Ten Tips for Beginner Copywriters Who Need a Hand!
Starting a career in copywriting is not just an exciting prospect, but an intimidating one. Whether you're a seasoned writer or not, anybody could be a copywriter with the right know-how and a good set of skills. As with anything, copywriting is something that can be learned, but it does take some time to learn how to adapt your style to fit what you're writing.
You're stepping into a field that mixes creativity with strategy and persuasion with authenticity. If you've recently made the leap into this area of the marketing world, or you're even seriously considering it, we've got 10 tips for you as a beginner who may need a helping hand.
So, whether you're writing for clients or you're building up your own brand, let's take a look at some tips that can help you to gain the confidence you need to improve faster.
Use the tools available to you. As a beginner, it's very tempting to rely on tools like grammar checkers, writing assistance, or even an AI humanizer to help make your content relatable or polished. These are tools that you should use if you absolutely need them, but you want to continue to keep your voice at the same time. Remember that there are tools out there that you can use, but they should support your growth in this area, not define your writing style. You should always be able to write copy that sounds like a real person speaking to another real person, rather than a computer talking to the world.
Know the difference between copy and content. It's very easy to lump all writing into one category, but there is a big difference between content writing and copywriting. Content is designed to entertain, inform and educate.So, for example, content writing sits in the area of blog posts, articles and guides, much like this one. Copywriting, on the other hand, is about selling or persuading. It's what you see in emails, product descriptions, landing pages and adverts. Understanding the difference can help you to shape your writing with more intention. Are you looking to inform people or make the reader take action? The answer to that question will change the voice and the way that you write.
Study what works. Some of the best learning comes from analytical, high performing copy. Look at websites you admire, email campaigns you've clicked on, or product pages that have convinced you to buy. What is it about these that has jumped out at you enough to convince you that this is a good product? Are the headlines clear, clever or emotionally charged? Are the calls to action urgent or make you feel curious?Is the layout easy to follow? You want to reverse engineer successful pieces and understand the psychology behind them. Eventually, you'll be able to see the patterns that you can apply within your own work.
Write something everyday. Copywriting is your muscle. It's a skill, and it's one that improves through repetition and feedback.If you're going to go to the gym and work on your glutes, then you need to sit down and write something every day. Make this a habit.It doesn't have to be a full advert or a landing page, but you could rewrite headlines from famous brands or practice short product descriptions. Sizes that can help you to build muscle memory and help you to develop a faster, sharper writing process.
Read like a copywriter. It's important to be able to read like a copywriter and read the world through a copywriter's lens if you hope to become one. That means you need to read more than books. Look at the packaging for the products you buy on your weekly shop or the Instagram captions when you are scrolling. Take a closer look at email subject lines and sales pages because every word you see out in the wild is a chance to learn how the others are doing it. What are they trying to get you to do in these words that are on your screen? Is it working? Why isn't it working, and why is it working? You'll learn to develop a mental database of what good copy looks like and what to avoid.
Understand human psychology. You don't have to go to uni and complete a doctorate in this, but copy writing itself is psychology in motion. The words that you use are going to have either emotional triggers, social proof, loss aversion, or reciprocity. Reading up on persuasion principles can help you to have that major edge that you need in the copywriting world if you're trying to convince other people to do something.
Ask for feedback. Writers in general are not great at asking for feedback, but no writer becomes great in isolation. If you're just starting out, you need people to read your stuff to know whether you're hitting the nail on the head. You can't share valuable copy if you don't actually write valuable words. Don't critique your own work and think it's just fine, but ask for expert eyes around you to have a reread of it. Don't take their critiques personally either, it's a professional thing. Good feedback is going to highlight what's confusing, what's weak, and what works well, and then you can hone your skills.
Build a collection of copy you admire. It could be e-mail headlines, ad copy, taglines, or full landing pages. If you see something that grabs your attention, save it. Over time, that file of copy that you've collected is going to be a source of inspiration for you.
Start building a portfolio. One of the most common challenges for a new copywriter is that you don't have any experience. But the truth is, you don't need paying clients to create a portfolio. You can rewrite copy for existing websites and label it as speculative. You could write your own product descriptions of fake adverts. You could even create email campaigns for a brand you love. Make it clear in your portfolio that some pieces are conceptual because clients care more about your ability than your client list. A strong, well written sample speaks volumes.
Keep learning. Copywriting is consistently evolving. Platforms change, audiences shift, and trends will come and go. If you want to grow in this field, you need to stay curious. So sign up for copywriting newsletters, watch webinars, and follow thought leaders on social media. Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions. Everyone's going to start somewhere, and as a beginner, you're only going to grow if you're asking others who already know what they're doing.
