back.

 

Well said and I completely agree. The best sales pages I have seen are those that have been able to reach out to users and appeal to their senses and emotions.


Have a good day!

 

Avoid throwing out phrases like questions "Have you ever..?" "Are you tired of..?" We can not read into the readers mind and surely we don't want them to conclude or make a decision based upon a question-mark. Instead we want to take them by the hand and lead them.

 

Excellent points. Thanks for posting this.

I like the simplicity of AIDA:

Attention
Interest
Desire
Action

This is what you are trying to achieve as a copywriter.

If you can get this formula down, you can write just about anything and it will work.
That's a simplification, but what I'm saying is that AIDA is key to selling something.

Rocky

 

The one thought that occurred to me when I saw the heading of this post is something my copywriting mentor tried to get across. He thought one of the worst sins was presenting something which brought forth the response: "that's been done before you know." That can be truly deflating.

There was a man I contacted some years after I first met him to show him some copywriting efforts. He was a creative director at one of the best known names in advertising. We'd first got to know one another in different circumstances. I showed him some headlines. One of them was by a really experienced pro of my acquaintance. He dismissed this one after a nano-second's thought. He considered it was, shall we say, unfresh. That's a putdown.

Whatever it's vintage, what you're presenting needs to convey some sense of newness to readers/prospective customers.

 

There seem to be two schools of thought on headlines:
1. Make it draw the reader in and don't worry about the product or service.
2. Clearly state the USP (unique selling proposal).

For example:
1. Save A Little Girl's Life Today!
2. Volunteer to Give Blood and Save a Life!

I just whipped these out as examples, I'm sure you can do better, but the point is that what I see are these two distinct points of view on Headlines.

Headlines matter.

Maybe more than we know.

I mean, how many emails do you just discard without reading because of a headline? A lot, is my guess.

Rocky

P.S. I would probably open the first email headline and not the second one. Simple reason, I can't give blood right now, but I am interested in kids.

 

I just thought of something further. It's from yet another individual regarded as a copywriting ace: Joe Sugarman. I think it was he who posed the question: what are you trying to do with any line you write in copywriting? Simple. You want the person to be interested enough to read the line following. So if a headline gets follks to read the next line, we could say 'job done.' If it generates insufficient interest for someone to go any distance farther, the headline, or any other line for that matter, has failed.

 

I recall reading that....one line leads to the next.

I think that Bob Bly says the same thing in one of his books or products, but he may have been quoting Sugarman.

How about this for a headline?

"Pro-Copywriter Ruins Career by Spending TOO MUCH time on Forums!"

; )

Rocky

 

No bashing forthcoming from me, I think all of those points are valid. Nice piece.

 

Yes, features and benefits sell.

Who would like to buy an item that offers no benefits?

But features and benefits are not the only ones that sell... they might not be the only reasons why people buy. Take this example. Why should people buy very expensive cars when there are cheaper ones?

Surely, it is neither for features or benefits.

They want to be known to be some of the few who drive that latest expensive car ---they want to carry with them that image.

It is the copywriter who digs out deeper reasons who would carry the day as fart as reasons why people buy are concerned.