Before you write about something, you’ve got to know exactly what your page / piece is supposed to accomplish. Whether it’s email replies, product sales, or something else, your job as a copywriter is to support that goal.

Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, you’ve got to be able to measure it. Whether it’s hard stats (like conversion rates) or softer measures like comments and happy email responses….track what you’re doing.

Pretty much everything is trackable these days - but that doesn’t mean you should focus on everything. Choose one metric to focus on and you’ll quickly know whether your copy is hitting home or not.

Avatars are great reference tools, but nothing beats the real thing! Get up, get out, and interview the people who make up your audience. You’ll learn more from a single “real” conversation than any avatar-based thinking session.

Want to dig into your audience’s psychology? Live interviews are great for 1-on-1 sessions, but there’s a better way to mine a big group of people (like an email list)...online surveys! Surveys can wind up generating ridiculous ROI - it’s like having a roadmap for your copy and content strategies

Looking for inspiration with a tough problem? Well, how would an industry thought leader approach it?

Financial issue? Trying to break down “value”? How would Warren Buffet approach it?

If you’re staring at a blank page and don’t know how to start….think about a few of the great copywriters. Pretend you’re that person and step into their shoes (or keyboard?). Ogilvy’s ads, Kern’s sales letters, Walker’s VSL’s should blast you right through any writer’s block.

Speaking of writer’s block, have you tried freewriting? Sit down, set a timer for 10 minutes, and start writing. It’ll probably be a terrible draft, but perfection isn’t the point. It’ll get you out of your head and kickstart the writing process.

Brainstorming is usually a pretty chaotic activity - sort of like freewriting. If you start the brainstorming session with a little bit of structure, you’ll channel that energy into something that’s actually productive and on point. Outlines, boxes, and other visual tools can help organize the ideas as they come tumbling out of your brain.

See a great example of copy / design / UX? Take a screenshot and file that baby away! You’ll thank yourself later. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel with every project, you can cherry pick elements you love from real world examples and adapt them to your work.

As a copywriter, you’ve got to stay in touch with your industry. If you set aside 20-60 minutes a day to read relevant news, blogs, and newsletters, you’ll be in much better shape than someone trying to “catch up” once in a while.

Want to automate all that staying in touch? Use Google Alerts or other notification services. You can filter for exactly what’s relevant and valuable to you.

Think of this like a swipe file for deeper citation. Where a swipe file is fantastic for inspiration and planning, a well-organized database of articles will allow you to quickly and efficiently cite your research. This’ll cut down on research and writing time.

Taking on a project outside of your regular niche / focus? The best way to get a feel for what an audience is thinking and feeling is to read the top publications in their field. Where do they hang out online? Which YouTubers do they follow? Start consuming the same content and you’ll be able to think more effectively.

Taking on a project outside of your regular niche / focus? The best way to get a feel for what an audience is thinking and feeling is to read the top publications in their field. Where do they hang out online? Which YouTubers do they follow? Start consuming the same content and you’ll be able to think more effectively.

Your early research probably involves a whole bunch of Googling. You can expand and adapt your searches by scrolling down to the bottom of the results page and - voila! Google suggests a list of relevant searches you might want to check out.

Staying on top of your industry’s content is great - but it’s a one-way street. It’s also valuable to bounce ideas around with other copywriters or industry pros. Join (or create) an accountability group - it’s like organized, scheduled brainstorming!

Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times. If you don’t actively capture a great idea, though, it may be lost forever. That’s why it’s a great idea to keep a pocket notebook handy - or just use a note-taking app on your phone (I love Google Keep).

Most people treat a brainstorming session like a one-off activity. You come up with 20 ideas, choose one to write about, and then toss the other 19 aside. That’s a waste! If you organize your brainstorming notes in one place (like a dedicated Google Drive folder), you’ll have a great database of ideas to work from.

Ever start building out a piece and then realize you’ve drifted away from your original argument or purpose? To keep yourself in check, try drawing out what you’re trying to say. It’ll simplify and organize your thinking, making your writing easier and more compelling.

Creativity is a funny thing - sometimes trying just makes it harder to come up with the right words. If you stop trying and start doing other things, it’ll give your subconscious a chance to play around with your problem. A walk can be a great chance to stretch your legs - and your mind!

Some writers only let editors in during the final stages of a piece. This is a huge mistake! A brief chat with your editor will put you both on the same page, set clear expectations, and probably generate some great ideas to write about.

Why are you writing this piece? If you’re just repeating the same thing as a dozen major blogs or sites, are you really helping anyone? If you want your writing to stand out and connect with people, you’ve got to know exactly what you’re adding the wider conversation.

Sometimes finding a unique angle is easier if you know what’s already out there. Position your piece to complement or oppose existing content and you’ll immediately join a conversation, instead of having to start one from scratch.

Stuck? Use short prompts to nudge your brain into action. Questions are great ways to focus your mind, get specific, and start producing. Who’s this piece for? Why should they care? What if ____?

K.I.S.S.; simple and direct always trumps complicated and ambiguous. You can do this by simplifying your language, cutting down on extra words, and generally getting to your point more efficiently.

Adding steps to a process is easy. Removing them, though, is a lot tougher. Keep stripping down the number of jumps you’re making until you’re left with a bare-bones outline. That’s the core concept to build your piece around.

Analysis paralysis is a real thing. Give your readers too many options and it’s like giving them nothing. If you cut things down to binary choices, though, a reader can clearly and confidently follow your thinking.

The best answer is also usually the simplest. If you’re trying to get a reader from A to B….take them on a direct journey, not a winding route.

Want to connect with your readers? Write conversationally, break some grammar rules, and you’ll immediately create more engaging copy.

Writing Tips:

What does your writing “sound” like in your readers’ heads? Is it too choppy? Does it flow smoothly? If you’re trying to be funny….is it working? Try reading short pieces out loud. Some style issues are easier heard than seen.

Have you ever tried dictating your draft? Voice-to-text apps let you “write” from anywhere - even while you’re out for a walk. They’re especially great for early drafts when you just need to get ideas out of your head.

Want to make your writing punchy and engaging? Here’s a general rule of thumb - use active voice. It’s closer to the way we speak, making it more appropriate for conversational, “natural” writing.

If you’re trying to make a point….just make it! Some writers write like they’re prepping a debate team, trying to preempt opposing arguments and using super technical jargon. There is no debate team. There’s just your reader, who wants you to get to the point clearly and directly.

Creative work like writing is best done in a series of short sprints rather than one long marathon. Pomodoro timers are built for that - 25 minute work sessions spaced out by short (5 minute) and long (10 minute) breaks. You’ll stay fresh - and so will your writing.

Alright, I stole this one directly for Neville. Pop in a pair of earplugs and you’ll be surprised how effectively the total silence will hone your focus.

If you’re feeling stuck, try writing from a different place in your house. Even better, get out of the house entirely and try writing from a cafe or a coworking space. Different atmospheres will trigger your creativity - and sometimes having strangers who can see what you’re doing will keep you from browsing the web instead of working.

Schedules and consistency are great. But routines can also get stale. If you’re feeling stuck, change things up and try a different writing time. Just make it a planned thing, not a random action.

The quickest way to develop as a writer is to surround yourself with other writers who are able and willing to give you constructive feedback. But instead of a one-off conversation or a sporadic relationship, try joining (or creating) a writers group. A weekly conversation with a structured agenda will create big results.

Working around other people working can be motivating and incredibly productive. Try rounding up your writers group just to write. No chit chat, just work!

Some people are shy about sharing their work - don’t be one of them! The more eyes - especially professional eyes - you can get on your writing, the better. Ask for constructive feedback and take it on board.

Complex topics and big projects can feel overwhelming. The best way to get past that feeling is to break everything down into smaller, more achievable drafts. Give yourself deadlines for those small goals and you’ll find yourself blasting through obstacles with ease.

Ever read something that’s meant to be funny, but just falls flat? It’s awkward and very distracting. If you start by building a clean, clear core of an idea, you can always add cute little add ons later - but you can’t do the reverse.

Every SEO professional out there knows that search engines reward quality, not quantity. Google number one priority is to find content that effectively answers user queries. Are you doing that for your audience?

Features are easy to list and boring to read. Why should I care about this brand’s products? Benefits, on the other hand, are much more engaging because they explain what a user will get out of a product.

Editors are great at every stage of the writing process. If you’re stuck with an idea or you want to talk out an argument, get in touch with your editor. You’ll probably get more out of a focused 10 minute talk with your editor than you would in a couple hours banging your head against the wall, alone.

Writing and thinking about writing is sort of like a muscle. The more you practice, the easier the process becomes. Set aside a dedicated time each day to write and work out that muscle.

We’re surrounded by distractions. If you want to get your point across to your reader, you’ve got to make your writing interesting and easy to read. Use short paragraphs and clearly organized headers. If you want to draw attention to specific points, use highlights and bold font.

Nested bullet points are great for outlining. You can organize ideas within ideas within ideas - but that structure doesn’t transfer well to long form content. The more sub-steps you have, the more difficult the reading experience. Keep things simple and limit your headers to H2’s and H3’s at most.

Breaks are great for productivity at every stage of the writing process. Once you’re done with a draft, get away from it for a day or two. When you come back to it, you’ll be able to read it with a fresh perspective.

Copy isn’t just a bunch of words on a page, especially when it comes to short attention spans online. You’ve got to understand white space, readability, and basic UX design to really maximize a reader’s experience.

Presentation can be just as important as writing style. When you’re studying great copy (or looking through your swipe file), try and absorb how the text is presented.

If you really want to level up, try drawing out your favorite pages as wireframe diagrams. This’ll help you learn how to structure your copy, how to stack your arguments, and write powerfully.

Images are a great way to attract attention, break up long boring blocks of text, and keep your copy fresh and engaging. You can use images to entertain, educate, or just hammer home a point you want to make. Here's why images are better than text.

Can you use an image instead of text here? Instead of just complementing your words, images can also just replace them. This’ll help strip down your text, making stronger and more efficient messaging.

Get in your readers’ heads with stories, especially ones in which they can picture themselves. Don’t just talk about things - make your readers imagine what it’d feel like to use your products.

All the style and structure in the world goes out the window if you use the wrong words. You’ve got to speak your readers’ language, use their terms, and show that you’re in on their inside jokes. Use their tone of voice.

Writing apps go way beyond just spell checking. Grammarly and Hemmingway are two popular tools that can help analyze your style and suggest specific nuances to improve your writing.

Transform your readers into action-takers. Use quizzes, calculators, and other engagement tools to encourage your readers to apply the concepts they’re reading about.

Keep your content up to date by regularly overhauling old articles. It’s a relatively easy step that will keep you relevant and Google happy.

You can also upgrade old articles with add ons like content upgrades. For example, create a download that complements a specific article and add it to the piece.

Writers can get stuck in their ways. If you want to stay flexible, get out of your comfort zone. Try writing as someone totally different - can you do it effectively? This’ll come in handy anytime you’re writing to a new audience and need to adapt.

If you think style’s tough, try writing from an opposing point of view. You might hate it, but it’ll force you to focus on structure, message, and all the fundamental elements of a strong point of view.

Anyone can write for length - but nobody really cares about how many words you can stuff into an article. Be ruthless when you’re editing and remove as much non-essential text as possible. It’ll strengthen your message and create a stronger, more memorable connection with readers.

Become a better writer:

We mentioned swipe files earlier in this list. If you want to get to the next level, set aside time to really study the material you’ve saved. Why do you like it? What caught your eye? Don’t just use your swipe file for inspiration - use it for learning. Here's a free & public swipe file.

What are you trying to achieve as a writer? What are a few of the crazy big goals you want to reach? If you’re struggling through a tough project or questioning your path, review your goals and re-energize yourself.

Huge goals are great for motivation….but they can be meaningless in the short term. If you have a big goal you want to achieve in 10 years, work backwards and set milestone targets. If you goal is to write for a major publication, what are the stepping stone projects that will get you there?

Monthly reviews are a great way to gauge your development. Are you on track with your small goals? Do you need to adapt your strategy or reach out to bigger clients? Reviews keep you focused and productive while still allowing you to pursue the big dream.

What are your weak points? Identify them, then attack them one by one. Get specific and measure yourself.

Who are the writers that get the most emotion out of you? The type that have you laughing out loud or welling up with tears. Break down how they do it. Can you apply similar techniques in your copy? Do "Copy Work" for inspiration from other writers.

If you had to, could you distill your argument into a single page? This is a great exercise to cut down on needless fluff and focus on your core message.

The more you connect with other writers, the more you’ll learn about writing, editing, project management, and career growth. Writing can feel like a lonely profession, but you should make it a priority to surround yourself with other professional writers.

Editing is a great chance to learn. You’ll get to see other writers’ style, approach, and thought process. If you edit others’ writing regularly, you’ll quickly see positive effects on your own writing.

Every stage of the writing process can throw up a unique set of problems. Whatever it is you’re facing, though, you can’t let it eat up your precious time. Get it done, get it out, and then worry about improving it later.

“If you’re not embarrassed by your first version, you spent too long on it.” -Reid Hoffman

Copywriters need to understand exactly how their clients’ businesses operate. The more you learn about your target audience’s industry, the more effectively you’ll write about the challenges your clients face.

Regularly read your past work to get an idea of how you’ve developed. How would you improve an article from last year? How about homepage copy from a few years ago?

Are you reaching the right people? Are you growing your audience? The only way to tell is to track and analyze your site’s analytics. What are your most popular articles? This should give you a barometer for your performance and also guide your content strategy.

If you’re working for a client, ask for access to their analytics. Copywriting is a results-based craft, and it’s important to get your hands on the data that measure those results.

Your job isn’t done when a final draft is handed in. Ask your client for feedback, testimonials, and even a case study when appropriate. This will give you a chance to make concrete improvements and connect more deeply with the client.

Treat every new project like a potential foot-in-the-door. Where else can you help the client? How can you connect your current project to one in the future?

Copywriting is so much more than just text. Nowadays copywriters need to understand UX concepts, design, and SEO. The more complementary skills you can add to your arsenal, the more effective your writing will become. Become a full stack writer.

Give yourself three drafts to produce great work. Make the first one crappy, the next one good, and the final one excellent. This’ll keep your writing efficient and clear, and you won’t get lost in a series of random drafts.

What’s the most effective way to make your point? What sort of format do your readers connect with the most? Playing around with length is a way to ask these questions while producing content.

Is your writing really that engaging? How can you spice things up and make the reader’s experience more fun? Play around with your style, break some grammar rules, use GIFs, and maybe even try swearing a little. Get loose and experiment!

Writing funny isn’t easy. If you can figure it out, though, you’ll create attention-grabbing content people will eat up. Study your favorite funny writers from other genres - what can you adapt and apply to your writing?

Limits can be great for productivity and creativity. Instead of writing generalist blog posts whenever you feel like it, give yourself structure to think and create.

Imagine you only have one hour to write this piece. How will you get it done? How much quicker will you dive into your writing? What will it do for your focus?

Imagine you only have one page to write on. What will you say? What can you drop?

What would happen if you cut your word count in half? Could you still get your point across? Could you replace text with images where needed?

Imagine finding out your audience was reading your material almost exclusively from small mobile devices. How would that affect your layout and format? Would you structure your message any differently?

Imagine your reader only has 30 seconds to skim your content. What would you highlight? How would you direct attention to specific points?

(extras -- freelancers and consultants):

The more you can specialize by field or by service (or both), the quicker you’ll build authority and attract better clients.

Let prospective clients know what you can do for them. By offering packages and productized services, you can simultaneously control what you offer and give your clients options to choose from.

Past projects are often your best selling points for future work. Follow up with clients after a project is done and ask for concrete feedback and change metrics. They’ll appreciate your concern, you’ll get powerful marketing material, and maybe even more work with the client. Make your own case study.

Do you know how much you’re worth to a client? If you want to be paid $1,000, you’d better be able to prove that the client will make a return on their investment in you.

Want to build authority and demonstrate expertise? If you don’t have an impressive portfolio (yet), run through a mock project and write about it. Take screenshots and explain exactly how and why you’d change certain things. Practical teardowns are much more effective than writing about general theory.

Are you hanging out where your customers hangout online? Do you understand industry jargon and common practices? A great way to sell clients, is to be able to understand their needs and talk like them.

If you’re offering a service, how will it affect a client’s business? Sales? Leads? Better conversion rates? Whatever it is, get specific and give examples that clients can relate to and actually want.

How often are you pitching jobs or connecting with other writers? Outreach is the most important element of a new writer’s business. Prioritize it and create a schedule for your outbound marketing. You can even make a Command Center for this.

If you reach out to a couple dozen people each week, how are you going to keep tabs on each conversation? CRMs are great because they help organize your contacts and track developments.

Trawling through job boards can be frustrating. Instead of randomly searching different boards, use a service like Feedbin to aggregate RSS feeds and create a single source of relevant listings.

Great copywriters tend to be strong interviewers. In order to create compelling copy, you’ve got to understand your audience, their issues, and their deep dark feelings. The best way to uncover all that is through interviews.

It's common to think that we need to speak differently in certain settings. But it’s not true.

Whether you are speaking to a prospect, colleague, or friend - just be yourself.

Write how you normally talk, and your copy will be more easy to understand!

While reading through this article you can also watch/listen to this accompanying video:

This is mental exercise where you see ANY ad, and think to yourself: "How can I make this ad better?"

So if you're walking by a billboard, you think in your head what ways you can get people to crave that burger even more.

So you would think in your head:

Just as practice you'd come up with different angles like this:

Or maybe you'd try to make people crave that Big Mac:

Or maybe you'd go with a stupid pun:

Watch this video to do the "Mental Ad Re-Writing" exercise when you're out in the wild:

A "Swipe File" is just a folder you keep cool advertisements or cool pieces of copy in.

Your Swipe File can be physical or digital.

My Physical swipe file....it's a plain folder I keep in my reading room.

My Digital Swipe file.....it's a folder I keep on my Mac desktop. Whenever I see something interesting, I do [COMMAND + SHIFT + 4] and do a crop-screenshot of the thing I'm trying to save.  I then drag that screenshot into the Swipe File folder:

(yes....Boo The Dog is my laptop wallpaper)

You should save all sorts of stuff in your swipe file that you think is awesome, or that made you take an action.  An ad, a webpage layout, a specific choice of words.....anything to to that effect.

Here's a general rule of thumb for your own Swipe File:

The purpose of your Swipe File is to frequently flip through it for inspiration.

For example, I'm thinking about pricing techniques for a client of mine right now......and a quick dip in my digital swipe file popped up this cool example of how it's done:

I must've briefly seen this sales page and thought, "Hmmmm.....that's a really nice pricing layout!" and done a quick [COMMAND + SHIFT + 4] and grabbed a screenshot of the layout.  Thanks to this one addition to my swipe file, I can now implement a similar strategy on my clients site.

That's the benefit of having a solid swipe file laying around!

Since mobile web browsing is fast becoming the norm, I also see a ton of stuff I want to save on my phone.  For this reason I created a specific folder in my iPhone and made a Phone Swipe File too!

Do this on your own phone.  It'll be a nice place to store screenshots when mobile browsing and you see something that grabs your attention.

So I would highly suggest you start creating your own swipe file, but if you don't want the hassle of maintaining one, I've create a full Swipe File for any marketer to use right here:

Whenever people try to explain what their company does (especially engineers), they tend to brag about the FEATURES of a product.

This sounds like:

Kind of like cramming in words to a Tweet.  I show a 3-step formula for this in my how to create a tagline article.

This is the art of making something long into something small.

What is the shortest amount of space you can take to transfer a complete thought into someone else's brain?

It's by Trim Trim Trimming......
Good copywriting is about sending information from one brain to another in the most efficient manner.  

A lot of people hear things like, "Long copy sells better!!!!" Well it's true to a degree.  The rule of thumb is:

• Long copy is ok.
• Longwinded copy is NOT ok.

Taking longwinded copy and making it more concise is a GREAT copywriting exercise! For example:

To get a "feel" of what it's like to write good copy, you can just COPY good pieces of copy!!

If you want some interesting pieces to start, try some of these on our CopyWork Examples page.

I would also encourage you to write out ads that YOU think are good. Perhaps even from products you've bought in the past.  

Now listen up chump.....I'm not telling you to purposely agitate people with your copy. What I AM saying is you should not always play it so damn safe.

For example, there's two variations of a piece of copy trying to explain "how to make your ads stand out." Both of these versions try to explain the same thing. But look which one does a much better job:

Step 1: Read your copy out loud to make sure it sounds conversational.

Step 2: Realize how ridiculous what you wrote just sounds....then change it up.

This is the most shockingly simple AND shockingly most effective way to kill long-winded copy. Great copywriting often sounds extremely conversational, as if the person is reading a personal message from you.

You'll frequently hear someone say, "I can describe it over the phone really easily.....but when I write it doesn't sound the same."  That's because they're not writing conversationally!

The practice here is to read your copy out loud to yourself or others.  You can even record your voice on your phone, then play it back for yourself to ensure it's conversational and doesn't sound like a boring robot wrote it.    

I know this sounds a little silly, but wearing ear plugs when writing is one of my most-used tricks for writing great copy! It's literally like having a superpower, because I can put ear plugs in, and instantly "be in my own little world."

Now that we've gone over all these copywriting exercises, I want to talk about something even more important.....becoming dangerous at MULTIPLE THINGS in copywriting.

For example, if you know only one thing, you're  "single threat" person.  Your value is relatively low in the world because you only know one thing, and are confined to the knowledge of that specific industry.

• Single Threat = Knows a skill.  Value =  $

• Double Threat = Knows a skill + another useful skill.  Value =  $$

• Triple Threat = Knows a skill+ another useful skill + ANOTHER useful skill.  Value = $$$$$$

For example, let's say someone selling a high-priced product in the financial industry is trying to find a copywriter.  Which one do you think would be the most in demand?

Obviously the Triple Threat is going to have a greater advantage, ESPECIALLY if the client is trying to sell financial products. Triple Threat guy will be able to bring a variety of experience (client work, psychology, financial industry) into his writing.

Our poor Single Threat Guy only has one trick up his sleeve, and is therefore inherently less valuable than the Triple Threat Guy.

Read more about becoming a Triple Threat here.

Simplifying copy is not about “dumbing down” your copy, it’s about making it easy to read.....so easy a caveman can do it!

Some of the smartest people in history are famous for using extremely simple language and explanations that a caveman could understand:

So remember, when editing and reviewing your copy, make sure to put on your “Caveman Voice!”

If you ever get an urge to yawn while reading something then treat that as a gift. 

If it bores you to read it, you aren’t alone. Don’t write it!