Put the Pen Down: a Copywriter’s 4 Biggest Beginner Mistakes

It doesn’t matter if it’s sewing, croquet, Chinese checkers or lacrosse—when it comes time to learning a new skill, mistakes are going to be made.

Random examples aside, the same applies to the art of copywriting. Believe it or not, you’re human, and when you’re producing copy, you’re going to make mistakes. 

It just so happens that when you’re new to a specific content type or even to the industry as a whole, the mistakes you make are going to occur at a higher frequency. 

The best way to overcome them? Identification. 

If you’re new to copywriting, the following are four of the most common mistakes you’re probably going to make. 

1) Atrocious Headlines

This is so basic, but so hard to do. That said, it’s a skill that needs to be learned because it’s one of a copywriters most important tools. 

In fact, said David Ogilvy, The Father of Advertising, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” 

Learn to write headlines that give people a reason to read the first sentence of the first paragraph. If you can do that on a regular basis, you’ll already be ahead of many experienced copywriters.

2) Bypassing On a Call-to-Action

What good is copy if it doesn’t bring about some sort of sales action? Now, that said, I’m not insisting that a CTA be overly aggressive or sales-driven, but it should at least be present within a piece. 

Providing more information on the value of a CTA is Paul Cheney of Marketing Experiments, saying, “It’s not about the action itself, it’s about the value they’re going to get as a result of taking that action. Getting that right in your CTA can give you dramatic lifts with very little effort.”

Sound a bit tricky? 

No need to worry. Understanding will come in time. For now, just know that it’s your job to always include some sort of CTA—no matter how big or small.

3) Saying Too Much or Too Little

Copywriters are either long-winded or too succinct. The goal is to find that ever-elusive balance. 

As far as I’m concerned, I tend to say more than I should. That said, when I try and fix things, I often take it to the opposing extreme. Though I already have a couple of years of copywriting experience under my belt, I continue to struggle with this.

While you might be an outlier, chances are high that you’ll need some experience to understand where a reader is in the buying process. 

Yes, piece type and industry play a part in this, but that’s where experience comes into play. When you’re just starting your copywriting career, you wont’ have much of it. 

Hang in there. It’ll come.

4) Unfitting Tone

Depending on the setting, this can actually pretty funny, even if your client struggles to find humor in the situation.

Think about it—you wouldn’t speak to a full-grown adult like an infant, would you? Well, when a new copywriter is faced with writing for a client whose industry he or she knows very little about, oftentimes the subtle nuances of an audience’s preferred editorial tone are overlooked.

The result? Awkward reading.

To avoid this, take an extra half-hour or so to read up on other industry-specific publications. This will prevent you from sounding naive or ignorant.

Try as you might, at one point or another, you’re going to fall flat on your face. Copywriting isn’t for the faint of heart. 

Because of this, when you make a mistake, it’s key that you dust yourself off and get back to work. Soon enough, you’ll have a firm grip on things.

Now, let’s see what you have to say about the life of a new copywriter. You seasoned copywriters, how were you able to deal with each of the aforementioned obstacles? What other challenges weren’t mentioned here that should’ve been? 

For those who are currently just getting started, what have you noticed about the experience? Take to Twitter and tweet your thoughts and feelings at @EchelonCopy. In no time at all, you’ll get a response.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

How to Successfully Network With Other Industry-Leading Copywriters

Copywriters needn’t only network with potential clients. In fact, it’s in their best interest to interact with other copywriters. 

Maybe I’m way out in left field with this one, but in my mind at least, copywriting is almost more of a trade than a field of academia. Hence, the importance of mingling with other copywriters. 

Ya know, like a shoe cobbler or a blacksmith. I’m only 25 years old, but I imagine that back in the day, when a young man wanted to become a blacksmith, he spent some time learning about the trade from an older, more experienced blacksmith. 

In my head, at least, copywriting is somewhat similar. It’s not a trade in the way that young people go to technical school to become welders or refrigerator repairmen, but the basic principles are the same.

Copywriting is a craft. Copywriting requires a certain set of skills. Copywriting is best learned through experience. 

Isn’t that how trades work, kind of? 

Heck, our bunch of professionals doesn’t even come from a single college major. If you can write, self-start, are generally likable and can research the heck out of just about any topic, you’ve got a career waiting for you as a copywriter. 

However, as is the cased with just about anything in life, if there’s easy money to be made, there’s some sort of catch. 

With copywriting, it’s the difficulty of creating powerful prose. This is where interacting with seasoned copywriters comes into play. 

Simply put, if you want your copywriting career to become all that it can be, you need to be picking up as many tricks of the trade as possible from those who know more than you do. 

How is this to be done? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Develop a Relationship On Twitter

I’m a huge fan of Twitter. When I’m working, I’ve always got it open on my laptop. 

Sure, this is probably a bit of a distraction, but I feel like having my Twitter feed open at all times keeps me informed as to what’s taking place in the world of advertising, public relations and social media marketing. 

I mean, ours is an ever-changing industry, so it’s important to constantly be on the lookout for new information. 

Additionally, through Twitter, I’ve been able to connect with numerous copywriters. These are men and women who have years of experience in the industry and are willing to share their knowledge with those who are going to listen intently and put it into practice.

Don’t believe me? Hop on Twitter and interact with the likes of Danny Margulies, Ray Edwards and Ryan Healy. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

LinkedIn’s Search Feature

LinkedIn is the Internet’s largest professional networking site. As such, you’ve got to be a part of it if you want to be networking. 

Makes sense, right? 

While it is important that you put your best foot forward with your LinkedIn profile, what’s quite possibly even more essential is that you focus on connecting with other copywriters using the site’s search feature. 

Connect with them and reach out from time to time. Though somewhat uncomfortable initially, this isn’t a taboo practice on LinkedIn. Countless professionals do it. Well, at least the smart ones do.

Give the Warrior Forum a Try

Ever heard of the Warrior Forum? If you haven’t, it’s time to bust out the ol’ laptop and get cracking. The Warrior Forum is arguably the finest digital marketing forum on the World Wide Web.

There are gobs of copywriters hanging out on there. 

Also, Digital Point forum is pretty solid. Either way, you’re going to want to bring your bring A-game. While most copywriters are more than willing to offer some help, others are intent on making newcomers to the community feel as awkward as possible. 

That said, this shouldn’t stop you. A bit of digital hazing is well worth it when the light at the end of the tunnel has Bob Bly telling you about the ins and outs of how he quickly became one of the wealthiest copywriters to have ever lived.

Simply Reach Out and Ask

It’s so simple, yet nobody actually does it. If you happen to learn of a copywriter and you think to yourself, “This guy has something about him that I admire. I want to learn more,” reach out and introduce yourself. 

These days, with everyone’s information being made public on the Internet, it’s easy to find an email address, Twitter handle or even a phone number. Be genuine, humble and flexible and do what few are brave enough to even consider—ask for help. 

Worst case scenario, a copywriter refers you to his or her e-book and calls it a day. I’ve had this happen and, shockingly, the world didn’t end.

More often than not, however, I’ve been met with positive feedback.

Now, let’s turn the tables for a moment—what methods have you used to connect with top-tier copywriters? On the flip side of things, what impedes you from reaching out to learn more? 

If you’ve got something to say, please take a moment or two to share it in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.