The 10 Biggest Mistakes Start-up Copywriters Make The Blackford Centre for Copywriting
The Blackford Centre for Copywriting www.inst.org/copy 10 Biggest Mistakes Page 2
Contents 1. Not Writing Good Headlines... 4 2. No Call to Action... 4 3. Using Too Many Keywords... 4 4. Not Capturing the Tone of Your Audience... 4 5. Not Taking Advantage of Social Media... 5 6. Not Responding to Comments and Feedback... 5 7. Not Formatting the Copy Properly... 5 8. Not Using Images Properly... 6 9. Saying Too Much or Saying Too Little... 6 10. Not Assessing Performance... 6 10 Biggest Mistakes Page 3
1. Not Writing Good Headlines One of the first things a copywriter should learn is how important the headline is. Often, people only read the headline. If that doesn t pique their interest, they won t read the rest of the copy. Good copywriters know how to write an attention-grabbing headline. It should be intriguing (without being misleading) whilst being factual. And it should provide the reader with a good idea of what to expect in the rest of the copy. 2. No Call to Action The aim of good copy is to get the readers to take action in one way or another. This could mean that they buy something, sign up for a newsletter or just visit a website for more information. That is the objective, but many new copywriters fail to remember this. A proper call to action is set up within the body of the copy. You start by explaining to the reader what you or your product can do for them, how it will help them. Then in the last part, you get them to take action by telling them what they have to do in order to get what they want. 3. Using Too Many Keywords Any copywriter knows the importance of keywords when it comes to ranking well in search engine results. However, copy is targeted primarily at people, not search engines, so it s better to use a natural flow when writing. When you overload copy with keywords it can make it awkward to read as the phrasing is usually odd. Moreover, search engines won t like it either as they will consider it spam. So, in reality, you re making things worse from both perspectives. 4. Not Capturing the Tone of Your Audience Your copy needs to reach out to a target audience. A lot of copy fails to do this because it s written in such a way that it makes it hard for the reader to relate to the writer or to the written material. 10 Biggest Mistakes Page 4
That is why a good copywriter needs to reflect the tone of their audience as closely as possible. This includes using their vocabulary, terminology and expressions. That way the copy has a better chance of getting the readers attention. 5. Not Taking Advantage of Social Media Social media is valuable to a copywriter. When people like something they read or see online, they like to share it and they have many tools for doing so. But it s your job as a copywriter to make this easy for them. Social media has the power to spread your message far and wide. Make sure it s possible to share and recommend your work on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can get web code for social media buttons from the social media sites. 6. Not Responding to Comments and Feedback Start-up copywriters can make the mistake of thinking that their work is complete once it is written and published. This is not true. Your clients will receive comments and feedback from their readers, good and bad. It is important that they respond to this feedback as soon as possible, especially if it s bad. Changing and improving the copy gives your client a better chance of getting the audience on their side. Some complaints might be warranted and deserve an explanation, while others might come from misunderstandings, in which case it is a good opportunity to make clarifications. 7. Not Formatting the Copy Properly Readers often have a short attention span, so you need to do everything you can to focus their attention on your copy. Presenting bulky text without interruptions is a guaranteed way to make them lose interest in what you have to say. 10 Biggest Mistakes Page 5
You need to guide their line of sight and make it easier for the reader to understand your message. You do this by breaking up the information into smaller paragraphs, using subheads, bold text and bullet points. 8. Not Using Images Properly Visual aids can be a great way to ensure that the reader understands the message of the copy. When images are used correctly, they can complement and improve the writing. However, they can also make it harder for readers to understand the meaning if they are unrelated to the body of the copy. That is why you should focus on using images that have a strong connection to the copy. This way the visual aids will improve the overall value of the text instead of being a distraction. 9. Saying Too Much or Saying Too Little People are only willing to spend a certain amount of time reading something before they lose interest. That is why your copy must be concise and straight to the point, and also the right length. People will be dissatisfied if they feel essential information is lacking from your copy. So it s important not to neglect anything important in your rush to keep things short and sweet. 10. Not Assessing Performance There are numerous tools that allow you to gauge the success of your writing. You can use them to see how your copy performs and to understand what works and what doesn t. These include A/B tests. These tools also help you understand your audience better. You can learn who reads your copy, who visits your site, and where they are from. Copywriting is a learning process and you will only improve if you are willing to appraise your work. Are you thinking of becoming a copywriter? The best way to achieve that is with The Blackford Centre s Diploma course: www.inst.org/copy 10 Biggest Mistakes Page 6