45 Copywriting "Tips"
The Copywriter Column #180
Want to be a great copywriter? I rounded up a collection of tips I’ve seen over the years just for you…
The shorter the copy, the better.
So make your copy short.Longer copy converts better.
So make your copy long.Emphasize benefits over features.
But features are valuable, so list them anyway.Write like you talk.
Write like your reader talks.Write at the 5th grade reading level.
Don’t write like a 5th grader.Use the Oxford Comma.
The Oxford Comma is irrelevant, so don’t use it.Think like your audience.
Think like your shareholders.The subject line is the most important part of an email.
The headline is the most important part of an email.Do your best work.
Just ship it.Be persuasive.
Don’t be manipulative.Use the active voice.
Passive voice is less pushy.Write all CTAs like “this.”
Write all CTAs like “that.”Use analogies.
Get straight to the point.Be clear, not clever.
”Our brand likes to be clever.”Set expectations.
Keep your readers curious.Get their attention.
Don’t bait-and-switch them.Be like Apple.
Be like Liquid Death.Make your customer the hero.
Your product is the solution to your customer’s problems.Repeat key points.
Avoid repetition.
Don’t be redundant.Copywriting formulas are dead.
Copywriting formulas are tried and true.Don’t use AI tools to write copy.
Use AI tools to help write copy.Write for people.
Write for search engines.
Obviously, I could go on and on…
But the point is that for every piece of copywriting advice out there, the opposite could certainly be true.
What’s a best practice for one industry doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a best practice for another.
Context matters.
So next time you’re scrolling through social media and you see “experts” telling you it has to be done a certain way, take what they’re sharing with a grain of salt.
The same goes for what I write too.
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